Indulge in gluten free shortbread cookies that are buttery and delicious. Perfect for all cookie lovers, gluten-free or not!
Table of Contents
I’ve come to learn that a few of my friends are looking for gluten-free recipes. While I was making apple pie, one friend asked if I could make a gluten-free piecrust.
I’d never baked with gluten-free flour before, so needless to say, my first experiment didn’t work.
However, the texture reminded me of a melt in your mouth shortbread cookie. So I remade the dough, rolled it into cookies and baked it a little differently. What a pleasant surprise. They were delicious.
Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 50 grams
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour, 250 grams
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for coating
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Allow butter to reach room temperature. Cream it in a stand mixer with 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Mix until smooth.
- Make Dough: Add in the flour and mix until crumbly. Add the egg and continue to mix, until combined. The dough should be soft, not sticky.
- Chill: Remove the dough from the bowl and press it together into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape: Remove from fridge. Roll the dough into one-inch balls. Flatten the ball into a disc as you roll it in sugar.
- Bake: Place on a silicone-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375F degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter both work fine. You can reduce the salt if you use salted butter.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll use this both in the dough and to coat the cookies before baking them.
- Kosher Salt
- Gluten-Free Flour: I use the King Arthur brand. It’s perfect in this recipe.
- Egg
Substitutions: If you are not concerned about eating gluten free, you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make gluten-free shortbread cookies
- Cream Butter: Place the room temperature butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix it until it’s smooth.
- Make Dough: Add the flour, and mix it until it’s crumbly. Add the egg and mix until combined.
✔️ PRO TIP
Once you add all of the ingredients, the dough should be smooth. It shouldn’t be sticky.
- Chill: Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Wrap in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shape: Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll it into one-inch balls. Flatten the balls into a disc and roll in sugar.
- Bake: Place on a silicone-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375F degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.
✔️ PRO TIP
I love using silpat liners for cookies, so they don’t stick to the pans. You can also bake them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Storage
Store baked shortbread cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personally, I like King Arthur gluten free all-purpose flour. It’s a gluten-free flour blend of white rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, tapioca starch and potato starch.
Use high quality butter. The butter is what gives shortbread its fantastic flavor and texture. I usually use Kerrygold.
Absolutely! Adjust the flavors of the cookie dough by adding lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract or even mini chocolate chips.
Yes. After you chill the dough, use a rolling pin to roll the dough. Use a cookie cutter to cut it into your favorite shapes. Or use a sharp knife to cut it into rectangles or wedges.
Feel free to decorate with your favorite icing recipe or a drizzle of melted chocolate.
More cookie recipes
- Soldier Cookies
- Oatmeal Molasses Cookies
- Mexican wedding cookies recipe
- Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Molasses Marshmallow Sandwiches
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Isn’t it great when one recipe turns into something else wonderful? I have been wanting some gluten-free recipes to share with my friends who ned to eat gluten free. These cookies look delicious!
I’ve been looking for a good gluten-free shortbread recipe. This one looks promising. Thanks!
I loved these! I was looking for a way to make my friends some delicious caramel squares but was finding it difficult to get a great tasting recipe for the base. I used yours and it worked really well. As gluten free things tend to be more on the crumbly side I took a couple tablespoons of the cookie mix and patted it down in a cupcake tin. Then baked it, added the caramel and chocolate layers from another recipe when it came out and it really worked well! Thank you for sharing your recipe with me! :O) My Celiac friends thank you too! :O)
I love getting gluten-free recipes to try. These cookies look delicious!! Thanks for sharing on Fit and Fabulous Fridays! 🙂