This sugar Cookie Bread is all the deliciousness of Christmas sugar cookies, but in the form of a soft and fluffy sweet bread. It’s also gluten-free! Keep scrolling for the recipe.
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This is a bold statement, but the moment I took a bite of this I thought to myself, this is the best thing I have ever baked.
This Sugar Cookie Bread combines the flavor of sugar cookies with the texture of a light pound cake, with a sweet glaze and festive sprinkles to bring it all together. The result is quite possibly your new favorite holiday treat that everyone is going to love.
Gluten-Free Christmas Sugar Cookie Bread
This sugar Cookie Bread is all the deliciousness of Christmas sugar cookies, made easier in a soft and fluffy sweet bread. Gluten-free!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Bread Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/3 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour *
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons (red & green) sprinkles
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- more sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl mix together butter and sugar, then add in egg, almond and vanilla extracts. Lastly mix in milk until all wet ingredients fully combined
- In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined
- Fold in the sprinkles. Don’t over-mix so the sprinkles don’t bleed
- Transfer batter to a parchment-lined + greased 8½x4½ inch loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes**, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure not to over-bake!
- Let cool for 30 minutes in pan, then use a butter knife along edges to remove and transfer to a cooling rack. The longer you let cool the better, so it has time to set and not crumble when you slice it
- To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar and milk until a smooth consistency, adding more milk if needed
- When completely cooled, pour/spread glaze over the bread, then top with more sprinkles
Notes
recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen
* Be sure to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in this recipe. I used this one from Pilsbury, which I found at my local grocery store and I loved how it worked in this recipe. My other favorite is by Bob’s Red Mill
If you are not gluten-free, simply use regular all-purpose flour, same measurements
** Using all-purpose flour may cut down baking time. Check it around 40 minutes, it’s done baking when a toothpick comes out clean
I definitely don’t recommend skipping out on the almond extract! It’s a key ingredient that really gives this bread that delicious sugar cookie flavor.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days
Keywords: gluten free pound cake, christmas recipe, sugar cookie bread, sugar cookie cake, gluten-free christmas recipe
I cannot wait for you to make this! It can be a year-round treat too, simply swap out the holiday sprinkles for regular, rainbow ones.
Oh, and I definitely don’t recommend skipping out on the almond extract! It’s a key ingredient that really gives this bread that delicious sugar cookie flavor.
What flour should I use?
Be sure to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in this recipe. I used this one from Pilsbury, which I found at my local grocery store and I loved how it worked in this recipe. My other favorite is by Bob’s Red Mill.
Please note that you can’t use just any gluten-free flour because some of them require different measurements, etc. so be sure to opt for one that clearly says it’s a 1:1 swap for regular flour.
If you are not gluten-free, simply use regular all-purpose flour, same measurements.
Using all-purpose flour may cut down baking time. Check it around 40 minutes, it’s done baking when a toothpick comes out clean.
As always, if you make this Christmas Sugar Cookie Bread or any of my other recipes I’d love to know how they turned out. Please leave a review, and be sure to tag me on Instagram @Hungry.Blonde! xoxo GG
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How would these do being made in a mini muffin tin?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried that. I’m assuming it would change the bake time!
Can you suggest something instead of the almond extract? I’m allergic to them so wasn’t sure if i could just leave it out or replace with something else…I’m excited to try to make this!!
Lemon extract is the substitute I use for the almond extract in this recipe – so yummy!
I’d recommend just using extra vanilla extract, or someone has made it was cake batter extract and said it was tasty!
My step daughter is allergic to nuts and we use lemon extract! We add it to the icing as well. It’s delicious 🙂
I love this recipe, but every time I try to make it, the center of the bread completely sinks! 🙁 The only change I made to your recipe is use regular flour. Do you have any suggestions for how to fix this? Thank you!
I just made this and it happened to me as well..The taste is definitely scrumptious, however so I hope there’s a solution!
★★★★★
Would also recommend checking on your baking soda/powder! I’ve made this with 3 different flours (including AP) and it turns out fine 🙂
Your baking powder or soda may be old. When it gets older this happens.
This just happened to me as well! Such a bummer because it tastes amazing 🙁
This same thing happened to me twice now. I even purchased new baking powder and soda. The inside doesn’t cook all the way through, it still tastes great but the top is quite crunchy by the time it’s done. I’m unsure how to fix this
Love the taste – sinks in the middle 😞
sorry to hear that! check your baking soda/powder exp dates, I’ve made a few times with different flours and haven’t experienced.
Made this but changed out the Christmas sprinkles for pastels during the Easter holiday. This does not last long at any of our get togethers.
So delicious… Thank you for sharing.
PS: my nephew now lives in Hawaii and has asked me to make this and send it to him. He loves it!!!
Such a wonderful recipe! Very easy to follow and its definitely a crowd favorite!
★★★★★
so happy to hear it!!
Made this today with gluten free flour and unsweetened flax milk and it is delicious. Followed the recipe exact except I could not find any sprinkles at the store so I left those out but still tasted like a sugar cookie! Will make again this same way especially if I find sprinkles!
great to know, thanks for the comment! 🙂
I was a little nervous to make this since some reviews said that it sunk when using AP flour… well I used AP flour and it did NOT sink! It was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think 3 tsp of sprinkles was enough so I did 3 TBSP and thought it was perfect. I omitted the glaze bc I didn’t need my kids any more hopped up on sugar! My pickiest eater (who I wasn’t expecting to eat any) LOVED it and my other child has eaten entirely too much of it for one day! I think the almond extract is what makes this so delicious – don’t skip it! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Christina you’re are so right the almond extract makes it. And I agree I put some glaze on it but will omit next time to save a few extra calories.
★★★★★
Amazing, I’m so glad you’ve all enjoyed it! 🙂
Hello there, I was wondering if this would work with monkfruit or swerve granulated sweetener? Forgive me if you already addressed this but I didn’t see anything about it in the comments or notes. I was thinking about making this but I can’t have regular sugar. Thank you for your time and happy holidays.
I haven’t tried that, but it should work. I’d suggest using your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute, however I’ve found that even those are sometimes sweetener than sugar.
Love the flavor – it tastes incredible! But as a few other people have mentioned, I made this twice and both times it sunk in the middle. I used AP flour, and my baking powder and baking soda were bought at the store the same day, freshly opened the day of baking. All ingredients were not expired nor stale, so at this point I’m not sure what the issue is 😅
I’m really trying to figure out what is causing this! I’ve made it with AP flour about 5 times now and have not had that issue.
Re: sunk in middle
It’s not being baked long enough. Test before taking out.
Kentucky grandma
Ok just made this, it’s cooling nowand mine also sunk in the middle. I used AP flour instead of gluten free. Used lemon extract instead of almond. I didn’t use the sprinkles. Also my baking soda/powder expiration dates are good. One reviewer stated the cake needed to cook longer. Started my timer at 40 min and when I noticed it had sunk I cooked another 5 min. Toothpick came out clean when tested. I don’t live at a high elevation so I have no clue why the cake sunk. Thanks for sharing but since it sinks I probably wont make again. That makes me sad cuz it’s easy to make and that’s the reason for the 2 star rating
★★
Is it possible u are over mixing the batter?? I used AP too and I didn’t have this problem!
I made this three times! I am celiac, so everything was gluten free. The first time, I made it as it was written except I weighed everything after scooping into measuring cups and before putting in the bowl. I was out of gluten free 1:1 flour so I had to use my AP gluten free flour (recipe from Let Them Eat Gluten Free cake website). I baked for over 50 min and had to take it out because it was getting a little to brown around the ages. While letting it cool, the middle sank horribly. Before I was diagnosed as celiac, this often happened when something was underbaked or if ratios were off (too little flour). Because the taste as good and the texture in the non-sunken parts was nice, I decided to try again with some adjustments.
For the second attempt, I used the weights from the my measurements during first attempt, but I increased the GF AP flour. I also wanted to try a different flavoring so I substituted orange blossom water for the almond extract. I forgot to stir in the sprinkles so I just drizzled coarse sugar on the top, Everything else was the same. It turned out fantastic with only mild sinking although my orange blossom water flavoring was too light.
Because I enjoyed it so much (it’s hard to get GF baked goods that have both decent texture AND flavor. I find things with good flavor have horrible texture and things with good texture have horrible flavor, but I digress…) On my third attempt, I ran out of the GF AP flour so I used mostly GF AP flour and had to use a little bit of GF Bread flour. I increased the flour just a bit more. I also increased the orange blossom water to ~1.75 tsp. It baked well with very little sinking and the taste was what I was hoping to achieve.
The adjusted recipe (for those with sinking issues) is as follows:
1 stick melted butter
1 C granulated sugar (~200-201 g)
1 large egg (mine weighed 50-51 g out of the shell)
__ tsp extract (1 tsp if almond, 1.5-2 tsp if orange blossom water)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C milk (~104 g)
205 g Gluten Free AP flour (or 157 g GF AP flour + 48 g GF Bread flour)**
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp sprinkles (swirled in or sub coarse sugar and sprinkle on top)
**Original called for 1 1/3 C GF 1:1 flour. My 1 1/3 C GF AP flour = 167 g
Every time I had to bake over 50 min in my oven, but I would suggest watching it closely around 40 min since everybody’s oven is different.
Bottom line, this is a fantastic recipe that can be used with all kinds of flavorings!! I would simply suggest increasing the amount of flour for the bakers that had sinking when they tried it.
★★★★★
Could I make this as a cake?
I haven’t tried that, but it should work fine. It would probably change the baking time, so I’d keep an eye on that.
I should have listened to the comments. I made several and they all fell in the middle. Such a waste of time and money
★
Hi Therese, what flour did you use?
It’s consistently sinking in the middle with varying sizes of loaves. Made this multiple times (because it tastes so good) with GF flour and new leavening. There must be something off in the ratio of flour:leavening. The pictures on your webpage also seem to have sinking in the middle. Next attempt will be with Sherry’s suggestions on baking powder and flour changes.
Not edible unfortunately. I should have read the comments prior to baking, but my “bread” fell in the middle as there is way too much sugar in this recipe and not enough flour. It’s the proportions that are off and causing this issue.
★