The Best Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies

I read something recently (actually a lot of things recently) that informed me that people HATE reading recipe blog posts with so many dreaded words before the recipe.

Yep, it’s true.

These posts I read explained that there is absolutely NO POINT to adding any backstory or explanation when it comes to a recipe.

Instead, the people want the damn instructions. No fluff. No wording. No pointless paragraph to introduce the topic..

But.. if you made it this far then I might as tell you that one of my absolute favorite cookie recipes in the entire world is this cake batter chocolate chip cookie recipe.

I make it every single Christmas, and sometimes on Valentine’s Day, and sometimes for special occasions like birthdays or a random Tuesday when I’m craving something sweet.

BUT.. this is my first year adapting the recipe to a somewhat allergen-free concept.

No dairy, no gluten. All the yumminess.

Just in time for a Stottlemyre-Funderburk Christmas get together where I will trick everyone in my family into eating them, and then only afterwards confess that they are missing the ingredients that everyone will believe is necessary to make a good cookie.

That’s how I roll. Get the compliments and then tell them the ingredients.

And ladies, and gents, what I discovered in adapting this recipe is the best gluten-free dairy-free Christmas cookies this town has ever seen.

Also – keep in mind I do use ghee as my butter replacement. Ghee is technically not dairy-free since it is a butter fat, but all of the lactose and milk solids are removed during processing, which makes it typically the “safest” option for those who have issues with milk or dairy products.

I can’t have any dairy and ghee never bothers me.

**So after I made these, here are some observations I felt I should pass along:

The consistency is MUCH different than the original recipe which you can find linked below. The baker and author does say that she doesn’t recommend using a gluten-free cake mix, and I’m wondering if maybe that’s because it’s too dry? The dough didn’t really form.. it stayed in crumbles, which made forming the cookies difficult.
The taste is still just as amazing as the regular version, so if you can get past some wonky shaped/falling apart cookies, you should be good.
Let them cool for about five minutes when you take them out of the oven. This will help them adhere.. haha!

I’m still posting this version because they’re still delicious, and truth be told, I’m not a baker. So maybe someone reading this will know what can be done differently to make them a little less messy for next time!

Table of Contents

The Best Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Christmas Cookies

Cake Batter Christmas Cookies

This recipe is an adaptation from Sally’s Baking Addiction

What you’ll need:

1 1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup gluten-free yellow or vanilla boxed cake mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ghee
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1/2 cup sprinkles (If you’re making these for another holiday or event, switch up your sprinkles! For Christmas cookies, I chose red and green sprinkles)

What you’ll do:

In a large bowl, mix together your flour, cake mix, salt, and baking soda. You can set this mix aside for now.
Using a mixer, soften the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth.
Add the egg into the sugar and butter and mix well.
Add in the vanilla and continue to mix on low-medium.
Add in your flour mixture from the first step and mix on low speed until everything is mixed together well.
Your final step for mixing is to add in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Mix on low until everything has been mixed in well together.
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerate for approximately 2 hours.
Once your dough has been chilled, you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray, or cover with parchment paper (I typically use foil because I’m from the midwest).
Scoop rounded balls of dough onto your sheet. I like to make my scoops higher than they are round. Be sure to leave enough space in between your scoops on the baking sheet so as they fall they won’t run into the other cookies.
Bake for ten minutes.
Allow to cool at least a few minutes before eating every last one.