Tender & Buttery Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies

Learn how to make gluten-free shortbread cookies with an extra easy, foolproof recipe! The secret to tender, classic GF shortbread, without a gritty, dry texture, is briefly chilling the dough and baking at a lower oven temperature. Choose between the slice and bake or cut-out method to make 4-ingredient, melt in your mouth biscuits.

Traditional gluten-free shortbread

With the holidays approaching, classic gluten-free shortbread cookies are the ideal treat to round out the best gluten-free Christmas cookies ever. This easy recipe uses simple baking tricks for a rich, buttery flavor with a tender and crisp texture.

After testing homemade shortbread several ways – chilling versus not chilling, baking at various oven temps, and experimenting with the best way to shape the dough – I finally landed on the best recipe for gluten-free shortbread cookies. The end result is easy enough for a novice baker and requires minimal effort.

While most gluten-free shortbread doesn’t require chilling before baking, I found refrigerating the dough as little as 20 minutes greatly improved the texture. The extra time allows the GF starches to be softened by the butter fat, resulting in a tender and smooth texture, versus gritty and sandy.

Next the biscuits were baked at varying oven temps, 325ºF and 350ºF. The lower oven temp won out for two reasons. First, it yields a lighter cookie color, which is characteristic of the classic Scottish biscuits. Also, similar to these homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, a lower oven temp extends the baking time, allowing more time for the butter to meld with the GF flour.

Lastly, I tried a variety of shaping methods. The dough may be rolled into a log, sliced and baked. This is quick and easy, although it’s hard to achieve a perfectly round cookie. The dough may also be rolled and cut out, similar to our favorite gluten-free sugar cookies recipe. This was quite effortless to do and I like how well they maintained shape as they baked.

Read on to learn more gluten-free cookie tips, such as recipe variations, make-ahead instructions, freezing tips, plus step-by-step photos and tutorials. These biscuits are guaranteed to rival Walkers old fashioned shortbread in taste and texture!

Ingredient Notes

You’ll be hard pressed to find another gluten-free cookie recipe that requires less ingredients, but doesn’t shortcut flavor.

• Butter – Even though some shortbread recipes require cold butter, I found using slightly softened, yet still chilled, made the dough easier to work with and yields a smoother texture. I did not test the recipe with dairy-free / vegan butter.
• Gluten-free flour blend – I use and highly recommend using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, which contains xanthan gum in the mix. The cornstarch in this flour blend makes the cookie dough easy to work with and softens the texture.
• Powdered sugar – Using powdered sugar, rather than granulated, melds with butter for a light, crisp cookie.
• Vanilla extract – Gives a hint of creaminess. Almond extract or lemon extract may also be used, or see the Recipe Variations section to transform this gluten-free shortbread dough into many flavors!

how to make gluten-free shortbread cookies

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. In a large bowl, or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.
2. Add the gluten-free flour and mix on low speed to combine. At first the dough will look dry and crumbly. As the mixture combines, the flour will smoothly incorporate with the butter until you will have a stiff dough.
3. If using cookie cutters to shape cut-out cookies, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. For slice and bake cookies, tear off a 12-inch strip of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a log. Lift up the parchment closest to you and roll with the dough to smooth the dough further. Roll until the parchment is rolled completely around and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Slice and bake – Remove from fridge and roll again for a nice round shape. Use a sharp knife to slice into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place on ungreased or lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
5. Cut-out shortbread – Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick. Press cookie or biscuit cutters into the dough. Alternatively, slice the dough into 3 X 1-inch rectangles. Transfer shapes to baking sheets and then repeat with leftover dough.
6. Bake in a 325ºF oven for 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. The cookies will be very lightly golden around the edges and set. Yields 26 cookies.

Shaping the dough

There are two methods for shaping the dough. While the slice and bake is quick and uses all the dough at once, it’s hard to achieve perfectly round circles (if that is of importance for you).

The cut-out method takes slightly more time, because leftover dough will have to be re-rolled. It results in clean, bakery-style shapes.

Slice and bake – Remove the log from the fridge and roll again to smooth out a potentially flat side. Use a sharp knife to slice into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place on ungreased baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Cut-out – Use a rolling pin to flatten into 1/2-inch thickness. Press a cookie or biscuit cutter into the dough. Alternatively, slice the dough into 3 X 1-inch rectangles. Transfer the shapes to baking sheets, 1-inch apart, and then repeat with leftover dough. If you find the dough becomes sticky when re-rolling, you may have to briefly chill again to re-solidify the butter.

Recipe Variations

• Chocolate dipped or drizzled – Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small bowl. To thin slightly, add a dash of oil. Dip one side of the cookie into the melted chocolate and place on wax or parchment-lined baking sheets. Alternatively, use a small spoon or fork to drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.
• Lemon shortbread – Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the dough and replace vanilla extract with lemon extract. For a lemon glaze, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Spiced – Add up to 1 teaspoon of spices, such as ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, anise, or cardamom.
• Cranberry orange – Add 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest to the dough. You may also replace the vanilla with orange extract.
• Chocolate chip – Add 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips to the dough.

Storing, Make-ahead and freezing

Store baked cookies in an airtight container up to 2 days. The cookies are best the day they are made because GF baked goods lose moisture quickly. If you would like to make them ahead of time, use one of the options below.

The dough may be made up 1 day ahead of time. Wrap securely and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, set it out for 20-30 minutes to soften slightly before rolling or slicing.

For longer storage you may also freeze the dough before baking. Wrap securely and freeze the dough before shaping. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then sit out at room temp for 20-30 minutes before shaping.

For ready-made cookies (great for holiday parties), shape the cookies and freeze on lined baking sheets. Once solid, gently stack in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 6 weeks. When ready to serve, bake from frozen, adding one minute to the baking time.

Troubleshooting tips

1. Dough doesn’t come together during mixing. First try mixing it a little longer. It takes a minute or two for the fat to incorporate with the flour. If using a different GF flour, rather than the recommended Cup4Cup, it possibly absorbs moisture at a different rate. Add a few drops of water at a time and continue to mix until the dough just comes together. Be care to not add too much water or the shortbread will spread during baking.
2. Dough falls apart when slicing or rolling out. The dough needs to be chilled, but if it is very cold it will crumble slightly when working with it. If it is too frustrating to work with, leave the dough out at room temperature to soften slightly then try again.
3. Dough is too soft / sticky. As the dough warms up it will become sticky. I like working on a marble pastry board because it keeps dough chilled so you don’t have to introduce more flour to prevent stickiness. First try to briefly chill the dough to re-solidify the butter slightly. You can also rub a little GF flour on the rolling pin or sprinkle a tiny bit of flour on your work surface.
4. Cookies spread during baking. Make sure the cookies are chilled when placing in the oven. If you are not baking all the dough at once, store unbaked cookies or dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

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