We aren’t gluten-free in my home, but I have enough family and friends who are that it helps to have a few stellar gluten-free recipes on hand to pull out for parties and get-togethers, or just because! And I have to admit, I’m prejudiced against recipes that tout themselves as “gluten-free” and then simply call for a gluten-free flour mix in the ingredients list, or worse for me, some home-concocted mixture of 100 different flours and powders that I simply don’t have on hand and probably never will invest in.

So I love a good recipe that is genuinely, naturally gluten-free, like meringues or macarons, for example. Or these peanut butter blossom cookies, or this Spanish Almond Cake. Oh! And these marzipan brownies and this maple cream tart.

I like relying on a flour-replacement that I might conceivably use again, like almond flour, ground nuts, finely processed oats, or, in the case below, rice flour.

Rice Flour is ground up rice. I haven’t cooked with it much, but it’s sometimes found in shortbread because it adds a very delicate, sandy element. And now that I’ve been doing more research into rice flour, I’m excited to try it in this recipe for pastry cream, which promises ultra-smooth and creamy results.

But back to the cookies…

These Rice Flour Snickerdoodles still have much of that buttery, crispy, chewy, sugary, spiced dynamic of a classic snickerdoodle, the difference being that they are slightly more puffy than my preferred snickerdoodle (although there is always a debate on what makes the best snickerdoodle….), and there’s a slightly powdery aftertaste, because of the rice flour. Although there’s definitely something different about them, I wouldn’t say they are obviously gluten-free, which for most gluten-free baking counts as a win! I mean, I’m trying to save these to bring to a girls night later, and I’ve already eaten three…

Rice Flour Snickerdoodles

yields just shy of 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (4 oz.) salted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 1/4 cup white rice flour

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• for rolling: 1/4 cup white sugar + 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a silpat.

2. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Stop mixer, scrape down bowl, add egg, and beat until well combined. Stop mixer, scrape down bowl again, and add in flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Mix on low, or stir with with a spatula, until no flour streaks remain.

3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll cookie dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, then roll each ball in the sugar to coat evenly. Place sugared cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet, and flatten slightly with your fingers. Sprinkle flattened cookies with any leftover cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Let cool on pans for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Adapted from ThisMamaCooks.com.