Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
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These Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies are delicate, crisp and gluten free! They’re made with almond extract to pack in extra flavor!
I absolutely love shortbread so I wanted to experiment with making them using a different kind of flour. The result was these gluten free Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies and they do not disappoint! These cookies are crisp yet still tender and crumbly. They taste delicious plain or drizzled with melted chocolate. You can even spread raspberry jam in between two of them to make little cookie sandwiches!
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Chipless Cookies
- Biscoff Butter Cookies
- Almond Butter Blossoms
Ingredient Breakdown
Almond flour – this gives the cookies structure, almond flavor and makes them gluten free! Do not substitute with almond meal because it is not as fine as almond flour and will change the outcome of the cookies.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Granulated sugar – sweetens cookies.
Almond extract, vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure almond/vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
How To Make Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
1. In a small bowl whisk the almond flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
3. Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
4. Divide dough in half then shape into flat discs. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
5. Roll out one disc of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper then place it back and flip the sheet of dough over and remove the piece of parchment that’s now on top. This is done to release the dough from the paper otherwise it will stick when you try to lift your dough cut outs. Cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet then freeze for at least 5 minutes. I found that it helps to use a small offset spatula to transfer the cookies to the baking sheet.
6. Bake cookies at 325°F for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown then allow to cool completely (my cookies were 2 inches but you may have to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Repeat with the second disc of dough. You can reroll the dough scraps until all of the dough is used up. If desired, decorate cookies with melted chocolate. Store Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
Pro Tips For Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
- Keep the shortbread cookie dough cold! If you put warm cookies in the oven they will spread so I recommend freezing the cookies for a few minutes before baking them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make Shortbread Cookie Dough In Advance?
Yes! Once you make this shortbread cookie dough you can either refrigerate it for up to 3 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or freeze it for up to 3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag.
Why do you have to chill shortbread cookie dough?
You need to chill shortbread cookie dough in order to make the dough easy to work with and to prevent your cookies from spreading too much. If you’re dough is warm then it will become sticky and difficult to handle. I recommend chilling your dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out and chilling your cookies in the fridge or freezer right before baking them.
Why Is Shortbread called Shortbread?
Shortbread gets its name from its crumbly texture which is a result of the dough’s high fat content. The traditional ratio for shortbread is 1:2:3 (one part sugar to two parts butter to three parts flour).
What’s the difference between sugar cookies And Shortbread?
Unlike sugar cookies, shortbread is made without eggs or any leavening agents. Shortbread also has a more crumbly texture as a result of the dough’s high fat content. If you’re looking for sugar cookie recipes try my Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies or Sugar Cookies with Hershey Kisses.
Can I Substitute the Almond Flour For All-Purpose Flour?
Yes, you can substitute all of the almond flour for all-purpose flour OR you can even use half almond flour and half all-purpose flour!
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- French rolling pin gives you more control than rolling pins with handles.
- Dough measuring strips for these Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies I used the blue strips which are 1/4 inch thick.
- Circle cookie cutter this is my all time favorite circle cookie cutter set! I used the 2-inch cutter for these shortbread cookies.
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- 2-inch cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 300 g (3 cups + 2 tbsp) almond flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk the almond flour and salt. Set aside.
- Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
- Divide dough in half then shape into flat discs. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll out one disc of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper then place it back and flip the sheet of dough over and remove the piece of parchment that's now on top. This is done to release the dough from the paper otherwise it will stick when you try to lift your dough cut outs. Cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet then freeze for at least 5 minutes. I found that it helps to use a small offset spatula to transfer the cookies to the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown then allow to cool completely (my cookies were 2 inches but you may have to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Repeat with the second disc of dough. You can reroll the dough scraps until all of the dough is used up. If desired, decorate cookies with melted chocolate.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/2 tsp salt.
- Store Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
- Almond Flour Shortbread dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.
