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    Recipes » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Vegan Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)

    Last updated - July 11, 2021; Published - April 28, 2020 By Rhian Williams 36 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A collage of vegan shortbread cookies photos

    These Vegan Shortbread Cookies are crisp and crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth buttery and perfectly salty-sweet! They're undetectably dairy-free and the simple recipe is easy to make: they come together in one bowl and require just 6 ingredients! They're also gluten-free and refined sugar free.

    Five vegan shortbread cookies on a marble background
    How do you make shortbread cookies from scratch?


    Although they may look fancy and complicated to make, shortbread cookies are actually one of the simplest cookies to make. They require just a few ingredients and the process is simple: just combine the dough, roll it out, cut out shapes and bake.

    I experimented with so many different ways to make gluten-free vegan shortbread cookies, using different types of flours, and it was so hard to get the texture right.

    I eventually discovered that the best combination was ground almonds (almond meal or almond flour) and brown rice flour. The ground almonds create that essential crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture, whilst the brown rice flour creates a crispy, crunchy texture. You honestly won't be able to believe that this shortbread contains no butter!

    You need to use brown rice flour, not white rice flour, which creates a soft cookie (like my Sugar Cookies) rather than a crunchy one.

    Does shortbread contain milk?


    Traditionally, shortbread is usually made with just flour, butter and sugar, so it doesn't contain milk. However, this vegan shortbread does contain a small amount of plant-based milk (1 tablespoon) to help the dough bind together.

    Can you use vegan butter in shortbread?


    Yes, you can use vegan butter in place of the coconut oil in these cookies.

    Where can you buy brown rice flour?

    If you can't find brown rice flour in your local supermarket, you'll be able to find it in local health stores or online.

    How to make this recipe

    Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

    • Mix together the ingredients for the cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl.
    Raw vegan shortbread cookie dough in a mixing bowl against a marble background
    • Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter.
    • Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until about 1 cm/1/2 inch thick.
    A square of raw vegan shortbread cookie dough rolled out on baking paper
    • Use a circular cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up.

    Tip: You can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one.

    A square of raw vegan shortbread cookie dough rolled out on baking paper with a circular cookie cutter cutting out a circle of dough
    • Transfer the cookies onto a rectangular baking tray.

    Tip: Line the baking tray with greased baking paper to make sure the cookies don't stick.

    Ten circular raw vegan shortbread cookies on baking paper
    • If you wish, use a skewer to poke decorative holes in the surface of the cookies.
    Ten raw vegan shortbread cookies with holes cut out on baking paper
    • Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
    Ten shortbread cookies with holes cut out on a baking tray
    • Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.

    Tips for serving

    These cookies will be slightly soft straight out the oven and they firm up as they cool down. So they're best left to cool completely before serving so you get the crunchy texture. They can be left to cool on the baking tray, there's no need to transfer these to a wire rack.

    How long do these Shortbread Cookies keep for?

    These Cookies taste best eaten within the day but keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days - they do become softer the longer you leave them, though. So I wouldn't recommend making these ahead.

    This Vegan Millionaire Shortbread can be made ahead though, as it keeps well for a couple of days.

    Can you freeze these?

    You can freeze this cookie dough to use another time, but the cookies themselves can't be frozen.

    Substitutions you can make

    • You can replace the coconut oil with coconut butter or vegetable oil.
    • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
    • You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
    • The ground almonds (almond meal) can be replaced with ground walnuts.
    • For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk. Or use my Coconut Flour Cookies recipe instead.

    Tip: The brown rice flour CANNOT be replaced with white rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for creating a crunchy shortbread texture.

    Ingredients you can add to the dough

    • Grated orange zest.
    • Grated lemon zest. 
    • Matcha powder.
    • Chopped pecan nuts.
    • Chopped macadamia nuts.
    • Chocolate chips.
    • Dried cranberries.
    • Desiccated coconut.

    You can also use this shortbread recipe as a base for making Vegan Millionaire Shortbread or Vegan Twix Bars.

    Five circular vegan shortbread cookies stacked up

    More gluten-free vegan cookie recipes

    • Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
    • Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Snickerdoodles
    • Oatmeal Cookies
    • Sugar Cookies
    • Chocolate Cookies
    • Carrot Cake Cookies
    • Millionaire Shortbread
    • Pumpkin Cookies
    • Thumbprint Cookies

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Watch how to make this recipe

    Five circular vegan shortbread cookies stacked up on each other

    Vegan Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)

    These Vegan Shortbread Cookies are crisp and crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth buttery and perfectly salty-sweet! They're undetectably dairy-free and the simple recipe is easy to make: they come together in one bowl and require just 6 ingredients! They're also gluten-free and refined sugar free.
    4.14 from 29 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: gluten-free shortbread, vegan cookies, vegan shortbread
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 12 cookies
    Calories: 182kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    • 30 g (â…› cup) coconut oil  (or sub coconut butter or vegetable oil)
    • 10 tablespoons maple syrup  (or sub any other similar sweetener)
    • 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
    • 150 g (1 cup) brown rice flour **
    • Generous pinch salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
    • Add the maple syrup, milk, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well - add an extra splash of milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
    • Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter and roll out the dough until about 1cm (½ inch) thick.
    • Use a circular cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up (you can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one).
    • Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with greased baking paper.
    • If you wish, use a skewer to poke decorative holes in the surface of the cookies.
    • Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
    • Best left to cool completely before eating as they crisp up as they cool.
    • Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.
    • Tastes best eaten within the day but keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days (they do become softer the longer you leave them).

    Video

    Notes

    *You can alternatively use almond flour.
    **You MUST use brown rice flour - white rice flour won't create a crunchy shortbread-like texture.
    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 182 Calories from Fat 81
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9g14%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Sodium 4mg0%
    Potassium 73mg2%
    Carbohydrates 23g8%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 10g11%
    Protein 3g6%
    Calcium 47mg5%
    Iron 0.7mg4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sarah

      November 12, 2021 at 5:56 am

      Thank you for sharing your story and recipes. I'm on a really restrictive diet trying to detox my liver and repair my gut (no sugar, sweeteners, dairy, gluten, and I keep meat at a distance anyways) and IT IS ISOLATING! Coming up on Thanksgiving now I'm thinking "what will I eat??" I think if I make myself some shortbread cookies I can be quite content LOL. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        November 12, 2021 at 10:45 pm

        Thank you so much for sharing your story, I'm so sorry to hear that. It definitely is isolating having dietary requirements...please let me know if you ever have any recipe requests, and wishing you all the best for this holiday season!!

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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