Sugar cookies are a perennial favourite, and so we wanted a version that all our friends could enjoy. These cookies are not only totally yummy but also gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Serve them plain or decorate with our Easy Royal Icing, which is gluten-free but not suitable for vegans, or our Vegan Royal Icing.

Makes about 24 cookies

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
CHILLING TIME: 10 to 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 8 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups oat flour (see sidebar)
• 1 cup brown or white rice flour
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tsp arrowroot flour (see sidebar) or cornstarch
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 8 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the icing sugar, arrowroot flour and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl and using a wooden spoon or spatula, beat together the coconut oil and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Add the coconut oil mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture is crumbly. Use your hands to bring the mixture together to form a dough. (The dough will seem very dry and crumbly at first, but don’t worry; as you continue to work the mixture with your hands, the coconut oil will soften and the flours will eventually absorb it.)
5. When the dough becomes a little sticky and soft, form it into a ball. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to ¼-inch thickness.
6. Gently remove the top layer of parchment paper. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out cookies, rerolling the scraps until you have used all the dough. Carefully (the dough is delicate) place the cookies, 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Refrigerate the sheet of cookies for 20 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes. (This prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.)
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. Bake the cookies until lightly golden around the edges and dry to the touch, about 8 minutes.
10. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen, with parchment paper between the layers, for up to 2 months.)

BAKING DAY SECRETS:

• Oat flour, brown rice flour and arrowroot flour can all be found in bulk stores or health food stores. If you can’t find oat flour, make your own by grinding 2 ½ cups rolled oats in a food processor or blender.