Gluten-Free Shortbread Recipe

Name: Gluten-Free Shortbread Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups gluten-free Paleo flour blend; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 cup maple sugar; 2 sticks butter, softened; 1 large egg; 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk or almond milk

December 22, 2020 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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Shortbread cookies are some of the most common ones around. They’re simple to make, make a great blank canvas for frosting and kids love ’em. But traditional shortbread recipes are a no-no if you’re avoiding gluten — until now.

This gluten-free shortbread recipe means you can enjoy this cookie treat without repercussions.

Is this the best shortbread cookie recipe? I’ll let you be the judge of that!

What Is Shortbread?

The name of this food is deceiving. It’s not a bread at all but instead a cookie made from white sugar, butter and flour.

It originated in Scotland, where it was originally made from dough that was left over from breadmaking.

As you can imagine, a cookie made from sugar, butter and flour isn’t the healthiest for you. Even though store-bought varieties like Walker’s shortbread actually stick to just four ingredients (they add salt), white sugar and white flour are two of the worst ingredients you can eat.

White flour has no nutritional value and high and all that added sugar is sure to send your blood sugar levels rising, then crashing.

Key Ingredients

There are many shortbread cookie recipes out there.

This gluten-free shortbread recipe is a much better alternative to what you can buy in stores. For starters, we stick to a Paleo flour blend, so if you can’t eat gluten, you can still enjoy this shortbread cookies recipe.

I typically make Paleo flour using almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour and tapioca flour. They’re great options because they support heart health, digestion, cholesterol levels and more.

That also makes these keto shortbread cookies so long as you consume in moderation — another reason this is one of the best shortbread recipe options out there.

I also use maple sugar, which is made from maple tree sap, to keep this recipe refined sugar-free. Like maple syrup, maple sugar can help fight inflammation and protect skin due to its antioxidant content.

Adding vanilla adds flavor while the coconut milk means the dough is nice and easy to work with. Combined with the grass-fed butter and egg, these cookies are loaded with healthy fats and low in sugar and calories compared to traditional cookies.

After making this gluten-free shortbread recipe, you’ll never buy these cookies at the store again!

How to Make Gluten-Free Shortbread

Start by mixing the flour and baking powder, then set it aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the butter and sugar.

Mix the two together with a hand mixer until the butter and sugar are nice and fluffy. Then add in the coconut milk, vanilla extract and egg, mixing the ingredients until they’re well-combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture, taking care to mix the ingredients evenly. Then form the dough into the ball and stick it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When the 20 minutes are up, shape the dough into little circles, keeping them about 1½ inches in diameter and about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick.

Bake the gluten-free shortbread cookies for 10–12 minutes and enjoy!

Similar Recipes

If you’re looking for other holiday treats or desserts for any time of year, here are some recipes to try: