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.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour:  I have tested this recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread with Cup4Cup, King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob's Red Mill 1-1, and my own gluten free flour blend. While all 4 blends worked without any issues in this recipe. The texture of the cookies made with Bob's Red Mill was chewy compared to the light and flaky texture of the ones made with Cup4Cup. If you have Cup4Cup on hand, I highly recommend using it to make this gluten-free cut-out cookie recipe. All flour mixes used to test this recipe contain xanthan gum.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch makes gluten-free baked goods lighter and moister. If you are allergic to cornstarch, please substitute the 35g of cornstarch with an equal amount of gluten-free flour used in this recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread.

Butter: Since Butter is a key ingredient to make shortbread cookies. The better the quality the better the cookies will taste. I am a big fan of European Style Butter 84% or higher in butterfat but in a pinch, even store-brand butter will work here (and we all know butter prices are skyrocketing this year)

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.

Add Ins: Add-ins are optional when making gluten free shortbread. Since this recipe makes enough for two 8" cake pans or two 8" squares, I love making one pan plain and add some add-ins to the second pan. Some of my favorite add ins are Mini Chocolate Chips. toasted pecans, white chocolate, dried cranberries, finely grated lemon or orange zest...

How to make Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Dough

Shortbread cookie dough can be made in no time. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, around 65F. This dough needs to rest for 20-30 minutes before baking.

Step 1: Line two 8" cake pans or two 8" square baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure to leave some overhang on the sides to remove the shortbread easily from the pan. This recipe can be baked in ONE 9x13" pan but please be advised that the gluten free shortbread will be on the thinner side.

Step 2: In a small mixing bowl combine the gluten-free flour, kosher salt and cornstarch. Set aside.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the room-temperature butter, granulated white sugar, and vanilla. Vanilla Extract and Vanilla paste can be used interchangeably.

Step 4: Cream the ingredients together for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Since this dough does not contain any leavening agent or eggs, the creaming will provide structure. Make sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through the creaming process.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and at a low speed, mix everything together. This may take up to a minute but the dough will slowly come together.

If you plan on adding add-ins such as chocolate chips, now is the time to add them. If you are planning on making half of the dough Vanilla Shortbread and half of it with add-ins, remove half of the dough and add the add-ins to the remaining dough and mix together.

Step 6: Divide the gluten-free shortbread dough into two portions and transfer it 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 chill in the refrigerator 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 or place it tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

How to bake Gluten Free Shortbread

When ready to bake your shortbread, preheat the oven to 325F and arrange your oven rack in the middle.

Step 1: When your oven is fully preheated, remove both pans of shortbread from the fridge. Top them with coarse sugar (or for example chocolate chips if you decide to make gluten-free chocolate chip shortbread) and bake them at 325F for 25-27 minutes.

Step 2: The gluten free shortbread is ready when it is lightly browned and appears set. The edges will be golden brown since they will brown faster than the center of the cookies. Do not overbake the shortbread.

Step 3: Remove the pans of shortbread from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes. To remove the shortbread from the pan, run a sharp knife around the edges of the shortbread cookies. Then place a flat cutting board or baking sheet on top and flip over the pan. Whatever you are using, must be larger than the shortbread and completely flat. After flipping over the shortbread cookies, remove the parchment paper and carefully flip it over again on the final decorate plate or platter. Now if you baked your shortbread in an 8" square pan, you can just use the parchment paper to remove it from the pan.

Step 4: Finally use a sharp chef's knife and cut the gluten free shortbread cookies into wedges. I cut mine into 8 pieces but clearly, you can cut them as large/small as you like.

How to serve and store shortbread

To store them, 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 freeze them for future shortbread cookie cravings. To freeze shortbread, place them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow thawing at room temperature.

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!

Variations of Gluten Free Shortbread

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

• Replace the vanilla with ¼ teaspoon of Almond Extract. A little goes a long way.
• Add 2 teaspoons of instant espresso with the dry ingredients and add a handful of finely chopped dark chocolate (or mini chocolate chips) to the dough along with the dry ingredients
• Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated citrus zest such as lemon or orange. I recommend adding the zest at the beginning of the recipe with 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 shortbread.
• Make it seasonal by adding spices such as 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice or a Chai Spice Mix.
• Dip the fully-cooled shortbread into melted chocolate and sprinkle with some chopped nuts for a festive look.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shortbread