Everyone will love these easy Gluten-Free Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies! They're vegan, allergy-free, kid-friendly, and such an adorable Easter treat! Fun to decorate and customize, this cut-out sugar cookie recipe is a healthier dessert for all your holiday guests!
Spring is in the air and that means Easter is right around the corner! While that also means it's prime time to go carrot cake crazy, a little traditional holiday cookie baking and decorating is called for too! Classic cut-out sugar cookies are always a great holiday dessert to serve to guests, but these Gluten-Free Easter Cookies are a perfect allergy-free and vegan alternative to Easter egg dying and traditional baking!
Egg-Free Easter Activity For Kids
These gluten-free Easter cookies are a perfect alternative to traditional Easter egg dyeing! A fun, creative, and edible activity kids will still love, but safe for those with an egg allergy-free or who live a vegan lifestyle! After these gluten-free sugar cookies are baked, kids can customize them with colorful icings, sprinkles, and decorations, just like Easter eggs, but 100% tastier! Not only are these cookies egg-free, but they're also:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan & Vegetarian
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
- Low-Sugar or Sugar-Free
- Easy, Kid-Friendly, Customizable
- Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
- Adorable Easter Dessert or Gift
Ingredients For Easter Sugar Cookies
- Gluten-Free Baking Flour: Use your favorite gluten-free baking flour for these cookies. I like to use baking flour instead of all-purpose, as these blends tend to be sweeter and lighter in texture, making them ideal for desserts. The original recipe for these cookies, published in 2019, called for half baking flour and half millet flour. Either way works, but for simplicity's sake, using just baking flour is easier!
- Baking Powder: A pinch of baking powder to give your gluten-free cookies the right amount of pillowy lightness and chew.
- Granulated Sweetener: You can use a sugar-free granulated sweetener, like Swerve, or your standard granulated sugar in this recipe.
- Egg Replacement: I use a powdered vegan egg replacement in this recipe. You can also use ¼ cup of softened vegan cream cheese which works wonderfully in cookie recipes!
- Vanilla Extract: You can have sugar cookies without that background essence of vanilla!
- Vegan Butter: Perfectly buttery, soft, vegan sugar cookies call for some vegan butter!
- Non-Dairy Milk: A few tablespoons of unsweetened dairy-free milk can help get your cookie dough to the perfect rollable consistency. This is used "as needed".
How To Make Gluten-Free Easter Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and sweetener. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the vanilla, cubed softened vegan butter, and prepared egg replacement to the flour, and mix the dough together with a fork. Slowly add in, one tablespoon at a time, the dairy-free milk and knead the dough with your hands until all the butter is incorporated and the dough is thick.
- Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Speed it up by placing the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes! Preheat the oven to 375°F while you wait.
- Once the dough has chilled, roll the cookie dough out between 2 floured Silpats or parchment paper, to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Re-roll the dough as needed to get as many cookies as possible (I got 15 bunny cookies).
- Place the cut-out cookies on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper and bake them in the oven for about 14-16 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove the sugar cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How To Decorate Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies
This is the fun part, where you get to customize your sugar cookies with icing, sprinkles, colors, and edible decorations!
For The Icing:
- To make standard white icing, mix together powdered sugar-free sweetener, or normal powdered sugar, with a few teaspoons of water until you get a thick but slightly drippy consistency.
- You can add natural food coloring to your white icing to make different colors for decorating.
Other Decorations:
- Sugar Crystal Sprinkles: I used plain sugar crystals and added some natural red dye to make them pink for the bunny tail!
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Mini vegan chocolate chips can be used as eyes for the bunnies.
- Food Gels: I used black food gel to draw a mouth. You can use other colors for decorating the body of the bunny as well.
- Mini Vegan Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows are great for making tails or ears!
I found the easiest way to get the body of the cookies fully covered in white icing was to dip the front of the cookie in a wide bowl of the prepared white icing. Allow excess icing to drip off before flipping it over and smoothing it out with a butter knife. To make this easier for kids, you can use a spoon to ice the cookies. Remember to add any dry decorations to the icing while it's still wet so that the decorations stick to the cookies!
What's The Best Easter Bunny Cookie Cutter?
I hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon this exact bunny cookie cutter at The Christmas Tree Shop and was able to snag it for a mere 69¢! (Also the moment this entire recipe idea came to fruition in my mind!) Lucky for you, I also found it online. However, feel free to use whatever Easter bunny cookie cutter you can find or already have on hand! Other shapes, like eggs, chicks, or carrots, work too!
Recipe Tips & Troubleshooting
What If My Sugar Cookies Spread When Baking?
If your cookies spread, that means you didn't chill the dough long enough. The sugar cookie dough needs to be cold enough to withstand the rolling and cutting process before they get baked in the oven. If you end up with slightly spread cookies, here is a life-saving tip: take the cookies out of the oven and while they're still warm, "re-cut" the spread-out cookies with the same cookie cutter and remove the excess cookie edges!
What If The Cookie Icing Dries Too Soon?
If you weren't able to finish sticking decorations onto your cookies, simply add a dab more icing to the specific part of the cookie you want something to stick to!
What If My Icing Is Too Runny or Too Thick?
If the icing is too runny, slowly add more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thick to spread, add more water.
How To Store Gluten-Free Easter Cookies
Once cooled and the decorations have hardened, you can store these gluten-free Easter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To extend their freshness, store the decorated cookies in the fridge for 4-6 days in a single layer with wax or parchment paper in between. Bring them to room temperature for optimal taste and soft chewiness when you're ready to eat.
If you make the cookies ahead of time and plan on decorating them later, store the baked and cooled sugar cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature if you plan on decorating them within 1-2 days, otherwise, freeze them.
Do These Sugar Cookies Freeze Well?
You can freeze the undecorated or decorated sugar cookies in an airtight container with pieces of wax or parchment paper in between layers for about 6-8 months. Allow the cookies to thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature, in a single layer without the wax paper covering them.
More Gluten-Free Easter Recipes:
- Easter Egg Cupcakes
- Best Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Sugar Cookies
- Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns
Gluten-Free Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Everyone will love these easy Gluten-Free Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies! They're vegan, allergy-free, kid-friendly, and such an adorable Easter treat! Fun to decorate and customize, this cut-out sugar cookie recipe is a healthier dessert for all your holiday guests!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Chilling: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 14 mins
- Total Time: 19 mins
- Yield: 15 Cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough:
- 2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sweetener (or preferred granulated sugar)
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Prepared Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacement (or ¼ cup vegan cream cheese)
- ½ Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Stick Vegan Butter (softened, cubed)
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
Cookie Icing:
- 1 Cup Powdered Sweetener (or preferred powdered sugar)
- 4 Tsp Water (as needed)
Suggested Decorations:
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and sweetener. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the vanilla, cubed and softened vegan butter, and prepared egg replacement to the flour, and mix the dough together with a fork to break up large pieces. Slowly add in, one tablespoon at a time, the dairy-free milk and knead the dough with your hands until all the butter is incorporated and the dough is thick.
- Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Speed it up by placing the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F while you wait.
- Once the dough has chilled, roll the cookie dough out between 2 floured Silpats or parchment paper, to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Re-roll the dough as needed to get as many cookies as possible (I got 15 bunny cookies).
- Place the cut-out cookies on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper and bake them in the oven for about 14-16 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove the sugar cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and slowly add in the water and any coloring you plan on using. Mix well until the icing is drippy but still thick.
- Dip the cooled cookies in the icing to coat the entire front body and smooth with a butter knife.
- Place a mini chocolate chip for the eye, a line of black gel for a mouth, and pink decorating sugar as a tail. If you need to dye the clear crystals, add a few drops of natural red dye to the crystals and mix to get a pink color. Or just do your own thing!
Notes
- Storage: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To extend their freshness, store them in the fridge for 4-6 days in a single layer with wax or parchment paper in between. Bring them to room temperature for optimal taste and soft chewiness when you're ready to eat.
- Make-Ahead: Bake the cookies and store the baked and cooled sugar cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature if you plan on decorating them within 1-2 days, otherwise, freeze them.
- Freeze: Freeze the undecorated or decorated cookies in an airtight container with pieces of wax or parchment paper in between layers for about 6-8 months. Allow the cookies to thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature, in a single layer without the wax paper covering them.
- The original recipe from 2019 called for 1 cup of gluten baking flour, and 1 cup of millet flour. Either recipe will work; it's been simplified for the masses.
- All decorations are suggestions and you're encouraged to customize them to your liking!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Keywords: gluten-free easter cookies, Easter cookies, Easter bunny cookies, Easter sugar cookies, vegan Easter cookies
I want to see your Easter bunny cookies! You can't not smile and laugh while decorating these cute Easter bunny sugar cookies! Make sure to snap a picture of you and your kids decorating these cookies and tag me on Instagram! Let's see who has the most creative bunnies!
So tell me:
+ Do you like decorating cookies?
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Gabby
So yummy! And super cute too, fun for the kiddos for sure!
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
They sure are!
Delaney
These are adorable!! I was looking for the perfect festive Easter dessert! I think I'll make these and your Easter egg cupcakes! Love!!
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Enjoy them both!
Pam
Yum, these look adorable and tasty! Thanks for the tip about the millet flour!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's always my go-to for some light baking sweetness!
Rachelle
Hi Rebecca,
These are very cute GF cookies. Love that their vegan as well.
Thanks
Rachelle
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks, Rachelle! Hope you make them!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Kids will surely love these! So cute!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They will!
Ruth Ridley
These look so fun and relish! Something I can enjoy!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Relish?
aisasami
Wow, what super cute bunny cookies. I want to make these but I don't know if there are bunny shaped cookies here.
Alice V-DIYerfy
Madagascar vanilla is wonderful. I don't get to buy it often but it is a great vanilla to use. Thanks for linking this post with us at #OMHGWW and hope to see you next week.
Alexis
LOVE all of your tips! I definitely need to start freezing cookies ahead of time. I'm going to have to try these for Easter next month, they look so cute!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, always have to have some cookies ready to go!
Marcie
I never thought about re-cutting my cookies after I baked them! What a great tip!
Cindy
I want to try these! I’ll check my local Natural Grocers to see if the have the powdered erythritol. I’ve not used it before. I’m plant based and refined sugar free so this would be a great product.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's Swerve.
Amanda
These are so cute! I'll have to show these to my mom so we can make them.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That will be fun!
Kaitlin
These are so cute! I love that this is gluten-free AND adorable, plus they look delicious. I'll definitely use this recipe sometime in the future!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm glad to hear it! Enjoy!
Rosie Doal
Yummy - these look so delicious and are super cute x
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Indya | The Small Adventurer
I love the sugar crystals acting as the "fuzzy tail"! That is just too cute! ☺️🙊
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I panicked when I realized I didn’t have anything naturally pink to use!
Helen
These are so cute! We always have a fun Easter lunch and these cookies would be so fun!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Ah, yes they would! The more treats, the better!
Leigh Suznovich
So incredibly cute for Easter!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Holly
These are so adorable! Love that they are gluten-free, too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I tried, haha!
Miriam
These are adorable omg! My daughter will love these especially since she can't have dairy! 💕💕
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These will be the perfect thing!
Lindsay Cotter
These are so cute and fun! They're a perfect dessert for Easter!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's what they're for!
Marta Rivera
How adorable are these!??! My kiddos would love helping me bake these.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Give them all the decorating free reign!
Katrina
These are adorable!! May have to add them to the Easter menu!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You should!
Liz
These are so cute with the sparkly bunny tails! Perfect for Easter!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Gotta have the tail!
primrose
These look SO delicious but so so cute too! x
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
cait
oh my gosh thank you for this delicious recipe! ill be trying it to make it this weekend with family members- who doesn't love adorable cute bunny cookies AND gluten free!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect for the celiac kids!