These cream cheese sugar cookies are ultra soft, with an added bit of delicious crunch and sparkle on top thanks to the sanding sugar. These are perfect for every holiday!
Have I got the perfect festive cookie recipe for you today! Introducing... my gluten free glitter cookies! Okay, so I'm really calling them my cream cheese sugar cookies, but isn't glitter cookie such a fun concept?
Whatever you want to call them, these cream cheese drop cookies are divine. They come together in just a few minutes, and just look so pretty and festive. In my opinion, this is the BEST Valentine sugar cookie recipe. But honestly, you could easily make these for Christmas, or any themed birthday. Just switch up the color of your sanding sugar!
If you've been around for a while, then you know I love incorporating cream cheese into my cookies. Case in point: my strawberry cream cheese cookies and my cheesecake stuffed cookies. Not only does it make for a super soft cookie (which I love), it also adds some richness to the dough. The resulting cookie is completely irresistible, if you ask me 😉
Why You'll Love These Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies...
- The texture on these little guys is just perfect. The cream cheese really gives these cookies that extra bit of softness, but it's then offset by the crunch on top from the sanding sugar.
- This cream cheese sugar cookie recipe only calls for a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen right now. And it's easy... we're not rolling these cookies out and no cookie cutters necessary.
- Just look at how pretty and sparkly they are!
What You'll Need...
- The dry ingredients: flour + baking powder + salt.
- The fat: unsalted butter + cream cheese.
- The flavor: sugar + vanilla extract.
- Instead of eggs: Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer.
- For some sparkle: sanding sugar... use any color you like!
How To Make Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies From Scratch...
To make these melt in your mouth cream cheese sugar cookies, start by combining your dry ingredients in a small bowl. Then, using your mixer, beat the butter with the cream cheese.
Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are softened slightly (just set them out on your counter about 30 minutes before you plan to get started) -- this will not only make it much easier to beat, it will also yield creamier results!
Once that's nice and smooth, add in your egg replacer and vanilla. Beat again briefly, then add your dry ingredients and mix on low speed until you have cookie dough! See how easy that was?
We do want to chill this dough to prevent spreading. You need to chill for at LEAST 30 minutes, but can leave it in there (covered up with plastic wrap) overnight, too. Depending on how long you chill for, you may need to set the dough out on your counter for a bit just to make it easier to scoop out.
Which brings me to the next step... use a tablespoon to scoop out your dough, roll into balls, then roll in your sanding sugar or sprinkles of your choice (more on that below). Flatten each ball of dough slightly. Bake on 350ºF for just about 12 minutes.
What Is Sanding Sugar And What Kind Should I Use?
Sanding sugar is basically coarse + colored sugar. You can find it alongside other types of sprinkles in the baking aisle, or at a craft store. It gives your baked goods that beautiful sparkly effect, and a bit of crunch since it is more coarse than your typical granulated sugar. You can see that I opted for a few shades of pink and red for these Valentine sparkle cookies, but you can get creative and use any color you'd like!
Simply pour out some sanding sugar into a little bowl, and roll each ball of dough in before placing on your baking sheet.
If you don't want to use sanding sugar, you can definitely use other sprinkles to achieve that same crunch (and festive touch). I would recommend jimmies. I always love picking up the assorted packs from Wilton, which usually contain a variety of fun sprinkle options, including 1-2 different colors of sanding sugar.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (185g) gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sanding sugar color of choice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together to combine. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat to combine. Add the prepared egg replacer and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until cookie dough forms. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Once dough has properly chilled, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop out tablespoonfuls of cookie dough and roll into balls, then roll each ball in as much sanding sugar as you like. Arrange on baking sheet, a few inches apart, and flatten slightly using your hand or the back of a spoon. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
- Be sure to follow the instructions on the package of Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
- If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
- Depending on how long you refrigerate your dough, you may need to let it sit out at room temperature for a bit to make it easier to scoop and roll.
Did you make my cream cheese sugar cookies? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
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