These small batch gluten free funfetti cookies are soft sugar cookies that are chewy, creamy, and so much fun! This easy ecipe for 6 cookies uses a flavorful almond flour blend and a little milk powder to enhance the texture and sweetness of these celebratory cookies!
Small Batch Gluten Free Funfetti Cookies
It’s September, and in the baking blogger world, that means holiday recipe testing is well underway! However, I’m going to ease us into cookie season with this incredibly fun sugar cookie recipe that showcases the joy of sprinkles!
And if you’re looking for more funfetti recipes to bring a smile to your face, try my butter free funfetti frosting and the gluten free funfetti cupcakes!
The Delicious Details Of These Cookies
- Easy Small Batch – When you can prep and bake a cookie recipe in less than 30 minutes, I consider that easy. Yes, we do need to chill the dough, and I strongly recommend this so the cookies don’t bake into little sprinkled puddles.
- Soft and Chewy – There may be two camps when it comes to sugar cookies. Those that prefer a crispy sugar cookie – like my marshmallow sugar cookies. Or, those that prefer a soft and chewy sugar cookie. These cookies are the latter and have a nice lift and chew thanks to the egg whites only and milk powder.
- Caramelized Texture – The milk powder helps to create a slight crust on the outside of the cookie. Sugar will naturally do this, and the milk proteins in milk powder will enhance that.
- Creamy Flavor – Sugar, butter, egg white, and again – milk powder – make these gluten free funfetti cookies taste creamy with a vanilla-forward flavor.
- Flavorful Gluten Free Flours – As will all my gluten free small batch recipes, I test these recipes to ensure the result is flavorful and hard to tell they are gluten free!
Cookies Made With Milk Powder
I have talked a lot about milk powder, and you may be asking – what does milk powder do in baking? Before I answer that, we should first understand what is milk powder?
- Milk powder – not to be confused with malted milk powder – is milk that has been dehydrated, leaving only the milk solids.
And after quite a few test batches, and a little research, I can confirm milk powder does the following in baking:
- Adds sweetness – Milk naturally has lactose in it, which will add to the sweetness of the gluten free funfetti cookies.
- Hydrates and provides structure – It works with the proteins and starches in our almond flour blend to expand and work harmoniously with the fat in the recipe.
- Caramelizes and adds a rich, creamy flavor – The proteins and naturally occurring sugar in milk powder will add extra creamy flavor, texture, and a delicate crust to the cookies.
Cookies Made With Only Egg Whites
Egg white-only dessert recipes typically include cakes, like an angel food mini cake, or meringues, like marshmallow meringue frosting. And while recipes like coconut small batch macaroons or my almond flour maple cookies only use an egg white, we tend to rely on the fat from the egg yolk to make our cookies rich.
delicious benefits Of Egg White ONly Cookies
- Natural leavener – A whipped egg white adds volume and structure to your baked good.
- Lighter and airier texture – Think of how light and fluffy a whipped egg white is. It contributes to a lighter texture in these cookies.
- Provides moisture – On its own, an egg white is mostly water. When you combine the egg white with something that loves and holds on to water – like sugar – the result is a cookie that is moist, not dry.
Ingredients To Make Gluten Free Funfetti Cookies
- Blanched Almond Flour
- Arrowroot Starch/Flour
- Tapioca Starch/Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg White Only
- Vanilla Extract
- Sprinkles
gluten Free Funfetti Cookie Tips
- Mix the egg white well – The egg white provides lift and a lighter, softer texture to the cookies. To achieve this, we want to make sure we are mixing the egg white well and incorporating air into the mix.
- Chill the dough – I am slowly becoming an advocate for chilling all cookie dough. It helps to firm the butter and gives the flavors time to develop. Otherwise, you are likely to end up with cookies that spread into thin cookie puddles.
- Watch your bake time – We are looking for golden edges around the bottom of the cookie. However, if you want a crispier cookie, bake for about 1 minute more.
- Perfectly round cookies – A fun trick I have learned to make round cookies: While the cookie is fresh from the oven and still warm, use a biscuit cutter that is larger than the cookie, and swirl the cookie around the inside of the cutter.
- Use sprinkles that won’t bleed color into the cookies – I like to use colored jimmies sprinkles because they will hold their shape and color when baked.
- Let the cookies cool completely – I find that gluten free cookies taste better when they are completely cool.
Recipe FAQ’s
Probably not. The texture and ratios would likely need to be adjusted, as I find 1:1 gluten free flour to be much drier than the almond flour blend I use.
You do not, but I highly recommend it! Milk powder will make the cookies chewy and creamy with a delicate exterior crust.
The egg white makes the funfetti cookies light, soft, and chewy. I have tested a batch with only an egg yolk, and while the cookies were still delicious, they were missing the soft and light texture of these cookies.
Small Batch Gluten Free Funfetti Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 2 tablespoon tapioca flour
- ½ tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and milk powder (if using). Tip – Milk powder adds creamy flavor, makes cookies chewy, and delicate crust.1/2 cup blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup arrowroot flour, 2 tablespoon tapioca flour, ½ tablespoon coconut flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon milk powder
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use a hand held mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamy – about 2 to 4 minutes. Tip – You can also use your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with 3 quart mixing bowl that fits a standard tilt-head stand mixer.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add the egg white and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and continue to beat on medium-high speed until the mix is light and creamy – about another 2 minutes.1 large egg white, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the sprinkles (if using), and stir in by hand with a spatula. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 6 equal portions. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. You can even chill overnight.2 tablespoons sprinkles
- As the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Bake the chilled cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Tip – For a crispier cookie, bake for about 1 minute longer. For a chewier cookie, bake for about 1 minute less.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Tip – For a perfectly round cookie use a round cookie/biscuit cutter larger than the cookie, and swirl the cookies around the inside of the cutter.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe. I have not tested doubling the recipe to make a larger batch, but if you do, use 1 whole egg rather than 2 egg whites.
- Yield – The recipe as written will yield 6 cookies.
- Sprinkles – Use sprinkles that don’t ‘bleed’ when baked, like rainbow Jimmies.
- Leftover Egg Yolk – Try a batch of gluten free chocolate chip cookies, gluten free blondies, or peanut butter cookies!
- Milk Powder – You can omit the milk powder. However, milk powder will make the cookies creamy, chewy, and gives them a delicate exterior crust.
- Cool the cookies completely – I find gluten free cookies taste better once they are completely cool.
- Storing and Freezing – The baked cookies can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or, placed in a tightly sealed freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!