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Delicate and not too sweet, these simple gluten free chocolate shortbread cookies are made with only 6 basic pantry ingredients. Chill the dough and they'll even hold their shape during baking!
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There really are only 6 ingredients in these simple cookies, and each one matters quite a lot. With no eggs, and just butter for moisture, these might just be the easiest cookies you make all year! But you must use one of my recommended all purpose gluten free flour blends.
Over the years, I've heard from so many readers who struggle to bake even the simplest of my gluten free recipes. Almost every single time, the problem is the flour blend they're using. They're just not all created equal.
Traditionally, shortbread cookie dough is shaped into a log, then sliced and baked. Of course, you can do that. But if you'd really love to cut out shapes, go for it!
If you go with cut-outs, remember that, no matter how careful you are with the dough, shortbread cookies will spread a bit during baking. Your crisp cut-out lines will blur a bit.
I've found that, if you roll the dough relatively thick (just under 1/4-inch thick), the cookies shouldn't spread much during baking. And of course you simply must chill the dough until firm before baking.
Dairy Free?
If you'd like to make these gluten free chocolate shortbread cookies dairy free, too, try using Spectrum butter flavored shortening in place of butter. But you'll have to use at least 9 tablespoons, and likely a splash of water to knead the dough together. Shortening has almost no moisture.
Do not use Earth Balance buttery sticks, as they have way too much moisture. No matter how much you chill the dough, the cookies will spread way too much.
Gluten Free Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 13 tablespoons (115 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, plus more for sprinkling (I like Better Batter here; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 3 tablespoons (27 g) cornstarch, (replace with more if you’re using Cup4Cup if that is your all purpose gluten free flour blend)
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup (58 g) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the butter, and stir to combine. The dough will be crumbly at first.
- Continue mixing until the dough has begun to darken in color. With lightly floured hands, knead the cookie dough until it comes together and becomes smooth.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and sprinkle the top lightly with flour.
- Roll out the dough until it’s about thickness of a graham cracker.
- Flour a cookie cutter of your choice, and cut out shapes from the dough. Loosen the shapes from the surface with a bench scraper or large flat knife.
- Place the shapes about 1 inch apart from one another on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer to chill until firm (about 5 minutes).
- Gather and reroll the scraps, and repeat the process.
- Place the chilled cutouts in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet until firm, at least 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing or dusting with optional confectioners’ sugar.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Nicole! I love your page. I recently discovered you and just attempted to make the soft and chewy gingerbread men recipe, and the dough turned out completely wrong even though I followed your recipe exactly. It’s light brown, unlike the dark brown of your picture. And when I put a glob of it on parchment paper, and another piece of parchment on top of it to roll it out, the dough stuck to both sheets. I tried freezing it for awhile, but the dough still stuck to the sheets. Is there any way I can fix it? I used King Arthur gf all purpose flour.
Hi, I would like to know if you can freeze the dough of most of your cookie recipes. I’m just trying a whole bunch from your 9 best cookies for the holiday and it makes a bit too much for our family so I thought I could freeze them if I can.
Are these cookies stable enough for you to recommend including them in a box of cookies to be mailed?