Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies

These tender and delectable Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies are crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. They have a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This simple recipe for buttery shortbread is made with just a handful of ingredients and is the perfect addition to any afternoon tea, a hot cup of Hot Chocolate, or a holiday cookie tray. Shortbread does not contain any eggs and can easily turn dairy-free by using your favorite non-dairy butter substitutions.

This recipe for buttery gluten-free shortbread cookies makes one 8×8 pan which yields 12 to 14 cookies, depending on how you cut them. (In the photos shown in this post I am using an 8×8 pan)

If you enjoy simple cookies like shortbread, make sure to check out my recipe for Gluten Free Linzer Cookies or Gluten Free Brown Sugar Cookies.

More in the mood for Chocolate Chip Cookies? Check out my super small gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredient Notes
• How to make Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Dough
• How to bake and cut Buttery Gluten Free Shortbread
• How to serve and store shortbread
• Variations of this Gluten Free Shortbread Recipe
• Frequently Asked Questions about Shortbread
• Baking in grams
• Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
• Substitutions and Modifications
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: While this recipe works with any gluten free flour brand you have on your hands, the gluten free shortbread cookies made with Cup4Cup had the most tender crumb compared to other gluten-free flour brands. All the flour blends used for recipe testing do contain xanthan gum.

Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe.

Vanilla Extract/Paste: Don’t skip the Vanilla. I use Vanilla Paste in this recipe. A high-quality vanilla extract would work great in this recipe (like my homemade Vanilla Extract). This is also a great recipe to use Vanillesugar you may have on hand already after making my Gluten Free Vanilla Crescents. Just add one package of Vanilla Sugar instead of the Vanilla Paste/Vanilla Extract.

How to make Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Dough

The dough for gluten-free shortbread cookies can be made in just one bowl. All you need is a whisk and a flexible spatula. This dough needs to rest for 20-30 minutes before baking.

Line an 8×8 (or 9×9 pan) with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure to leave some overhang on the sides to remove the shortbread easily from the pan.

In a small pot melt the butter and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. We are not browning the butter for this recipe, just melting it. You may also do this in your microwave.

Combine sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. The warm butter will melt the sugar and turn it into a smooth consistency.

With a flexible spatula, incorporate the gluten-free flour. Make sure to stir it all together until no streaks of flour remains. The dough will look buttery and shiny. While it is resting, the flour will absorb the butter.

Transfer the buttery shortbread cookie dough to the parchment-lined pan and with an offset knife or your fingers press it into the pan. An offset knife really worked great here to get a smooth, even layer of shortbread dough.

Allow the dough to rest in your refridgerator for 20-30 minutes before baking. This way the gluten-free flour hydrates. You may also refrigerate it at this point for up to 3 days before baking.

How to bake and cut Buttery Gluten Free Shortbread

For cutting, I like to use a sharp paring knife and a wooden skewer (shortened slightly so it is the same size as the pan you are working with). You will also need a ruler unless you just want to guesstimate how to cut them.

Why a skewer? The lines from the skewer give the finished shortbread a slight round edges look and make them overall look cleaner. You can totally skip the skewer lines but you will need something to poke the holes in the shortbread.

When ready to bake your shortbread, preheat the oven to 300F and arrange your oven rack in the middle. When your oven is fully preheated, bake your pan of shortbread for 25 minutes until it just starts to get some color and get puffy.

Remove the shortbread from the oven (DO NOT TURN OFF THE OVEN) and place it on a heat-proof cutting board or cooling rack. You want the pan to be stable so you can cut into the shortbread without the pan sliding around.

Using the skewer, divide the pan in half, rotate the pan, and divide it into half again. You should now see 4 equal-sized pieces of shortbread. Using the skewer, divide each half side of the pan into 3rds. Repeat with the other half. You should now have 12 pieces of shortbread.

Using your sharp paring knife, cut along those lines you just formed with the skewer. Make sure to cut all the way through the cookies.

With the round end of your skewer or a fork, poke holes all over your shortbread cookies. Try not to poke them deeper than ⅓ into the dough.

Return the shortbread to the oven and finish baking it until it is golden brown, around 20-22 minutes depending on how accurate your oven is.

Remove the shortbread from the oven and run the pairing knife one more time through the cuts you already made (just to make sure it’s cut all the way). If the poked holes disappeared, use a skewer and re-poke them.

Allow the shortbread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. It is heavenly when still warm…. just so you.

How to serve and store shortbread

Serve shortbread cookies with Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate. Like Biscotti, they are perfect for dunkin’. I love pairing them with homemade lemon curd. Such a treat!

Make sure the shortbread cookies are fully cooled before transferring them to an airtight container. Keep them at room temperature for up to 7 days or freezer them for future shortbread cookie cravings.

Variations of this Gluten Free Shortbread Recipe

This recipe for buttery shortbread is very basic. But there are some fun ways to jazz it up and make it more fun and more delicious. Here are a few ideas

• Replace the vanilla with ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract. A little goes a long way.
• Disolve 2 teaspoons of instant espresso in the melted butter and add a handful of finely chopped dark chocolate (or mini chocolate chips) to the dough along with the dry ingredients
• Add 1 tablespoon finely grated citrus zest such as lemon or orange. I recommend adding the zest in the beginning of the recipe whwith the sugar. Try to rub the zest into the sugar for even more citrus flavor.
• Mix in finely chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts. Make sure they are finely chopped so you won’t run into issues when cutting the shorbread.
• Make it seasonal with adding spices such as a Pumpkin Spice or a Chai Spice Mix.
• Dip the fuly cooled shortbread into melted chocolate and sprinkle with some chopped nuts for a festive look.
• Sprinkle the shortbread cookie dough before baking with additional coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar for some extra sweet crunch.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shortbread

Why is my shortbread very dry and crumbles?
Sounds like you overbaked your gluten free shortbread cookies OR did not measure your ingredients correctly. I recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven runs at the right temperature.

Can I make this recipe for buttery gluten free shortbread vegan?
Classic shortbread does not contain any eggs so to make this recipe vegan, just swap the butter for your favorite non-dairy butter substitution. I do not recommend using coconut oil since it is overpowering in this recipe.

Can I freeze shortbread cookies?
Yes. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow for them to thaw at room temperature.

Can I use this recipe to make a crust for cheesecake?
This recipe is very similar to my gluten-free shortbread crust but too thick. I recommend checking out my recipe for Gluten Free Cheesecake Crust

Can I make this recipe for shortbread with regular all-purpose flour?
If you would like to make this recipe with regular all-purpose flour, please use 215 grams of regular flour (regular as in wheat-containing flour)

Baking in grams

My recipes are posted in grams since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and can be found on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to baking. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. My recipes have been tested several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe found on our website.

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