These gluten free whipped shortbread cookies are light as air and melt in your mouth. They're the best shortbread cookies in the world—and made with only 4 basic ingredients!
Shortbread Basics
I've been making standard gluten free shortbread cookies for many years. I even thought I was fancy because I showed you how to make them into 5 different varieties using the same basic 3-ingredient dry mix. After making these whipped shortbread cookies, all I can say is … hahahahahaha ?
First off, let's make clear that these are not butter cookies. They may look like spritz butter cookies (I have a recipe for spritz cookies in Gluten Free on a Shoestring the cookbook that is *mwah* perfection), but butter cookies have egg yolks, unlike these cookies.
Shortbread cookies are the simplest cookies around, as they're made with flour, sugar, and butter. That's it. No eggs, no milk, no water. But as is often the case, it's the simplest recipes that can be the most frustrating to make properly.
You must have the ingredients in the right form, and the right proportions, or they won't bake right, taste right or even hold together right. But don't worry! I've got it all settled right here.
It takes a machine
“Regular” shortbread cookies are so lovely, and they come together with just a bowl and a spoon. Whipped shortbread is a bit different, as you simply must whip the cookie dough with some sort of machine.
I much prefer a stand mixer, as I find it difficult to use a handheld mixer to whip something relatively thick like this and not have it fly all over the place. If you're using a handheld mixer, just be sure to use a very large bowl, and get comfortable standing in one spot for a while to whip the dough.
If you're making smaller cookies, use a smaller open star piping tip like this one (aff link). If you're making larger cookies, use a larger open piping tip like this one (aff link). You can of course just bake them in little mounds created with two spoons or a small ice cream scoop.
But they're still super simple cookies, and these are the kind that absolutely melts in your mouth when you eat them. Seriously, you don't have to chew. I'm not even sure you can chew them!
Watch this 1 minute video of me making whipped shortbread cookies.
Just press ▶️ play to watch. Then try your hand at this simple recipe. The secret is in the right ingredients, of course, but also the whipppppppping! You will be richly rewarded, though.
Ingredients and Substitutions
As always, unless I specifically state otherwise, I haven't tested these cookies with any substitutions. These are just my best-educated guesses, in an effort to make it possible for everyone to bake along, regardless of any other dietary restrictions.
Dairy-Free: I haven't tried it, but I bet these cookies would work just fine with butter-flavored Spectrum non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening in place of the butter.
Corn-Free: I recommend trying potato starch as a substitute for cornstarch in the recipe. Since most confectioners' sugar is made using cornstarch, you'll also have to source a corn-free version of that ingredient. I know they're out there!
Flour Notes: If you use a gluten free flour blend that is already high in starch, like Cup4Cup, replace the cornstarch gram for gram with more Cup4Cup.
Top the cookies with a bit of jam (my favorite), or the more traditional maraschino cherry halves. You can even top them with a chocolate disc. The possibilities are endless!