Shoot this sugar dough out of a cookie press for perfect gluten-free dairy-free spritz cookies every time.
by ALEXA
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I don’t know what possessed me to to take on the challenge of creating egg-free gluten-free dairy-free spritz cookies. Something tells me it had a little to do with my childhood memory of eating Danish Butter Cookies this time of year. Remember them? Those round tins of cookies that come in a variety of delightful shapes—the ones you can pick up at the nearest drugstore for 2 for $5 during the holidays. My favorite was the sugar sprinkled pretzel shape.
Though free of preservatives and additives, this recipe is by no means free of sugar and buttery spread—alas, those ingredients are what make these cookies perfectly light and crisp. Yes, slightly healthier than the drugstore variety, but they don’t quite qualify as a health food either. But shhh, it’s okay. It’s the holidays. Indulge. I won’t tell.
Factoid: “Spritz” comes comes from the German word spritzen, meaning “to squirt”.
Recipe Tips:Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Spritz Cookies
- Follow recipe to the “T”.
- Freeze the pressed spritz cookies on sheets prior to baking.
- Do not line the cookie sheet with parchment.
Decorating & Icing
I had a ton of fun packing this dough into a cookie press and squirting it out to make festive spritz cookies. I didn’t decorate this last batch so that you could see what they looked like naked and hot out of the oven, but decorate away with a glaze and sprinkles if you are so inclined to. If you are okay with egg, you might like my royal icing recipe. If not, I like the following cookie icing, which is adapted from King Arthur.
Easy Cookie Icing: Sift 2 1/4 cups powdered confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk beverage or water. Whisk until smooth. It should be thick enough that it doesn’t run off the cookies, but thin enough that it spreads and settles on top. If needed, whisk in a little more liquid, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Add natural food coloring, if desired.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chia Seeds: I use white chia seeds because their lighter color blends into the look of these spritz cookies nicely. Black chia seeds or flaxseeds will function the same, but you might notice their color in the cookies. I haven’t tested it, but if you tolerate eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg in place of the chia seed meal and water.
- Flour: The ingredient that really makes these cookies is the superfine brown rice flour. This is “the Cadillac” of rice flours. I have been using it in pie crusts and cookies and am so impressed. No grittiness whatsoever! You can substitute superfine white rice flour if you can’t find the brown rice version. I haven’t tested these gluten-free dairy-free spritz cookies with other flours, so I can’t guarantee the results. I do not recommend using coconut flour or almond flour in this recipe.
- Butter Alternative: The type you use will affect the spread of these gluten-free dairy-free spritz cookies. As mentioned, I use the soy-free version of Earth Balance buttery spread. Buttery sticks will cause the cookies to firm up more and possibly spread a little less.
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Spritz Cookies
Serves: about 40 cookies Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts:44 calories2 grams fat
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )
Ingredients
1 tablespoon white chia seed meal (grind seeds in a coffee/spice grinder)
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
3/4 cup superfine brown rice flour (I use Authentic Foods)
1/4 cup tapioca flour / starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold dairy-free buttery spread (I use Earth Balance Soy Free)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In small bowl, whisk chia meal, water, and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes.
- In medium bowl, combine flours and baking powder.
- In separate medium bowl, beat buttery spread and sugar on high for 30 seconds.
- Add chia mixture and beat on high for 30 seconds.
- Add flour mixture and beat on high for 30 seconds.
- Immediately after mixing dough (do NOT refrigerate), load your cookie press and press out cookies onto an UN-lined, UN-greased cookie sheet. (see video tutorial below)
- Transfer the cookie sheet to freezer and freeze 45-60 minutes.
- Transfer the cookie sheet to 375˚F oven and bake 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer cookies from cookie sheet to rack and let cool.
Notes
Time Note:The Prep Time is hands-on time only. Allow up to 1 hour for the cookies to freeze.
Dietary Notes: Gluten-Free | Casein-Free | Citrus-Free | Dairy-Free | Egg-Free | Fish-Free | Nightshade-Free | Peanut-Free | Potato-Free | Shellfish-Free | Soy-Free | Tree Nut-Free | Wheat-Free | Sesame-Free | Yeast-free | GFCF | Vegetarian | Vegan
Full Nutrition Data: (Serving = 1 cookie) Calories 44, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Sodium 18mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.2g, Dietary Fiber 0.3g, Total Sugars 2.6g, Protein 0.3g
Video Tutorial: How to Make & Decorate Spritz Cookies
28 comments
ALEXA
Alexa writes from the foot of the Rockies where she lives with her husband and two teen boys.
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28 comments
MaggieDecember 17, 2011 - 12:25 am
You are awesome! I'm so tempted to borrow my Mom's cookie press and give these babies a go. Could the kids do the pressing? Thanks for linking to my frosting recipe 🙂 Happy holidays and enjoy your indulgences, I know I will! xo
Reply
LexieDecember 17, 2011 - 1:06 am
Maggie, I think the indulgences are already catching up with my waistline : ) As for the kids operating the gun. Maybe older ones. You kind of have to click, hold, lift. Probably more for an adult. But the decorating … that's all for the kids : )
xoLexie
Reply
Shirley @ gfeDecember 17, 2011 - 2:21 pm
I absolutely loved those Danish Butter Cookies, Lexie! And the Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies. And my homemade Butter Cut-Out Cookies, which I still have to convert. 😉 Your cookies look incredible! Already shared on my gfe Facebook page. 🙂
xoxo,
Shirley
Reply
Carol, Simply Gluten FreeDecember 17, 2011 - 3:02 pm
Lovely Lexie! And just for the record – this recipe is right up MY alley! 🙂
Reply
Kim(Cook It Allergy Free)December 17, 2011 - 7:35 pm
LOL! I somehow felt compelled to use real sugar this week too in my pie recipe. LOL We are living on the edge, girl. I tell ya!! We are wild! I grew up with my Mom making spritz cookies every year!! She still does! I love them! This is an awesome recipe. I just may have to get myself a spritzer!
xo
k
Reply
Julie MatthewsDecember 17, 2011 - 8:08 pm
This is perfect Lex, just what I needed. When we were kids we'd make these press cookies but I didn't have a gluten-free and casein-free version. Thanks! I'm going to try them this year!
Reply
MichelleDecember 17, 2011 - 10:34 pm
I am inspired! I want to make these today, thank you for the recipe and inspiration!
Reply
aliDecember 18, 2011 - 12:52 am
If I'm allergic to rice, what can I swap in instead that would still work and taste yummy? This recipe sounds awesome esp. since it's egg free. It's so hard to find both GF and egg free baked good recipes that sound delish. thanks!
Reply
LaurelDecember 19, 2011 - 3:02 am
I LOVE Spritz Cookies. We used to get the ones from Denmark in the tins. So much fun. My husband and I made a ton two years ago and when I started to make them last year he told me he'd broken my toy. You think he would have fessed up if I hadn't asked him about it? 🙂 You're right about the flour though – the best.
Reply
StephanieDecember 19, 2011 - 5:50 am
Timely post! I had given up on my cookie spritzer due to failed recipe adaptations and was about to donate it to charity (literally, taking the boxes over tomorrow). I'm so excited to see you've mastered a GF and DF variation, and can't wait to try this recipe. I LOVED spritz cookies pre-diagnosis. I get the feeling I'm going to be able to love them again 🙂
Reply
LexieDecember 19, 2011 - 4:20 pm
Ali, I wish I had a magic flour for you : ) This recipe went through 6 tests and superfine rice flour is what I tested with. Not too many of my recipes are finicky, but this one was. xoLexie
Reply
LexieDecember 19, 2011 - 4:22 pm
Laurel, OOPS! But I am impressed by a man who has the patience and desire to make sprtiz cookies. Maybe it's the gun thing that intrigued him! Happy Holidays my friend. xoLexie
Reply
LexieDecember 19, 2011 - 4:23 pm
Stephanie … YES, go dig the cookie press out : ) That is too funny! xoLexie
Reply
LexieDecember 19, 2011 - 4:25 pm
Julie … now I know you aren't the biggest fan of Earth Balance, so if you find a sub for the fat (coconut oil + a little salt), do let me know : ) This recipe was such a delicate balance of sugar, fat and flour. Twice in development I ended up with 2mm thin disks, no joke : ) xoLexie
Reply
LoriDecember 19, 2011 - 8:09 pm
Is there anything that can be substituted for the chia seeds?
Reply
LexieDecember 19, 2011 - 9:23 pm
Lori, though I have not tried and tested it, you probably can use an egg if they are tolerated. A flax egg would work as well. http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2011/10/how-to-make-a-flax-egg-for-vegan-baking-the-right-way/
Hope that helps : )
xoLexie
Reply
KevinDecember 20, 2011 - 2:36 am
This is perfect for the coming holidays! Thanks for sharing!
Reply
TaraDecember 21, 2011 - 12:31 am
Everything sounds great except for the sugar. My sister is allergic to it. Any ideas on a substitution or another recipe. I've been trying to find a gluten, dairy, sugar, yeast free recipe.
Reply
LexieDecember 21, 2011 - 1:56 am
Tara, I haven't tried it but you could replace the sugar with coconut sugar? Can she do that? I would powder it first in a blender or spice/coffee grinder. No guarantees, like I've told others, this recipe wasn't forgiving of little adjustments : ) xoLexie
Reply
Lady Miss JmeDecember 14, 2012 - 2:40 pm
Hi – why no parchment?
Reply
LexieDecember 14, 2012 - 3:03 pm
Lady Miss JME, the dough must stick to the surface of the baking sheet as you press it on. It's the only time I don't use parchment. Imagine trying to wipe glue from your fingers onto a sheet of paper. The paper lifts up as you lift your fingers away. It becomes a real mess. 🙂 xoLexie
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KellyDecember 14, 2012 - 4:04 pm
These look great. Is the white chia just a color thing or is there another reason? Just curious because I have "brown" on hand.
Reply
LexieDecember 14, 2012 - 7:28 pm
Kelly, black chia is just fine … but it may add a speckled (like black pepper) appearance. You could also use flax meal (ground flax seed). xoLexie
Reply
dewlucaDecember 15, 2012 - 7:10 pm
Looking forward to trying these . . . so far the other spritz recipes I've tried ended up with VERY fragile cookies.
The freezing step is going to be tricky . . . only room for one sheet in my freezer at a time. Do you think chilling in the frig would be enough?
I'm also wondering why no guar gum (or xanthan gum)? Does the chia/flax provide enough "glue" without it? Finally, I can't use Earth Balance because of a corn sensitivity . . . Do you think Spectrum palm shortening would work?
Thanks!
Reply
LexieDecember 15, 2012 - 9:41 pm
Dewluca,
I am amazed at how many cookies fit on one sheet … I usually can fit the entire batch (they don't spread). No gums because the chia does it. I have not tried spectrum shortening in this recipe … should work okay … chose earth balance for the buttery flavor.
xoLexie
Reply
dewlucaDecember 16, 2012 - 7:02 pm
Thanks! I went ahead and made a batch yesterday before seeing your reply.
The good news is that they held together much better than my previous batches (yeah!). The bad news is I'm not really wild about their chewiness & flax seed taste. (I had flax seeds, but no chia seeds.) Maybe all the extra flavorings in Earth Balance cover that flax taste, but I can't use that (the Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening seemed to work fine). I even added a bit of cinnamon, but they still tasted "funny."
I ended up with three sheets: Sheet #1 went in the freezer for the full 45 minutes and turned out crispier than the others. Sheet #2 went in the frig until #1 went in the oven (so only froze for about 15 minutes) and turned out fine, but chewier than #1. Sheet #3 went directly from press to oven (only 9 cookies) and also seemed to turn out fine, just chewier than I'd like. So, just out of curiousity . . . why do YOU think the freezing is needed?? (i.e., what happened to you when you didn't freeze the cookies first?).
So, all in all, they were okay . . . just not as light and flaky as I want . . . so my search/experimentation continues . . . but THANKS! for a great effort.
_________________________________
Dewluca,
I am sorry these did not appeal to you. Keep on searching, maybe you will find something that does. You never know how a substitution will work. Mine are far from chewy. So I don't know what happened with yours. And if I don't freeze them, they come out flat as pancakes …
xoLexie
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EstherSeptember 30, 2014 - 4:27 pm
darn! my spritz cookies all blended into each other. They tasted great~a delicious sugar cookie, but not what I expected in "design". I followed to a "T"…it seemed a little too soggy so maybe next time I'll cut back on the water. nonetheless, tasted good.
Reply
LexieSeptember 30, 2014 - 5:14 pm
Esther, oh bummer! Sorry they did not turn out like mine 🙁 I am realizing that the fat makes a difference. Did you use Earthbalance? Ad you froze them before putting them into the oven? Hmmmm.
Reply
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