Who doesn't like a good shortbread cookie..? These sweet, buttery little shortbread finger cookies are are so simple to make, come together in a snap, and are a true holiday must.
I came up with this gluten-free vegan shortbread version some years back due to a blog reader request. When I asked what holiday recipe people would like to see on the blog next, Vera said:
I think my holiday fav is definitely shortbread – I’m a huge sucker for it and miss it terribly now that I am staying away from dairy/gluten!
I liked the idea a lot -- mostly because I have a weak spot for a good shortbread cookie myself, and also because behind the scenes I was already playing around with a simple recipe that would fit the bill. The result are these pudgy little shortbread fingers you see here, and they are utterly delicious.
Since then, this recipe unexpectedly has become one of the most popular recipes on the blog, and it's one that gets visited by thousands of people on a regular basis -- "unexpectedly" because I didn't realize so many people were hankering for a good shortbread alternative. Good thing Vera asked :)
My favorite thing about these shortbread cookies is that it's really just a three(ish) ingredient recipe that uses a gluten-free flour mix, a non-dairy butter, and any liquid sweetener (so it's refined sugar-free too). The fact this shortbread can be made with maple syrup is my favorite part. You also don't need to chill this dough and so the cookies can be made all in one go and you can have your shortbread fix in no time.
Oh, and last but not least, since I get asked this that a lot: yes, this recipe can be made with coconut oil (although the buttery flavor is extra special to me)(also, if using coconut oil, all ingredients need to be at room temperature -- cold items will make the dough unworkable), yes it can apparently be made with Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour (and likely with most good gluten-free flour blends, but Pamela's mix to me is extra special because it makes the cookies melt in your mouth like nothing else does -- that's what the alternative diy gluten-free mix I put in the recipe mimics the closest), and yes, according to some of my readers it can apparently be made with regular wheat flour too.
For other alternatives, see the comments section where readers have been sharing their experiences with substitutions and what worked for them.
Otherwise, enjoy the cookies! :)
Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread Cookies
These gluten-free vegan shortbread cookies make for sweet, buttery little finger cookies that come together in a snap and are a holiday must. This recipe is also refined sugar-free and nut-free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 17-18 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- ½ cup non-dairy butter, at room temperature {I used 1 Earth Balance stick} OR coconut oil, softened
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend {I recommend Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend} {or make your own by combining: 1 cup brown rice flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ½ cup sweet rice flour, ½ teaspoon guar gum}
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Prepare a rolling area with two additional sheets of parchment paper for that, and have a pizza cutter or dough cutter and a fork handy.
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and whip it with a mixer until it's creamy. Add sweetener, salt, and vanilla and mix once again to combine. Add in flour and use a wooden spoon to mix. Then get in there with your hands and mix everything together by working the dough until you can shape it into a ball {note: as depending on the flour mix you use there may be a slight variance, know that the consistency of the dough should not be sticky but should press together when pinched -- be sure to knead it really well first for some time -- if it's a little sticky, add a little more flour (try 1-2 tbsp); if it's a little dry add a little more sweetener (try 1 tbsp)}. Shape the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk.
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ½" thickness. Use a pizza or dough cutter to cut the dough into 1" x 3" rectangles {cut into vertical 1" strips, and then cut horizontally to create the rectangles}. Carefully transfer to a prepared cookie sheet, spacing them ½" apart {they won't spread as they bake}. Gather up any dough scraps and repeat until all dough is used up. Use a fork to carefully pierce some holes in each cookie {to prevent bubbling and excessive cracking}.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 14-15 minutes, until the edges begin to become a little golden. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. {Note: cookies will harden a little within minutes of cooling, so don't overbake}. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container.
Double recipe for a larger batch if you'd like, but I recommend to then initially divide the dough into two balls before rolling out for easier handling.
I used these in a few recipes calling for shortbread cookies, like homemade twix bars, etc. and they worked really well. Just thought I'd put that option out there ;)
Diana says
absolutely amazingly wonderful! thank you thank you
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Diana. Glad you enjoyed this recipe! :)
Jenni says
Thank You for this recipe. I'm new to gluten-free and sugar free so it'd interesting to read about recipes that I can try out. Especially now at Christmas time with all the yummy stuff. Eg. Shortbread and fruit mince pies 🥧. Looking forward to trying this out.
Audrey says
Enjoy it, Jenni :) Merry Christmas!
Laura says
I made these exactly as per the recipe. I used PC brand gluten free flour. I cooked them until they were faintly brown at the edge. They turned out very crispy and I'm not fond of the flavour. They are almost a savoury flavour. I think I would use butter next time for the flavour (I'm not vegan) and more maple syrup, though that would change the texture which was perfect while rolling out. Hmmmmm.
★★
Audrey says
Hi Laura, too bad these didn't work out for you, but thank you for sharing. It's always good to hear what works for folks and what doesn't. I've never tried these with pc gf flour, sounds like it's not the best fit for this recipe based on your description.
Bonnie says
Would this recipe work if I don't roll out the dough to make these pretty little rectangles? Can I just put a spoonful of dough on the cookie sheet and let it bake?
Audrey says
Hi Bonnie, you could just tear pieces of dough, roll them into a ball and flatten a little onto a cookie sheet to get tasty cookies out of this recipe :) -- they don't have to be rolled out and cut into rectangles. I'd just recommend pressing them down some so they're equally flat so that they bake through better. Enjoy!
Rachel says
If I use monkfruit sugar or regular sugar instead of maple syrup, how much should I use?
thank you!
Audrey says
Hi Rachel, the dough might be a bit too dry / crumbly if you use dry sugar as a substitute for maple syrup. I'd recommend going with a liquid sweetener instead as the simplest alternative. Otherwise you'll need to play around with adding perhaps more vegan butter, etc. into the mix to compensate for the lack of moisture, depending on how crumbly your dough turns out. I'm not certain on the exact quantity of sugar and extra butter you'd need as I've never tried it, so it'll require some playing around on your part, though it's not too complicated -- if dough is too dry, add more butter, that's all. I'd probably start with a 1/3 cup sugar and see if it needs more from there, since maple syrup is usually much sweeter than sugar. If you give it a try and find that whatever substitute you used works, do share as I'm sure others will be interested to hear as well :) Good luck!
Gem says
I used rice syrup to sweeten as I have suspected fructose malabsorption. I used Doves farm plain white gluten free flour and vitalite plant butter (UK). Came out perfect!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Gem, thanks so much for the feedback and for sharing what worked for you. I'm glad you enjoyed these!
Monica Woodall says
Good recipe that has the ability to be adapted...I changed it up a bit and did about a 1/3 of gluten free flour mix, 1/3 almond flour and 1//3 oat flour and then made it sugar free by changing the maple syrup to orange juice concentrate. Also only did 1/4 cup of coconut oil and the other 1/4 cup of almond butter + added 1/3 of a banana mashed up. Came out great. I have friends who are gluten free, vegan and sugar free! I topped this with chopped dates mixed with all fruit/no added sugar jam and sliced fruit. Very yummy dessert!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Monica, wow, thanks for sharing all those changes you made. I'm glad it worked and that you enjoyed the cookies and I'm sure others will appreciate hearing your variation on this recipe.
Amanda Eisenberg says
I’m excited to try to make these for my sons preschool. They would like to stamp these for Christmas. Do you think the dough will refrigerate and then stamp well?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Amanda, unfortunately I've never tried freezing the dough for these, so I'm not 100% sure. I think it might work better to roll them out, cut out, stamp, and then freeze for baking later in this case. But if you give freezing the dough a try anyways, let me know how it goes. I'd be very interested to hear.
Adrienne says
A good basic recipe for shortbread but I found when using Kind Arthur GF flour I needed to cut back significantly on the flour or they were way too dry. The first batch was so hard and dry. I should have used about 1 3/4c flour but I kept adding as written so I added more vegan butter to the second half to compensate. Then they were great!
★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Adrienne, thanks for sharing your experience. I've never tried to make these with King Arthur flour, so glad to hear you made it work for this recipe.
Gaby says
Do you think regular butter would work well for this recipe?
Audrey says
Hi Gaby, yes it'll work just fine with regular butter -- I've had many readers say that worked well for them. Enjoy these :)
Rose says
I just found this recipe and am beyond excited to try it. I have recently been places on the elimination/hypoallergenic diet and can eat almost nothing!!! Hope this adds cookies back into my life!!! 😊
My question is, has anyone tried other, gluten free flours like chickpea or teff?(most of the gluten free flours contain potato starch which is a no-no on this diet)
Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Rose, I haven't tried this with chickpea flour or teff myself, so can't comment on that. However, you can just use tapioca starch instead of potato starch (equal substitution) if you make your own blend.
Maddie Storey says
I have baked this recipe twice, one time with a gluten free flour blend and one time with rice flour. Both times they tasted delicious. They turned out different but both lovely. This shortbread is my new favourite gluten and dairy free baked good.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for sharing, Maddie. So glad you're enjoying this shortbread! :)
Karen says
Hello Audrey,
Are these crispy? I am looking for crispy cookies. Please tell me they are as they look delicious!!
Audrey says
Hi Karen, I'd say they're probably not crispy enough by the sounds of what you're looking for. These, however, are my favorite crispy cookies: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/sesame-cookies-with-orange-blossom/ if you're interested :)
VeganGemz says
Can this be made refined sugar free? E.g. use dates instead of maple syrup or banana
Audrey says
Maple syrup is considered refined sugar-free. I never tried making this with dates or bananas, but I imagine they'll change the consistency, taste, and look quite a bit -- if you give it a try, do share your results here :) You might try date syrup as the closest alternative I can think of.
Theresa says
These didn’t quite turn out for me. I found that despite not even using all of my measured flour, the dough was still too dry to roll out without cracking and crumbling into bits. I added more butter and syrup and made little rounds which still cracked and needed more cook time as a result of being thicker. Not sure where I went wrong with the dough. I will say, they taste delicious!
★★★
Audrey says
Hi Theresa, sorry these didn't work out for you. What you're describing sounds odd indeed. Was anything in your dough mix cold by any chance? (thinking maybe it made the butter firm up). Otherwise, what flour blend did you use?
Terra says
My kids made these today and they turned out excellent. We used our on gluten free flour blend that does not include tapioca (as we have an allergy to that in our home). Best darn vegan gluten free shortbread recipe we have found in all of our years of eating this way! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback, Terra. So happy it worked out for you with the flour blend and love that your kids baked these! :)
Megan says
I made these exactly according to recipe. Even used the same flour and butter. They were completely flavourless. Blech. Like eating chalk. Need lots more salt and more sweetener. Might try adding ground coconut sugar next time alongside the maple syrup to sweeten more. This was so disappointing.
Audrey says
Too bad it wasn't to your liking, Megan. But thank you for sharing nonetheless. Hopefully those adjustments will make these more to your taste.
Sarah Douglas says
Hi There, do these amazing cookies freeze well?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Sarah, I haven't tried, so not 100% sure. But I imagine they should be fine.
If you do freeze them, I'd recommend freezing them separated on a parchment lined cookie sheet, then once they're fully firmed up they can be transferred to a freezer container. And then when thawing out I'd recommend taking them out of that container right away so that they don't get soggy from the condensation in the container. I'd thaw them out at room temp on a plate lined with paper towel to catch any further moisture. If you give it a try, would love to hear how it went for you.
Nicole says
This is an amazing dough and cookie recipe! When rolled thin they taste like animal cookies. When a little thicker, and baked a little softer, they taste like sugar cookies. I iced some and made a couple chocolate-icing sandwiches. I'm drunk on the sugar right now. *drool* I also used it as a base for a protein bar testing recipe, and I'm totally in love. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Nicole. Thanks so much for the lovely feedback. I'm glad you're enjoying these. And I agree -- they make tasty animal cookies! :)
Matt Cook says
Hi, I was wondering where I can get your book from, as a chef I firstly love collecting books but your recipes are so helpful
Thanks
Matt
★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Matt. I'm currently still working on the print book version -- hopefully I'll be able to announce a date very soon :) I'll be sure to email my mailing list as soon as I have more details about when it'll be available.
Kerrieann says
I would be interested in your book when you get published too!! Good luck.
Audrey says
Thanks Kerrieann! :)
Carolina says
Hello! I write to you from Spain. Question: how many grams is a cup of butter?
★★★★★
Carol says
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html?filter=sugar#ingredients
King Arthur has a great chart for all kinds of baking ingredients. Hope this helps!
Audrey says
Thanks for the suggestion, Carol.
Audrey says
Hi Carolina, according to google, that'd be approx 225gr.
Danika says
I just made this recipe and it turned out perfect! Love the simplicity, maple syrup is the best sweetener. I was shy half a cup of gluten free flour blend so I compensated the rest for almond flour and worked beautifully :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Danika. Thanks for sharing. Sounds delish with the almond flour too :)
Susan says
Just made these into heart shaped cookies. Love them!! Melt in the mouth and delicious buttery taste. Next time I'll reduce amount of syrup and try them with some lemon zest mixed in.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Susan. Awesome -- so happy you liked these :) I love making them with lemon and lavender (have a similar recipe on the blog). The lemon zest would be totally delish in these!
Jules says
Tried making these, substituted honey for maple syrup. Had heaps of trouble getting them to roll out, kept adding a bit of sweetener as suggested for dry dough, finally got it to hold together enough to roll out.
They are as hard as a rock once baked.
Must have done something wrong.
★★
Audrey says
Hi Jules. Thanks for sharing and sorry the recipe didn't work out for you. I suspect it's the honey substitution at play here. I usually use maple syrup for these and maple syrup tends to be thinner and more runny than most honeys, so that would account for some of the moisture loss perhaps. Another thought is that maybe the butter was hot / too warm? as that can cause the sweetener (especially so with honey) to crystallize a little, leading to a drier dough.
That said, I've had many readers comment that they've made this recipe with honey and it worked well. If you're set on using that instead of maple syrup, I'd just recommend maybe trying a runnier honey + add a bit more butter to offset the dryness (and make sure the butter is at room temp and not warm). You'd need to play around with it, but it's doable :)
kidir says
hello,
is it ok if i added frozen blueberries or datesto the dough? will it affect the baking results?
Audrey says
Hi Kidir. I haven't tried personally. I imagine you might have a hard time rolling them out with add-ins like that (since it would make the dough not smooth), but you could try instead roll small amounts of the dough with your hands and shaping them into a cookie shape that way if you want to give it a try. Would love to hear how you go.
Lynn says
This is exactly identical in every way (recipe, pictures, video, text) as the recipe from faithfully gluten free. Do you work together? How can you both claim to have developed it ? Sorry, I just realized that the recipe in faithfully gluten free is actually your recipe through a link.
Audrey says
Hi Lynn. Thanks for your comment. Yes, this is my recipe. Jeanine from Gluten-Free Faithfully is a long time blogging pal and she compiled a list of different gluten-free cookie recipes from various websites a few years back and included a few of my recipes as well in her list as well. Back then my website had a different name (it was Gluten-Free Vegan Love, and I renamed it a few years ago to Unconventional Baker). Sorry for the confusion :)
Ann says
This recipe really is as easy as it appears. :) I have a postage-stamp size kitchen and I was determined to make the cookies so I could have dessert, so in the midst of cooking supper I also mixed the cookie dough up in a corner of my barely-existent counter. I just pressed the dough flat on a double layer of parchment paper, cut it into squares, and slid the whole thing onto the cookie sheet. They baked perfectly. I’d add more vanilla next time. I love the idea of using maple syrup. It’s perfect.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback, Ann! I'm so happy these worked out well for you. I could picture your kitchen and cookie-making sesh reading along :)
Laura says
Amazing recipe. Thanks.
P.S. If anyone is undecided, I vote for the vegan butter (over coconut) option, definitely my favorite.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks for the feedback, Laura -- so happy this recipe works well for you :)
Rana says
These are our new favorite cookies. STAT. Thanks very much for the video -- it encouraged me to give these a try.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Rana,
Thanks for the awesome feedback and I'm glad you're enjoying the recipe and the videos :)
Cheers,
Audrey
Déserée says
Delicious! Made it for the third time in three weeks, added pecans. Yum.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for sharing. The pecan addition sounds delicious! Now I want some :D
Michael Santioni says
Can I make these with Cup 4 Cup flour? I couldn’t find any comments about it. Thanks in advance!
Audrey says
Hi Michael. I haven't tried it personally, but some of my readers have and reported success, so I say go for it :)
Angie says
Hi, question regarding coconut oil.
The recipe states room temp - which would be solid, no? But I was reading comments and it said melted coconut oil would work better ? Sorry for any confusion.
Audrey says
Hi Angie. Coconut oil consistency depends on the temperature. Usually at room temperature it's either semi-solid / softened, or liquid depending on how hot it is where you are. Sometimes it can be solid if the room temperature is chilly. If very cold (i.e. refrigerated or frozen, it's going to be extra firm and hard to handle).
For the recipe the best consistency is semi-solid / softened. If it's a bit on the liquid side, it's ok too. If it's too firm, then it can be a bit hard to work with. So ideally, the equivalent of room temperature butter texture / consistency is best.
Oliver says
Not entirely sure what happened with ours.. Followed the recipe to a tea, but these cookies not only tasted awful, they were super pasty.
We're making them for my wedding this Saturday and had to throw an entire batch away.. They didn't even look like the photo.
My mother in law bakes anything you can imagine and is really disappointed they came out this way.
She use the Pam GF Flour Blend, Earth Ballance sticks, Maple syrup and whatever else was in it.. They didn't come out at all.
★
Audrey says
Hi Oliver. I'm not sure what might have happened there, but sorry it didn't work out for you.
I've never had these go "pasty" before, but that sounds like either somehow too much liquid got into the recipe or maybe the butter was too liquid (did it cream when mixed, like it does in the video?). Was the dough pasty? Or was it that the cookies tasted pasty after baking?
Barbara Kerr says
Hi Oliver, as someone who has written cookbooks (Taste of Health) I’ve found over the years that many people simple dig a measuring cup into their bag of flour. It really needs to be lightened in the bag first by lightly stirring it, then gently spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off by running a knife across the top. You can add an extra 1/8 cup of flour or more (per cup) if you don’t measure properly. Since so many people had success with this recipe, I suspect it was a simple measuring issue. Liquids also need to be measured precisely. Baking is chemistry whereas cooking can be whatever you want. Hope this helps
CJ says
Hi Audrey, and thank you for your recipe! I live with chocoholics and I’m new at the whole vegan thing:). Could you recommend some type of chocolate chip/raw chocolate I could add that would still be vegan/gluten free?
CJ
Audrey says
Hi CJ.
One of my readers recently shared this remake idea of these cookies, which might be suitable for your chocolate-loving family :) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfjm89snYyM/?tagged=unconventionalbaker
In terms of chocolate, can just use dark (70%) dairy-free chocolate (there are many vegan varieties, like Green & Black's, or Theobroma chocolate, Giddy YoYo, Endangered Species, etc. My favorite is probably Cocoa Camino chocolate). Besides these chocolate bars that can be chopped up, you can also buy Cocoa Camino chocolate chips or another brand of dairy-free chocolate chips if you prefer (Enjoy Life is a common one). If you're looking for specifically refined sugar-free chocolate, then a brand that's sweetened with coconut sugar would work best, but you typically have to browse the chocolate section at a health food shop for those. Hope this helps :)
Mia says
This is THE recipe I've been searching for. I'll be making it this weekend!
I've given it 5-stars even before making it because I know it will work. I was going to say that adding vanilla essence really does make a difference to the taste as well. For a buttery taste, I would stick with a butter equivalent.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Mia. I hope you enjoy it :)
Carol Ann says
I love making those cookies! It's just SO easy! I make them with coconut oil since I never buy vegan butter and I'm usually too lazy to make some and I find it leaves the cookies with a bit of a bland taste, but my fiancee LOVE them anyway and I recently came to the realization that they make a good base for things like homemade 'Petit Ecolier' cookies. I should try to make them with vegan butter eventually to see how it goes!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Petit Ecolier is exactly what I thought of when I saw your gorgeous remake of these on Instagram! They used to be one of my favorite cookies. So pretty too. When I saw your remake, my mind instantly went to where can I find that kind of chocolate mold! It's going to happen on the blog as soon as I do ;)
P.S. I love these with the vegan butter best myself as well. It has adds a pleasant mild flavor to them. Glad to hear your and your fiancees reception to the coconut oil. I side with you more on this one personally :)
Steffie says
I just made these shortbread cookies and they are divine! The aroma from the oven and freshly-baked cookie that emerged gave no hint this recipe was GF. Three of my friends are GF, they will LOVE this cookie as well as other GF treats I have tested and will be making for our get togethers. Thank you so so much for creating this blog and sharing your recipes!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Steffie. That's awesome -- thank you so much for sharing. I'm glad you enjoyed these!
Madison M says
Do you think this would work with coconut flour? Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Madison,
No, unfortunately this recipe won't work with coconut flour. Coconut flour acts completely differently in recipes to any other flour and requires a lot of liquid, which means developing a whole new recipe to get the ratios right.
Not quite shortbread, but you might like these biscotti cookies made with coconut flour instead if you're looking for something to put the coconut flour to use in :)
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/gluten-free-vegan-and-paleo-cherry-almond-biscotti/
Alternatively, if you're looking for grain-free cookies, go to the recipes page and click on the tabs "cookies" + "grain-free" to see other alternatives. Can select other applicable tabs too (like nut-free, or "bars and slices" instead of "cookies," etc.
Rebecca says
Wonderful recipe! Thank you! Used your own blend of flours , and made it for a base for millionaires shortbread. Gone down a treat. Love your recipes, thank you thank you for sharing. Have made several others, lebkuchen was divine! And Tapioca pud gets a regular visit on cold winter nights. Huge fans here :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
That's amazing, Rebecca. Thanks so much for sharing :) I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes.
Sahira says
Would this recipe work for cookie cutter shapes?
Audrey says
Hi Sahira -- yes, absolutely :)
Also, I have tons of cookie-cutter cookie recipes on the blog -- just look on the recipes page under cookies for more ideas.
Marilyn says
I’m not sure what the problem is. I used coconut oil, maple syrup, and Bob’s 1:1. Even after adding more maple syrup the dough immediately crumbles when rolled or cut. I finally gave up and threw the whole batch in the refrigerator to deal with another day. If it still is giving me issues, I’ll figure out how to use it as a pie dough base. In the meantime, I’ve never had a bust when making your delicious desserts. I refuse to let this one go to waste.
Audrey says
Hi Marilyn. I'm sorry for the delayed reply. I'm not sure why it didn't work out -- I've made this with coconut oil before and have seen reader remakes with it, so it in itself shouldn't be an issue (though I haven't tried substituting out both the vegan butter and the flour mix at once). I wonder 2 things:
-- was the coconut oil liquefied when you got started? Asking this because I think it would work better if it was since it would be easier to knead the dough, etc. with it.
-- was the maple syrup or anything else in the mix chilled before you got started? It might be that the coconut oil hardened as a result and wasn't mixing into the dough properly, thus not giving it enough moisture.
On this note though, I had another reader message me just a day ago with the same issue and she said to not let the dough go to waste she just warmed it up and then added more coconut oil and the recipe worked well then. Could give it a go to salvage it.
Sorry you're having trouble with it so far -- I'd love to help you get the cookies right :)
Marilyn says
I honestly can’t remember whether my oil was fully melted or creamy room temperature, or if my maple syrup was cold, which is possible. The dough is still in the fridge, so I’ll try warming it and adding more oil tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.
Audrey says
Ok, I'm guessing then that it must have been the chilled maple syrup then. I'm sorry, I should have thought of leaving a note next to that in the info I shared above, because coconut oil hardens very quickly when it comes into contact with cold things, so I could see that being an issue with the dough not getting moistened because of that -- the hardened oil doesn't get absorbed. I'll add the note above now.
I also just checked in with the other person who mentioned this happened as well, and she said she warmed the dough up on very low temperature in the oven briefly (make sure it doesn't start baking though), and then added about 1/3 more liquefied coconut oil and then kneaded the dough well and the cookies came out great for her -- hope that helps you salvage the dough :)
Sally says
I love this recipe! It was easy to assemble and turned out lovely cookies to greet our guests with a cup of tea.
I really appreciate it having the gluten-free flour mix spelled out for me, since I didn't have gluten free flour, but I did have white rice flour brown rice flour tapioca starch and guar gum. Our guests requested the recipe, so they must have been particularly fond of of them.
I cut them into sweetheart shapes and used a toothpick to poke holes around the edge to give them a valentine look, then I filled the interior with Jam once they had cooled.
Audrey says
So happy they worked out well. Thanks so much for sharing, Sally :)
Nicole says
Yum! I made this with purple corn flour, coconut oil, honey and some ginger. Tasty ?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hey Nicole. Thanks so much for sharing your take on these and for the lovely feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed them :)
Mika says
Wow! Thank you so much Audrey! I love baking and am always on the lookout for vegan and refined sugar free recipes! I'm not vegan myself but suspect I am lactose intolerant :) Its quite often that I bake something and nobody in my house eats it (these things usually go rotten or moldy :(. ) I made these shortbread cookies today and almost the whole batch was gone in less than an hour! I had to convince my family to save a few so everyone would have a chance to try them (there are six left), and I'm certain the remainders will disappear once everyone has. I didn't mention the cookies were also vegan, refined sugar and gluten free to my family, and they never suspected because the cookies were so delicious (I love getting away with those things). I used oat flour in place of the GF flour mix and made a swirled strawberry coconut jam with mashed strawberries, some coconut milk, and a dash of cinnamon to top the shortbread with. Simple, but yummy ;) I wanted to add a little vanilla extract or ground vanilla to the jam but was almost out :( I might get some from Ashlae at Oh, Ladycakes this year if she doesn't sell out before I do. Love your blog (such beautiful pictures and innovative treats) and look forward to trying more of your recipes. Do you think you could create a recipe that uses lots of berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, gojis, raspberries, etc.)? Maybe a raw cheesecake? That would be awesome
Audrey says
Hi Mika. Thank you so much. And I'm sorry for the delayed reply. I've been sick the last few weeks, so just catching up with the blog comments now ?. I'm so glad everyone liked the cookies and all those flavors sound wonderful! I do have some recipes that use lots of fresh fruit and berries, including cheesecake :) if you look on the recipes page under "fruity" they should come up. P.s. Hope you're able to grab some of that raw vanilla -- it's one of my favorite things in the kitchen pantry. Happy baking!
Esther says
Hi Audrey, I love your blog!! Just wondering if I can make these with Bob red mill all purpose flour?
Audrey says
Hey Esther -- absolutely. A few of my readers told me that that's what they've used and that it turned out well with Bob's Red Mill.
Esther says
Awesome! Thank you so much. By the way we've made your tumeric ice cream & it's a favourite here at home:)
Audrey says
Aw, thank you for sharing! :) So happy you liked it!
Hiromi says
Hi, from Japan. I love to make this shortbread it looks so yummy but before I try, is guar gum a must to put when I make my own GF flour? Can I substitute with something else?
Thank you!
Audrey says
Hi Hiromi. It helps with texture and binding. You can replace it with xantham gum if you prefer / if it's available -- that's the most straight-forward substitute. You can also try a bit of powdered psyllium husk, but I haven't tested it out myself.
Marion says
I made some of these for gluten free and vegan friends for Christmas. Pretty good shortbread not exactly like the usual shortbread. Beware you do not brown them only the barest tinge of gold! A tick from me ?
★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for sharing, Marion :) And good tip :D
Ray says
Thank you for this recipe, I'm always looking for Lactose free recipes. I just made them and I think I didn't leave them in long enough they were a little undercooked. But they were still great. Next time I will make sure there cooked long enough.
★★★★★
Audrey says
You're welcome, Ray! Thank you for the feedback. Glad they worked, and yes -- that little hick up is an easy one to fix luckily :) Enjoy them.
Larissa says
I made it with coconut oil and coconut nectar. Easy and delicious!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much for sharing those substitutes -- so happy you liked the cookies :)
Janice says
Hi I am not a fan of maple syrup plus I don’t have any can I substitute that for just regular white sugar? I had everything out to make this recipe right now so hopefully I’ll get back to me soon LOL. My husband is waiting for them right now.
Audrey says
Hi Janice, I never tried making these with just regular sugar, so I'm not 100% sure how the dough will behave. But if you've got everything set to go, why not experiment and see what happens :)
Eva says
Hi there, I was wondering if I could use Almond Meal or Buckwheat Flour instead of gf flour!? Thank You, excited to try these!
Audrey says
Hi Eva. I don't think straight almond meal would work here as a substitute because the gf flour has a lot of moisture absorbing / texture things going on to create a shortbread texture that almond flour on its own doesn't. You could however make these cookies with almond flour and buckwheat instead: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/almond-crescent-cookies-gluten-free-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free/
I'd say the same for straight buckwheat flour here too -- it has a very strong taste and a darker color, so it will yield something completely different as an end result.
I do have some buckwheat flour recipes on the blog though, if you're looking for something to use it in :) Like these pancakes: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/easy-4-ingredient-gluten-free-eggless-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free-blender-pancakes/, etc. Just search "buckwheat" in the search box. Same for almond flour -- heaps of recipes. It's just in this particular one where the end result is something really specific (i.e. a classic shortbread) that I don't think these substitutes will yield the best results.
April says
Is there an alternative to the Pamela's gluten free flour? My diet doesn't allow gluten OR grains, so rice flours and starches are out. Tapioca and almond flours are ok, but I see from other comments that almond flour alone may not work. My hubby makes the best shortbread I've ever had, but I can no longer eat a single ingredient in his recipe. I was thrilled to find a possible alternative, but I'm losing hope again.
Audrey says
Hi April, are you able to eat cassava flour? And how about vegan butter? And maple syrup? Just thinking of an alternative recipe to suggest to you but want to make sure the other ingredients work first :)
Sophie33 says
I made these tasty beauties & dipped half of them into melted raw chocolate! Divine! xxx
★★★★★
Audrey says
Oh yummy! I love them in chocolate too. So glad you liked them :)
Melissa says
Very dry. I made this with Earth Balance butter substitute, exactly as the recipe calls for. It's really too bad as everything else about them turned out beautifully.
★★★
Audrey says
Hi Melissa. Sorry these didn't work out for you. Did you use the same flour mix and quantities? These don't turn out dry for me at all, so just wondering what might have happened.. Assuming the flour mix and quantities were followed exactly, I also wonder if it's the case of them being baked a bit too long/oven temp too strong? Every oven is different, so it might be that the baking time needs to be shortened.
Carolyn says
Great shortbread cookie..So happy that finally I have a recipe for a GF shortbread that is also LOW GLYCEMIC! Thank you. Finding a GF cookie recipe, or any dessert recipe, that is GF AND low glycemic has been difficult..and although I try on my own ..sometimes the substitutes or amounts are difficult to gauge.
★★★★
Audrey says
Oh so glad you like these, Carolyn! :) Thank you for the feedback.
Vala says
These are an absolute delight!! I make them with plant-based margarine, agava syrup, and standard wheat flour, and am totally addicted! Whenever one batch is gone I almost instantly need to make a new one! (even my non-vegan dad-in-law is crazy about them!^^)
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!! <3
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you so much for sharing, Vala! So happy to hear too that they work with wheat flour -- people always ask, so it's good to have confirmation. Glad your father-in-law is in too :)
Maya says
Exactly three cookies are currently in the oven. They are my test cookies, to see if it is even worth going through more rolling and cutting. I've been at it for an hour, and the dough is similar to pizza dough; it shrinks up when rolled and doesn't pull apart. It tastes horrible on its own, and the texture and consistency is not good. Honestly, even if my three test cookies turn out perfect, I probably won't do the rest. It's disappointing, as I was planning on taking them to my friend's early Thanksgiving.
★
Audrey says
Hi Maya, sorry it didn't work out for you. Something doesn't sound right though, as that's not what the dough should be like at all. Did you change anything in the ingredients?
Karen says
Hello,
This recipe looks very sweet and delicious. I will try it in this weekend. Shared it on my Facebook group.
Thank so much!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Karen! I hope you enjoyed them :)
Nica says
Hi there, for some reason my zone has a sensitivity to maple syrup. If I use honey, how much should I use for this short bread cookie?
Audrey says
Hi Nica. You can use the same amount measure for measure. Happy baking :)
Peg says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I've been GF and DF for 20 years, but recently have had to give up chocolate, nuts, and white sugar and cinnamon... leaving me with almost no cookies that I can eat. Then I found these lovely shortbread cookies. They are scrumptious and my new favorite. Thanks so much! I give them 5 stars.
Audrey says
Peg, I'm so so happy to hear these are working out great for you :) Made my day! It's the best feeling to find things that work despite dietary challenges.
Emily says
So excited to try these!
Do you think they would work with regular bread flour? I wanted to make these for someone who is lactose intolerant, but can have gluten!
Audrey says
Hi Emily,
I haven't tried it myself as I'm gluten-intolerant, but I had readers share that they used regular flour successfully, so I think you're good to go! :)
Alli says
Hello Audrey,
I'm new to baking and was wondering if you could answer a question for me? Would these cookies work if I cut them into circles? I want to make samoa cookies using these as a base. Your blog is lovely and thank you for your recipes !!!
Audrey says
Hi Alli, absolutely! :) I think they'd make a great base for samoas.
Kyra @ Vie De La Vegan says
Audrey! I saw a photo of these shortbread cookies on Pinterest the other day but didn't recognise the "Gluten Free Vegan Love" logo, but I thought "Gosh this photo looks like something Audrey would take!". It turns out I was right :) I never realised your blog went by another name originally...but now I know :)
Audrey says
Yep, that was me :) I made the switch just over a year ago, but never had the time to go back and update all the old logos / photos. Hopefully one day... Good to know my photography stands out as "me" though :)
Maple Green says
Sorry forgot to say the stars on previous comment were for my effort not your recipe ?
Audrey says
No worries :) Again, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you and for that function. I'm sad now with you :(
Maybe try giving them these chocolates instead? Though they're not cookies, they are always a favorite and pretty simple to make:
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/raw-hemp-chocolates/
Maple Green says
Am going to try again ow Audrey, and will try for 8 mins on 170. Thank you so much for the chocolate recipe will make as well!!!
It is only the fact that in UK we work in ounces and you work in cups that I think I have made a mistake but cannot have been bad as friends said the consistency inside was good just outside was hard. Will let you know......
★★★★★
Audrey says
Oh, well that's good to hear :) Good luck with the next trials. I think less baking might help then if they are just crisp/hard on the outside but ok on the inside. Maybe that was it.
Maple Green says
I obviously did something wrong Audrey, the dough was a lovely consistency, perhaps when I had to transfer from cups to ozs it didn't work out. Not sure. Cooked them at 170C don't have Fahreinheight for 11 mins as used a fan oven. Am sure it was me and not your lovely recipe.
Used more maple syrrup as suggested but they were very hard and very anaemic looking. Such a shame as having a fundraiser for our Charity on Monday pm and several Gluten/Dairy Free people coming. Wanted to give them a treat....
★★★
Audrey says
Hi Maple,
Aw, so sorry it didn't work out :(
What flour mix did you use? And was it coconut butter or dairy-free butter? Not sure what may have gone wrong... Perhaps it was something in the conversion as you say, or maybe something in the ingredients. Let me know what you used -- I'm curious now...
Maple Green says
Dairy free the vegan butter called Pure flour was Dives Gluten Free plain. Tried twice now getting better, fan oven has to be lower heat 160 centigrade, do you put sugar on them? ?
Maple Green says
Or even Doves Gluten Free plain blend. No you don't put sugar on them sorry for asking. The Pure is a vegen soya butter soya oil, palm oil.
Really want to crack this now ?
Audrey says
Go Maple, Go! :) And no worries about asking. Really want this to work for you.
Audrey says
Oh, good.. sounds like we're going places :)
I don't put sugar on mine, no. You could sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top though -- that always makes the cookies much more special (I just don't to so well with sugar myself so I skip that part but always wish I could be cause it looks so scrumptious :) )
James V. says
I just made these, and I couldn't be happier. Being lactose intolerant in more ways than one (both physically and ethically), I don't get to experience a lot of the foods that I loved growing up. When I do, they are usually pale imitations that barely spark the warm feeling of reminiscence I'm looking for.
These shortbread cookies are nothing short of a sublime re-creation of a classic. The first one I ate, I could tell it was one of the best shortbread cookies I've ever had... ingredients not-withstanding!
Thank you so much for the recipe, and I look forward to trying many more from your repertoire.
★★★★★
Audrey says
James, that is the best feedback ever! Thank you very much and I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the cookies. I love these little guys too. One of my favorite simple cookies. Thank you once again -- makes recipe sharing worthwhile when you hear people are enjoying them :)
Shannon says
I have to say that I'm very impressed with this recipe. To be honest, I had my doubts as I read the ingredients. But the texture is perfect - these cookies crumble and melt in your mouth just like a shortbread cookie. I scraped the inside of an entire vanilla pod for a lil extra, plus added a couple tbsp more maple syrup. Thanks so much for this recipe, a real keeper.
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, Shannon. Really appreciate you taking the time to share and I'm so happy you like the cookies. I used to love shortbread so much, so naturally had to recreate it in a form I can enjoy now. Glad are able to enjoy them "with me" :)
Cathy says
I was so happy to find this recipe; I am new to gluten free, dairy free and told my family I wasn't doing any Christmas baking this year if I couldn't eat any of it. I found this recipe last month and made the shortbread tonight and they are awesome - I guess I am baking now for the family!!! I do have a question though - although there might not be a need for it because they may not last too long, how well do they freeze?? Thanks a lot!!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Cathy,
I'm so sorry I missed your comment somehow! So happy you're enjoying the cookies! :)
I've never tried freezing them, so really not sure to be honest. If you give it a try, let me know -- I'm all ears ♥
Happy New Year!
Natalie says
These are really good ? Thank you
Audrey says
Thank you so much for sharing, Natalie! I appreciate it and I'm so glad you enjoyed the cookies :)
Marguerita says
These are excellent! Thank you for sharing. I did a variation with lemon~lavender and they were perfect.
Audrey says
Thank you so much for sharing the lovely feedback, Marguerita! I appreciate it. I love lemon lavender too, and actually have a variation recipe of it here. I love that you put your own spin on these though -- now I'm curious what did you do to get the lemon lavender flavors work? :)
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
I absolutely LOVE shortbread, one of my all time faves! These look wonderful :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Sharon! So glad you like this recipe :)
P.S. So sorry for the super late response here. I just discovered my site has been throwing a whole lot of genuine comments into the spam folder and I just noticed them all in there today, yours included! : / Going through them all now trying to catch up!
Julie Moore says
I love a good shortbread cookie. Those look fantastic! I'm glad to know there is a good GF recipe out there for one if the need (or want) arises for them. :) Thanks for sharing!
Audrey says
Thanks Julie! It's always good to have recipes for staple goodies up your sleeve ;)
jules says
I love the maple syrup here as the sweetener - I bet these cookies stay yummy even longer because of it, too. Beautiful cookies - thanks for sharing!
~jules
Audrey says
Thanks Jules! I'm a sugar kind of girl, but sugar stopped loving me back some years ago {I can only handle it in small amounts at a time}, so I bake a lot with maple syrup, honey, etc. instead and it's yet another challenge to add to my list when remaking the classics -- taking out the gluten, the dairy, etc., AND converting a recipe to use a liquid sweetener instead. It's all good fun though and worked a treat in this recipe! :)
Elise says
These look so easy! Perfect snack for the kids - they love shortbread cookies!
Audrey says
Thanks Elise -- they were a wonderful treat {and not just for kids ;)} and you'll be happy to know they were definitely kid approved :)
Paula says
I'm always on the lookout for a good shortbread cookie, and I'm making these ones ASAP!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Paula! If you love shortbread, check these lemon lavender shortbreads as well ;)
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
You sure are a talented baker Audrey, they look like regular shortbreads. I'm opening Sweet and Savoury Sundays early this week to make up for missing last weeks, so be sure to stop by and link up at the earlier time of Saturday 8am UK time. Happy New Year!
Audrey says
Thanks, Laura! I was so happy to be able to eat these -- I sure missed regular shortbread cookies, and luckily these turned out like the real deal ;)
vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can't wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Audrey says
Thanks Cindy! :)
Vera says
Just finishing make these. I am pretty happy about it!! I ended up not having enough flour so I substituted with almond flour. It worked out okay (I had about 1 and 1/3 cup pamela's and the rest was almond). The dough was definitely sticky so I had to add in more almond to make up for it and that worked mostly well.
I definitely think next time I'll make sure to have more pamela's around though, just to make it a smidge less sticky since it made transferring onto the baking sheet somewhat difficult. But they are out of the oven and really delicious (although I might add a tiny bit more maple syrup next time to make them a little bit more sweet) and since my husband isn't home today, he may never know of their existence! :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
So glad you enjoyed these, Vera! I'm also really glad you mentioned your almond flour experiment with this recipe. I was curious to try adding some too for variety, but was worried the dough might be on the stickier side/less smooth, so went with a rice flour based mix instead. Thanks for sharing your results. Sounds like my initial hunch about keeping the almond flour out of this recipe was right. Though I bet flavor-wise it tastes great -- I mean the taste of almond flour can only improve a recipe, right? ;)
Funny about your husband -- I hope you saved him one to try after all. And if not, it's a good excuse to make these again when he's around, so you can share some, ya know... ;)