Ring in the new year with these buttery, gluten-free New Year’s cookies. These crisp, tender butter cookies are ideal for a New Year’s Eve gathering and decorate beautifully for a festive spread.
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About This New Year’s Cookie Recipe
This cookie recipe is a variation on a simple gluten-free butter cookie. I adapted a classic heart-shaped cookie dough for star and holiday shapes and finished them with bright yellow icing to celebrate a fresh, optimistic start to the year. The dough is easy to work with after a short chill, and the cookies hold their shape well while remaining tender.
Ingredients You Will Need
Gluten-free flour: This recipe works best with Cup4Cup multipurpose gluten-free flour, my preferred choice for baking cookies, pastries, and other baked goods. If you use a different gluten-free blend, your results may vary and you might need to adjust the liquid or leavening slightly.
Important note about Cup4Cup: The Cup4Cup multipurpose blend was reformulated in 2024 and is now a Top Nine Allergen Free, rice-flour-based blend that no longer contains milk powder. In my testing, the change has not noticeably affected texture or flavor for this dough, but you may want to be prepared to tweak a liquid or leavening amount depending on your flour choice.
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten-free multipurpose flour (such as Cup4Cup), plus more for rolling
For the icing (optional): 1 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, 2–2.5 tablespoons room-temperature water, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and gluten-free food coloring as desired.
How To Make Gluten-Free New Year’s Cookies
- Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or using a hand mixer), beat butter, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla on medium-low for about 3 minutes until creamy and pale. Gradually stir in the gluten-free flour. The dough may be crumbly at first; that’s normal.
- Bring together and chill: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead with your fingers until it comes together. Form into a ball, divide into quarters, flatten each into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Let the chilled dough sit 5–7 minutes before rolling so it doesn’t crack. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes with star or other cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet or silicone-lined sheet.
- Bake: Bake 10–12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Watch closely at the 10-minute mark—cookies should be only lightly browned at the edges. Remove promptly to avoid over-browning.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For best texture before decorating, allow them to cool overnight.
Tools For Making Gluten-Free New Year’s Cookies
- Rolling pin for even dough thickness
- Baking sheets or trays; silicone baking mats or parchment for ease
- Bench scraper or thin spatula to transfer cut cookies
- Star-shaped or other cookie cutters
- Piping bags and tips plus gluten-free sprinkles for decorating
How To Ice These New Year’s Cookies
Icing is optional but adds a polished, festive finish. A simple royal-style icing made with confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, and water sets quickly and smooths nicely. The icing should be fairly thick; if it’s too stiff, add 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time until it’s workable. Divide into bowls to tint with gluten-free food coloring and pipe or flood the cookies as desired. For a reliable method, try a trusted sugar-cookie icing technique that yields a smooth, fast-setting finish.
More Holiday Gluten-Free Baking Ideas
If you enjoy these cookies, try other gluten-free treats like a pretzel bark with sweet and salty layers, a classic homemade apple pie using gluten-free crust, or a collection of holiday cookie recipes tailored for gluten-free baking. For a cozy pairing, serve these cookies with a warm cup of gluten- and dairy-free hot chocolate.
Nutrition snapshot (per cookie, approximate): 332 calories; 18 g fat; 9 g saturated fat; 61 mg cholesterol; 157 mg sodium; 40 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 3 g protein.
How do you celebrate the New Year? Have you made these cookies before? Share your experience in the comments — I’d love to hear how they turned out for you.