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Home » Gluten Free » Gluten Free Shortbread

Gluten Free Shortbread

February 7, 2018 By Katie Moseman 11 Comments

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This gluten free shortbread recipe was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.  All opinions are my own.

Traditional style gluten free shortbread made with only five ingredients: gluten free oat flour, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Pure and simple, with a perfect crunch and a tantalizingly buttery aroma.

Large pile of gluten free shortbread rounds

Gluten Free Shortbread

Has gluten free shortbread left you unsatisfied?  I tried as many versions as I could find or buy, yet (inevitably) the shortbread looks delectable but tastes like sweetened chalk.

After a short but intense rant about this situation, I did what I always do.  I made batch after batch of  shortbread cookies until I hit on a gluten free recipe that satisfied me.

You might be surprised to find out that I turned to oat flour to make this shortbread.  Most gluten free shortbread recipes call for blends of rice flour; that’s what gives them their bright white color.  I was inspired to try oat flour because oats are a key ingredient in many Scottish recipes.

Bob's Red Mill Oat Flour label next to shortbread cookies

Bob’s Red Mill had sent me multiple bags of their Gluten Free Oat Flour, which was very helpful because I went through quite a lot of oat flour while tweaking my shortbread recipe.

There were a lot of tweaks.

My first batch of shortbread didn’t have any sugar topping.  As I was carefully taste testing the batch by eating my way through a stack of cookies, I realized that some large sugar crystals would be the perfect touch.  I retrofitted the remaining cookies with a sprinkle of large turbinado sugar crystals before I ate them.

Five gluten free shortbread cookies in a flower formation

The next time, I wised up and added a sprinkle of turbinado to the cookies just before they went into the oven.

I also discovered that every ingredient powerfully influences the flavor.  When I picked up a carton of my favorite brand name butter instead of using the store brand, the cookies tasted noticeably better.  So I recommend using good quality salted butter for this recipe.

If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can use an standard shot glass to cut the cookies from the rolled out cookie dough.  I did this quite a few times before I finally broke down and bought a set of real cookie cutters.

Closeup of a pile of gluten free shortbread cookies

Be sure to visit Bob’s Red Mill to pick up your Gluten Free Oat Flour and plenty more gluten free products.  I use them and love them.

Five gluten free shortbread cookies in a flower formation
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Gluten Free Shortbread

Traditional style gluten free shortbread made with only five ingredients: gluten free oat flour, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Pure and simple, with a perfect crunch and a tantalizingly buttery aroma.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten Free, Scottish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 59 kcal
Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

  • 2.75 ounces granulated sugar
  • 5.25 ounces Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oat Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • 4 ounces salted butter room temperature (softened)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar the kind with large crystals of sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

  2. Add the butter to the mixing bowl and drizzle the vanilla over the butter.  Mix with a fork (or "cut in") until a dough forms.  Note: if the butter is a bit cold, the ingredients will not become a dough until you knead them together with your hands.

  3. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/3 inch.  Cut out rounds with a 1 3/4 inch cookie cutter.  Note: if the dough is too soft to cut cleanly, refrigerate it for a 15 minutes or so until it firms up.

  4. Place the rounds evenly and equally between the two baking sheets.  Keep in mind that the cookies will spread slightly.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of each cookie round, then bake the cookies for 13 minutes.

  5. Remove from oven and let cool completely.  As soon as the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Shortbread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 59 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 47mg2%
Potassium 18mg1%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Sugar 3g3%
Vitamin A 95IU2%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bag of Bob's Red Mill Oat Flour next to gluten free shortbread

 

 

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Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free, Recipes

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Comments

  1. cakespy

    February 9, 2018 at 9:34 am

    When I went to ireland years ago they had “oatcakes” at this one cafe that were like oat shortbread cookies which I freaking LOVED. I went to that cafe every day. In looking for oatcakes, they exist on the internet, but nothing like what I tried at this one little cafe. These shortbread cookies look just like them though!! OMG thank you!

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      February 9, 2018 at 9:51 am

      Oh, cool! I hope they turn out like the ones you had. Also I hope I get to go to Ireland someday. 🙂

      Reply
      • Rukmini Reddy

        June 14, 2020 at 3:08 pm

        Thank you for the sorghum pancake. It was good. i also tried making it a savory type by not using sugar and added little bit if cumin And had it with spicy Tomato chutney . i have to try the oat cookies and others.

        Reply
  2. Charlene

    February 15, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    Ah, yes: Bob’s Red Cross- Contamination Mill. They used to be a good brand.

    For those who need truly gluten-free (and soy-free, and nut-free) oat flour, look for Only Oats.

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      February 18, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      I also like GF Harvest.

      Reply
  3. Lisa

    November 27, 2020 at 9:38 pm

    Do you think it would be okay for me to pulverize whole oats in a food processor to make oat flour? I so want to try this recipe but anything gluten free is hard to find in the store & ordering it online will take too long. TIA

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      November 28, 2020 at 9:07 am

      I haven’t done it myself, but theoretically it’s possible. They might be slightly more “rustic” than the cookies made with fine-milled flour, but would have the same flavor.

      Reply
  4. PJ Leary

    August 27, 2021 at 2:01 pm

    I too have multiple batches of GF shortbread in a pottery pan. It’s sawdust crumbly when done. Unsatisfactory. Tried the oat flour, both self processed and Bobs GF Oat Flour. Self processed oats were way too grainy despite looking like flour when pulsed.
    I’m at a loss what to try next.
    If you baked your recipe in an 8” pan , about 1/2 thick, how long would you bake ?
    Thanks for any suggestions and your GF baking!

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      September 5, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      Probably at least 20 minutes. I’d wait until the edges got good and golden before I took them out – it may take some trial and error to figure out the right cooking time, because you never really know how they’re going to set up until they cool down. If oat flour isn’t working for you, I’ve also used gluten free sorghum flour to make these.

      Reply
  5. Amy

    October 22, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    I followed your recipe to the letter and weighed my oat flour and sugar and butter on a scale. The “cookies” tasted good and looked beautiful after cutting and placing on the baking sheet lined with parchment. However, as they baked they all spread out and it just looked like a very flat sheet pan cake – extra extra thin! I am going to try again but use more oat flour. Maybe the butter was too soft? Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      October 26, 2022 at 8:23 am

      Very strange! Especially when using weight. However, as a baker who uses gluten free flours, I’ve noticed that the same type of flour can vary wildly from brand to brand in terms of its ability to absorb moisture or fat – thus the same recipe can turn out differently. My guess would be that you’re correct – there simply wasn’t enough flour to absorb the butter as it heated up. When I get a chance, I will retry this recipe and see what happens.

      Reply

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