These adorable, easy gluten free Christmas cookies are as festive as they are delicious! Serve up the fun at any Christmas party with this tasty recipe. They’re sure to become your new favorite cookies.
I love whipping up a fun festive treat at this time of year. Bonus points for a quick and easy recipe during all the rushing around that comes with this time of year. This wreaths-shaped cookie recipe provides the bonus of both speed and festivity. They’re the perfect addition to your holiday gatherings.
The holidays are made to bring family and friends together, and there’s no better place than the kitchen. With just a few simple ingredients, these chewy cookies are a great way to get the kiddos involved. They love to add the red hots and even stick their fingers into the gooey centers of the cookie mounds to shape them into wreaths.
While making the complicated recipes can be delightful to warm up the house, sometimes the simplicity takes the pressure off. This delicious, marshmallowy recipe can be stirred up in thirty minutes!
You don’t even have to worry about baking, cookie cutters, which gluten-free flour blend to try next, or how much xanthan gum to use. These are no bake cookies!
If you need more quick recipes during this busy season, try easy gluten free crepes which work at any time of the day. Or even our easy cinnamon roll muffins or grinch cookies.
Need more gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes? Try our gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies or this amazing gluten free gingerbread. And don’t for get the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten free Christmas biscuits.
This time of year doesn’t have to be stressful, but I dare say it can be delicious! Who said a recipe has to be difficult to be tasty? This ooey gooey delight proves that the holiday season can come together in a snap with this simple recipe.
They might even become one of your new favorite traditional cookies. And if you need some more holiday cheer, this 12 Days of Winter Wonder – Savory Meat Sticks and Nut Medley and Advent Calendar is a great gift along with these cookies!
Why you should make this recipe
- These cookies as as cute as they are tasty.
- This recipe is so easy to make.
- Everyone needs a festive treat during the holidays!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – The best cookies call for butter, and this one is no exception.
- Marshmallows – Gooey, melted marshmallows are the glue that holds this recipe together and gives them a delightful chewy texture.
- Green food coloring – In order to make these adorable cookie wreaths, you need a sprinkle of green food coloring.
- Vanilla extract – This adds that little extra flavor that really makes these cookies sing.
- Corn flakes – Make sure you use a gluten free variety because you don’t want to miss out on this crunchy texture.
- Red Hots – These bright red candies give that extra little pop of color to make your Christmas wreaths everything you dream of.
How to make Gluten Free Christmas Cookies
Melted goodness
Prepare a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set it aside. Having this part ready ahead of time is helpful to make sure you’re ready to form the cookies right away.
Using a microwave safe bowl, combine marshmallows, vanilla extract, and butter. Melt the ingredients together for 2 1/2 minutes. Then give the mixture a stir. Pop it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Color and shape
When the marshmallow mixture has reached its gooey perfection, whisk in the green food coloring. Then add the corn flakes and gently stir until well coated.
With a cookie scoop, spoon out balls of the sweet mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Then grease your index finger and immediately dunk it into the center of the cookie mound. Spin your finger around to create a wreath.
Top it off
Once you’ve created your wreaths one by one, top them with Red Hots to give them that festive punch! These really make these cookies look like wreaths
These cookies will cool to room temperature quickly, so you can serve immediately! Serve them on your favorite holiday cookie platters.
Tips for success
Make each cookie individually
These cookies will cook off very quickly, and even more quickly when you put them on a cookie sheet. For best results, you want to make each cookie one by one. Scoop and shape, then scoop and shape again.
Otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of green mounds rather than Christmas wreaths. Tasty, but maybe not quite what you were going for.
Make sure your corn flakes are gluten free
Kellogs brand corn flakes are NOT gluten free because they use barley malt syrup. So, make sure that you use a gluten free variety of corn flakes to keep this recipe safe for everyone who has a gluten intolerance or celiac disease. There are many gluten free varieties out there.
Variations
- Shredded coconut – I love adding shredded coconut to this recipe to make these cookies even more wreath-like. Just add the coconut at the same time you add the corn flakes.
- Red M&Ms – If you’re not a fan of Red Hots then substitute for mini red M&Ms.
- Rice Chex – If corn is an issue for you, try Rice Chex instead! They will still give you the freedom from gluten and your Christmas wreaths will work just as great.
- Mini chocolate chips – Adding these tiny, chocolatey chips will add a new pine cone-like addition to your wreaths. Not to mention a delicious twist.
- Candy canes – To add an extra Christmas-y flavor, add some crushed up candy canes.
- Slivered almonds – These holiday cookies get even better with the nutty flavor of almonds. Mix them in at the same time as the corn flakes.
Storage and Freezing
Storing – Store your leftover cookies in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Freezing – You can freeze these adorable Christmas cookies in an airtight container for up to three months.
FAQ
Is there a dairy-free option?
Absolutely! Just substitute dairy free butter and make according to the recipe instructions. Everything else in this recipe is already dairy free.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yep! substitute the butter for vegan butter and because marshmallows are not vegan due to the gelatin, make sure you use vegan marshmallows in this recipe. Make according to the directions and you’ll have a tasty treat that even more of your friends and family can love! And voila, vegan Christmas cookies!
Ways to enjoy
In case you need a little something extra to kick up your holiday table, serve these Christmas cookies on a cookie charcuterie board with chewy gluten free molasses cookies with ginger. Or you can even add these to a holiday cookie box with more gluten-free cookie recipes for a cookie exchange.
Need more red and green for your holiday table? Serve these Christmas cookies with easy red velvet cake mix cookies. Add a little more red with Non-Alcoholic Prosecco Drink with Pomegranate and Cranberries.
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No Bake Gluten Free Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 1/2 cups marshmallows
- 1/2-1 teaspoon green food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups gluten free corn flakes
- 2 ounces red hot candies
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper and set aside
- In a large microwave safe bowl, add marshmallows, vanilla extract and butter and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes
- Stir and then microwave for 30 more minutes
- Remove and whisk in green coloring until combined then add the cornflakes and coat evenly
- Using a medium size cookie scoop, add a scoop of the mixture in little mound on the prepared baking sheet (ONLY DO ONE AT A TIME)
- To make a wreath, stick your greased index finger into the center and spin in a circle to create a hole in the center of each clump
- Place red hots to look like berries on the cookie wreath
Shay says
My kids loved making these for our Grinch movie night! And they were devoured, the whole family loved them😊