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Although I’m not one to go-all-out on Valentine’s Day, I love to cook or bake something a little extra special to celebrate. Festive and colorful, these gluten-free white chocolate chip cookies do not disappoint as a Valentine’s Day treat! 

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Thick and indulgent, these gluten-free sprinkle cookies are filled with white chocolate morsels. Plus, festive Valentine’s Day sprinkles are baked inside the dough for a nice flourish. 

With how thick and gourmet these cookies look and taste, you would never believe they are gluten-free! I say that because gluten usually creates more air pockets in the batter. Whereas gluten-free baked goods need some additional support to gain that soft and fluffy quality.

How Do you Make Gluten-free Cookies Not Flat? 

A common solution you may see when researching this question is using xanthan gum.

Xanthan gum is basically just a thickening agent which helps with rise. However, there have been studies that show Xanthan gum can increase gastrointestinal issues, so if you have some sensitivities, I would opt for another binding agent. 

In my opinion the next best option to use is cornstarch, which is what I used in this gluten free Valentine’s Day chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

Baking gluten-free cookies With Cornstarch

What’s great about cornstarch is that, unlike most other substitutes, you don’t need to mix it with water before you use it. It does require more of it to get the same thickening results as a lower amount of Xanthan gum, however it does the job just the same! 

The downside to cornstarch is it’s not the best for people who want to lower their blood sugar or weight, due to its high calorie and carbohydrate content. So feel free to substitute for Xanthan gum if you would prefer, or try using an alternative thickening agent such as arrowroot powder or tapioca starch. 

Overall, the addition of any thickening agent helps bind gluten-free baked goods together to make them less crumbly and more fluffy. This is key for making the best gluten-free baked goods. 

How Do You Keep Gluten Free Cookies Soft?

If you’ve struggled in the past with keeping gluten free cookies soft, you’re not alone. Here are some basic tips to help solve this problem.

• Don’t over bake.
• Use brown sugar instead of white sugar (as this recipe shows)
• Including the xanthan gum does help with elasticity and texture
• Let the dough rest for 30 minutes prior to baking
  • If the dough is overly crumbly, add a tablespoon of milk and mix again after resting
• Store in an airtight container
• Store with a slice of bread
• Steam in the microwave right before eating day-old cookies. Wrap in a wet paper towel and add a small glass of water to the microwave, then steam for 20 seconds.

How To Make Gluten-Free White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing Bowls
• Hand or Stand Mixer
• Cookie Sheet
• Sprinkles

Gluten-Free White Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

Gather all the ingredients you’ll need to make these delicious gluten-free white chocolate chip cookies.

• 1 cup cold butter (cubed) 
• 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar 
• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed) 
• 2 caged-free eggs 
• 3 1/4 cup gluten free flour 
• 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking soda 
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 
• 3/4 cup festive Valentine’s sprinkles 

Directions With Notes

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a cookie tray with parchment paper and set aside. 

Step 2. In an electric stand mixer, beat cubed cold butter, organic coconut sugar, and brown sugar until fully combined without clumps. 

Step 3. Add in the eggs and mix until fully integrated. 

Step 4. Slowly mix in the gluten-free flour, cornstarch and gluten free baking soda, mixing until dough becomes thick.  

Step 5. Fold in the white chocolate chips, and festive sprinkles. 

Note: This is a fun step to have your kiddos help with! My kids love dumping in all the special sprinkles and seeing it get worked into the dough.

Step 6. Form 1 1/2″ balls and generously space out on the cookie sheet. 

Note: These cookies can take up quite a bit of room, so make sure you leave enough space between each dough ball. I’d recommend roughly a 3” spacing. 

Step 7. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are slightly golden. 

Step 8. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire cooling rack. 

Note: Once the cookies are cool, I’d suggest serving them with a glass of cold, pink strawberry milk for a festive Valentine’s Day treat! 

Printable Recipe Card

More Recipe Ideas

I really hope you enjoy this recipe!  I’d love to know if you gave this a try!

And if you’re looking for more gluten-free and/or baked good recipes, make sure to check these out next.

• Healthy Gluten Free Banana Bars Recipe
• The Best Gluten Free Apple Tart
• Crumb Topping Pear Pie Recipe

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Make sure to subscribe to get my Grace Notes directly to your inbox and to access all my insider perks. Follow along daily on Instagram and weekly on YouTube!

-Sarah