Whipped shortbread cookies are buttery and delicious and this gluten-free version is no exception! A holiday must, these cookies melt in your mouth and are perfect for enjoying with a hot cup of tea or for giving away as gifts!
What Is Whipped Shortbread?
When you think of shortbread, you might immediately envision the ones made with cookie cutters. While those are made with the same ingredients, whipped shortbread has had more air beaten into the butter and sugar, creating a lighter and more delicate cookie. Whipped shortbread is also a whole lot easier to make...no rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies!
Ingredients
As usual, I like to break the ingredients down to dry and wet ingredients.
Dry Ingredients:
- Brown rice flour
- Tapioca starch
- Blanched almond flour
- Xanthan gum
Wet Ingredients:
- Room temperature butter
- Powdered/icing sugar
- Vanilla extract
How To Make the Cookie Dough
Sift the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, blanched almond flour, and xanthan gum into a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and icing sugar together for about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through beating. The butter mixture will become very smooth and creamy and lighter in color the longer you beat it. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
Add the flour ingredients to the creamed butter and beat until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. The mixture will be crumbly.
Use a spoon or rubber spatula to press the mixture together into a cohesive dough. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes for the butter to firm up.
How to Make the Cookies
Portion the dough into 20 gram chunks (approximately) and roll each chunk between your hands to make a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press a fork down into each ball, flattening them slightly, or for a smooth cookie top, use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to flatten the dough balls. Top with colored sprinkles, if desired.
Bake in a preheated 325F/165C oven for 12-14 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a sheet of foil on the countertop to cool completely.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, but use only 23 grams of granulated sugar for the equivalent amount of icing sugar in the recipe. Note that the granulated sugar may also affect the texture of the cookie.
Cornstarch or potato starch are okay.
Store the cookies in a resealable container at room temperature or in the fridge (I love cold cookies!).
How To Enjoy Them
Whether you enjoy them for dessert or as an afternoon snack, it goes without saying that these whipped shortbread cookies go great with a hot cup of tea. Because they are so buttery and rich, I prefer having them with a lighter tea like my Soothing Ginger Honey Tea or Poached Pear Ginger Tea.
Gifting a bagful of these cookies is also a great way to spread the delicious joy and let someone else enjoy them, too! No one will turn down a little bag of homemade cookies, especially ones as cute and delicious as these!
If you are gluten-free, you don't have to miss out anymore on traditional holiday cookies like whipped shortbread! These cookies are easy to make, delightfully delicious, and melt in your mouth...you're going to love them whether you're gluten-free or not!
~ Lisa.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Whipped Shortbread
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 113 grams butter, room temperature
- 40 grams powdered sugar (icing sugar, confectioners sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 70 grams tapioca starch
- 60 grams brown rice flour
- 40 grams blanched almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- Colored sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Sift the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, almond flour, and xanthan gum into a bowl. Whisk together to combine and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and powdered sugar and beat with a mixer until light and creamy smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway.
- Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and beat.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until no loose flour remains. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Use a rubber spatula or spoon to press and mix into a cohesive dough.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Preheat oven 325F/165C.
- Remove cookie dough from the fridge and divide into portions about 20 grams each. Dust hands with icing sugar and roll into balls.
- Place cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down each dough ball with a fork or flatten slightly with a glass or measuring cup. Decorate with colored sprinkles, if desired.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a sheet of foil on the countertop to cool completely.
Notes
- Weight measurements for the ingredients yields more reliable and better results.
- Cornstarch or potato starch can be substituted for tapioca starch.
- Granulated sugar can be used in place of icing sugar, but may affect texture. Use 23 grams of granulated sugar to be the equivalent of the 40 grams of icing sugar in the recipe.
- Store completely cooled cookies in a resealable container at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Makes a great gift!
Thanks for stopping by! If you make this dish or any of my other recipes, I would love it if you could take the time to comment and rate it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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