What I love about Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies
This easy recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies is an absolute favourite during the holiday season! They’re perfectly sweetened and never dry — just the way shortbread should be. That subtle hint of salt really brings out the buttery flavour, making each bite melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Best of all, they couldn’t be easier to make. You only need a handful of simple ingredients, and in no time, you’ll have a batch of festive cookies ready to share. If shortbread is one of your holiday must-haves, then trust me — you’ll definitely want to add these to your baking list!
One of the things I adore most about shortbread cookies is their versatility. They’re incredibly easy to prepare. You can roll the dough into a log and cut it into circles or roll out and use your favourite cookie cutters. You can make them quick in a pinch or savour the process and take your time. It’s whatever brings you joy.
And, if you’re feeling a little extra festive, you can easily dress them up by dipping them in melted chocolate. From there, you can decorate them with sprinkles, crushed peppermint candies, or anything else your heart desires. Not only do they make beautiful, thoughtful gifts for friends and neighbours, but they also add such a charming touch to any holiday cookie plate or dessert table.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Tapioca flour – Unlike most of my recipes, tapioca flour is the main flour in this recipe. We will still have almond flour, but it won’t be the star of the show this time. You can find this at most health food stores or order it online.
- Almond flour – The blend and ratio of tapioca flour and almond flour is just the perfect gluten-free, grain-free flour blend for these cookies. Look for finely ground almond flour and make sure it’s not almond meal which contains the skins.
- Xanthan gum – This is the MOST important ingredient in this recipe! I have tried making these cookies without xanthan gum and they spread so thin that you can practically see through them. A small amount goes a long way to hold them together and keep them in shape. It’s just what we have to do sometimes with gluten-free baking.
FAQ:
I wouldn’t recommend substituting with a gluten free flour blend unless you know the exact conversion. Textures can vary among gluten-free flours so they don’t all measure 1:1.
Yes! You do not need a stand mixer. You can use a hand mixer or simply a whisk and wooden spoon.
The cookies should be about 1/4″ thick and 3″ in diameter once baked.
Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup tapioca flour spooned and levelled
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- rice flour (or tapioca flour if grain-free) for dusting and rolling
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and add the tapioca flour, almond flour and xanthan gum to the same bowl.
- Mix on medium speed until completely combined and starting to pull away from the sides.
- Shape the dough into a flat disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Dust the counter top with rice flour (or tapioca flour) and roll out the dough until it's about 1/3" thick. Using small to medium-sized round cookie cutters, make 14 cookies.
- Lay the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2" apart and put them the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Once preheated, bake cookies for 7 minutes. You don't want them to brown at all.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Enjoy!
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