Frosted Sugar Cookies

We made sugar cookies this week and it was oh so fun.

I love baking with my kids and sugar cookies are perfect because the kids can get so involved: mixing, measuring, pouring, rolling out the dough, playing with cookie cutters, and then decorating. It’s the perfect afternoon activity. And then we get a sweet reward at the end!

We used this recipe as our base, I made a few modifications (outlined in the updated recipe below) so I could make them egg-free and refined sugar-free. I don’t use vegan butter as I much prefer using coconut oil.

Once Callum and I mastered the sugar cookie dough, I had to figure out what we were going to use to ice these cute little hearts.

I am trying really hard to avoid icing sugar. It’s just so white and so refined. But Callum loves cookies with cute and colourful frosting. I’ve finally got a winner, he loves them and so do I! It may seem like a bit of a production, but trust me when I say this frosting is worth it.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Sugar Cookies

These truly are a delicious sugar cookie.  We loved them and I’m sure you will too, especially once topped with the frosting.

• 1 ½ cups sorghum flour
• ½ cup arrowroot flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp ground chia mixed with ¼ cup warm water (1/2 tsp replaces xanthan gum or guar gum)
• ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or agave
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie tray with parchment or a silpat.
2. Sift sorghum flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine ground chia with water in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.
4. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until well combined.  Shape dough into a ball, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
6. Cut the dough in half and return half of it to the fridge.  Roll half of the dough onto floured surface (the thicker the better, probably about ¼ inch thickness).
7. Cut into shapes using floured cookie cutters.  Repeat the process with remaining half of dough.
8. Bake cookies for 8-10 min at 375 degrees.
9. Let the cookies cool to touch on the tray and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Let cool completely before frosting, you might even want to chill cookies prior to frosting so it doesn’t melt on contact.
Decorate them as your little heart desires. We decorated ours with the frosting recipe below. Keep refrigerated once frosted.

Yield: 20-24 cookies

Refined Sugar-Free Frosting Recipe

This frosting is awesome.  It works on cupcakes too!

• 1 tbsp vanilla
• ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp full fat coconut milk (canned)
• Pinch of sea salt

1. Use an immersion blender to combine all of the ingredients.
2. Refrigerate to harden, remove after 15 minutes – you want the coconut oil to harden just a little bit, too much and you’ll have to warm it up again!
3. Blend very well and spread approximately 1 tsp on each cookie.
4. Refrigerate to harden.  It will set at room temperature, but it’s best to put the frosted cookies in the fridge.

We used India Tree Natural Decorating Colours to make our frosting a perfect pink colour!

Want more icing-sugar-free frosting recipes? Check out Ricki’s or Elana’s.

And if you’re new to the wonderful world of chia (other than chi-chi-chi-chia pets), you have to check out Lexie’s Kitchen and Gluten-Free Girl. These two wonderful women are changing the gluten-free world we live in, one recipe at a time!

This post is linked to:
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Full Plate Thursday
Baked Bree’s Valentine Linky Party