Gluten-Free Shortbread

Recipe by King Arthur Test Kitchen
19 Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars

What could be simpler than shortbread? This classic British treat, a tasty combination of butter, sugar, flour, and a touch of vanilla, has been delighting cookie lovers for decades.

We know you’ll love this gluten-free version of our Shortbread recipe, a long-time favorite here on our site. Substituting Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the flour in that original yields tender, buttery cookies that are sure to be a hit with friends and family following a gluten-free diet. Enjoy!

Prep
15 mins
Bake
50 to 55 mins
Total
1 hr 5 mins
Yield
2 dozen shortbread wedges
Gluten-Free Shortbread - select to zoom
Gluten-Free Shortbread - select to zoom
Gluten-Free Shortbread - select to zoom
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Instructions

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  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease two round 8" cake pans. If you worry about the shortbread possibly sticking in your particular pans, line them with parchment, and grease the parchment.

  2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract, then mix in the flour. The dough may seem a little dry at first; keep mixing until it comes together. If it absolutely won't come together, dribble in up to 1 tablespoon of water, until it does. This is a stiff dough.

  3. Divide the dough in half (if you have a scale, each half will weigh about 300g), and press each half into one of the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with your fingers, or with a mini rolling pin. If you're having trouble pressing the shortbread flat in the pan because it's sticking to your fingers, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap, and push on the wrap.

  4. Remove the wrap if you've used it, and then use a fork to prick the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Prick ("dock") the dough in a random pattern (though it does look nicer pricked with some kind of symmetry).

  5. Bake the shortbread until it's a light golden brown across the top surface and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 50 to 55 minutes.

  6. Remove it from the oven and immediately turn each shortbread round out onto a clean work surface.

  7. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each round into 12 wedges. (Do this while the shortbread is still warm; if you wait until it's cool it won't cut easily.) Transfer the shortbread wedges to a rack to cool.

  8. Serve as is, or take the cookies up a level. Drizzle them with melted caramel; or spread with melted chocolate, and sprinkle with nuts. Or try this: Set aside two shortbread wedges, and spread the remainder of the wedges with a thick layer of jam or preserves. Crumble the reserved wedges and sprinkle the crumbs lightly over the jam.

  9. Store shortbread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • When making shortbread, we recommend using a top-quality butter; our Test Kitchen's choice is Cabot. In this recipe, we use salted butter (shortbread is traditionally made with salted butter), then add additional salt to ensure a balanced flavor. If you only have unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

  • Vary the flavor of your shortbread with the following simple additions.
    For ginger shortbread: Add 1/3 cup finely diced crystallized ginger and 1 teaspoon ginger.
    For chai-spiced shortbread: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

  • Want to make shortbread drop cookies? Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball of dough to about 3/8" thick; use the bottom of a drinking glass, the tines of a fork, a cookie stamp, or whatever implement you think will make a pretty pattern. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes in a preheated 300°F oven, until they're set but not really beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pans or on a rack. Yield: about 4 dozen small (1 3/8") cookies.

  • Be aware: Some of your baking ingredients can be a hidden source of gluten. Learn more at our blog post: For gluten-free baking, think beyond just flour. For additional information on King Arthur-produced products, read the complete details of our allergen program, including our contact-prevention practices.

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