Gluten-free Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Tender, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery and just the right amount of lemon…That’s exactly how we’d describe these Gluten-free Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Simple and sweet – just like a shortbread cookie should be

My hubby LOVES shortbread (strong emphasis on love here). But he doesn’t love the brain fog that he gets when enjoying too many holiday treats made with gluten. No more of those buttery bits of cookie goodness from the tin on the break room table for my man . Womp, womp.

Until now.

These simple and sweet lemony shortbread cookies are made without gluten, eggs and nuts making them the perfect addition to a holiday cookie tray for or nibbling with an afternoon cup of tea. The addition of lemon zest makes them completely irresistible and welcome change from all of the chocolatey, peanut buttery, molasses-infused or buttercream iced cookies and confections this time of year. Feel free to substitute orange, grapefruit or lime zest for a fun flavor twist or leave out the zest and drizzle them with melted dark chocolate and crushed candy canes for decadent wintery treat.

Shortbread cookies are some of the simplest cookies you can make with just flour, butter, sugar and salt and since you don’t have to roll them out they’re relatively fuss-free, which is a huge win when it comes to cookies and holiday baking. I even take it a step further by rolling the dough into a log then wrapping it in parchment paper to make them like the icebox slice & bake cookies my great grandma used to make. You can store the dough in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for longer storage (allowing it to thaw in the fridge before slicing and baking).

Now you have no excuse not to make these gluten-free Lemon Shortbread Cookies!

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Let's Get Cookin'

Gluten-free Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Buttery, crisp and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, these gluten-free shortbread are sure to become a family favorite. They’re delicious as-is with a cup of tea or drizzled with melted chocolate. Using a ‘baking blend’ means no mixing of specialty flours and binders. If your flour does not have xanthan gum, add ½ tsp. to the dry ingredients or your cookies will not hold together.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 16 1x
• Category: Sweets & Treats, Cookies

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose gluten-free baking mix*
• scant ½ cup organic cane sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour blend, sugar, salt and lemon zest) using a hand-held mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
3. Add softened butter and continue to mix until dough is crumbly.
4. Using your hands, knead the dough until all of the flour is incorporated. This will take some time so be patient. The dough will come together as the warmth of your hands lightly melts the butter.
5. Knead until the dough is smooth. Place dough on a clean sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape into a log about 9 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in the paper, either tucking the ends in or twisting them to close, and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until firm. Dough may be chilled longer but will need a few minutes at room temp to soften before slicing.
6. Remove dough from fridge and slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place on baking sheet and bake 9-10 minutes or until set and bottoms are just barely browned.
7. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.

Notes

* This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 114
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 35mg
• Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 15g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 1g

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