Gluten Free Fall Cookies Recipe
Updated Sep 30, 2025, Published Oct 11, 2018
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A Sweet, Seasonal Staple
When sweater weather arrives and leaves start drifting across sidewalks, I crave treats that taste like autumn—and these Gluten-Free Fall Cookies deliver exactly that. They’re charming, comforting, and just festive enough to make you smile. Think of them as your edible act of welcome to fall.
What makes them special is the way they balance simplicity and creativity: a roll-out cookie dough (something not always easy in gluten-free baking!), shaped into leaves or other seasonal motifs, and baked to a tender, flavorful finish. The sunflower-seed butter (SunButter) lends a subtle nuttiness that lifts them beyond a usual sugar cookie.
These are cookies you’ll want to make every fall—not just for Halloween, but for Thanksgiving, chilly afternoons with tea, or any moment that calls for a seasonal treat.
Table of Contents
Why These Cookies Are a Must in Your Fall Lineup
- Roll-out gluten-free dough? Yes, it works! Many GF cookie recipes skip the roll-out step; this one embraces it.
- SunButter magic. Using a sunflower-seed butter adds flavor and helps keep the texture tender, even as the dough is rolled and cut.
- Custom shapes for any holiday. While leaf shapes feel perfect for autumn, you can switch to pumpkins, turkeys, or holiday shapes as the season progresses.
- Festive yet family-friendly. They’re not overly sweet and suit a wide variety of palates—perfect for kids, parties, or quiet baking days at home.
What You’ll Need
To pull these cookies off with confidence, here are the key elements you’ll want ready:
- SunButter (sunflower-seed butter) — the nutty base that helps the dough roll nicely
- Soft butter + sugars — the classic sweet foundation
- Gluten-free flour blend — make sure it’s one that handles roll-out dough well
- Eggs & vanilla — for binding and flavor
- Salt & optional add-ins — maybe cinnamon, nutmeg, or even orange zest for a fall twist
- Cookie cutters + parchment paper — easier rolling and cleanup
- Decorating icing or glaze — for finishing touches, especially if you want to dress them up
Prepping these ingredients ahead helps the baking flow smoothly—no scrambling while dough sits at room temperature longer than needed.
Tips for Beautiful, Tasty Fall Cookies
- Chill the dough well. Cold dough rolls better and helps preserve shapes.
- Roll between parchment or silicone mats. Prevents sticking and reduces mess.
- Rotate pans while baking. Helps even baking when using multiple tins.
- Cool completely before decorating. Icing or glaze holds shape better and looks sharper.
- Mix and match shapes. Use leaf cutters today, pumpkins tomorrow, or hearts for gifts.
For flavor variation, you might enjoy sprinkling a little cinnamon-sugar before baking or brushing with a light glaze after cooling.
FAQs
Can I make them ahead of time?
Yes — bake ahead and store in an airtight container for several days. You can also freeze baked cookies (well-wrapped) and thaw before serving.
Can I make them dairy-free?
You could experiment by replacing butter with a vegan butter or margarine. Texture may shift slightly, so test a small batch first.
Can I skip SunButter and use another spread?
While peanut butter or almond butter might work, the texture and flavor might change. The original recipe uses SunButter precisely because of its consistency and subtle taste.
Do I have to roll them out, or can I drop them?
The charm of these is in the shapes, so rolling is preferred. But in a pinch, you could drop spoonfuls and get cookie-style shapes (though less decorative).
There’s a special kind of joy in biting into a cookie shaped like a falling leaf, tasting warm butter-sugar with a whisper of nutty sunflower. These Gluten-Free Fall Cookies blend fall aesthetics and reliable gluten-free baking in one package.
Looking for more cookie inspiration, check out our Cookies & Candies Index.
Gluten Free Fall Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Creamy SunButter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend
- Chocolate cookie decorating icing
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the SunButter, butter, and both sugars. Mix on low until everything is incorporated.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix on low until just combined. Add the flour and mix until the batter starts to form on the paddle or beaters.
- Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion to a thickness of about ¼ inch between two pieces of parchment paper. Keep the dough between the parchment and stack on a baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before cutting.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut the dough with leaf (or any!) shaped cookie cutters and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until set and golden. Let cool completely.
- Decorate with chocolate cookie decorating icing, as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use almond butter or peanut butter?
Hi Linda,
Peanut butter or almond butter would work, just make sure you use a type that is more of a creamy, thick consistency rather than an oily or chunky consistency.
Enjoy!
xo,
Carol
Is there an egg free version?
Hi Emily,
I haven’t tried making these in an egg-free version, but you could try using a flax egg or an egg replacer and see how it goes. If you do this, I’d suggest cutting the recipe in half so that you don’t waste too many ingredients (just in case it doesn’t work, but I suspect it will). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Hi Emily,
These sound yummy!!
To make Egg free:
My experience tells me to reduce the butter by 1/4 or 1/2 if using a flax meal egg, as there is a lot of oil in this recipe, and the flax could make them gummy. You could also try mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little cold water as a binder. Have you tried JUST EGG ? Brilliant stuff! Carol’s advice about making a small batch is good. I would often make 1/4 of a recipe to perfect an egg replacer when I worked in Gluten Free & More’s test kitchen. Good luck!
Madalene Rhyand