These delicious triangle-shaped cookies are one of our favorite Purim cookies to make. Over the past few years, creating fun gluten free hamantaschen flavors has become popular! This recipe is easy to make these popular cookies with traditional flavors or funfetti! I also share a lot of fun flavor and filling options!
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When we first went gluten free due to Celiac disease, we skipped making hamantaschen. It isn’t that I felt intimidated…it was more I truly didn’t believe a gluten free version could taste good. Way back when…there weren’t the gluten free products out there that you see now. We couldn’t buy a loaf of bread in stores, let alone cookies!
After attending Purim carnivals and not eating hamantaschen for a few years, I realized my family missed these triangle-shaped cookies. You will be hooked the first time you take a bite of these cookies! We hope you love this gluten free hamantaschen recipe as much as we do!
You can fill them with any jam flavor you like. The first time I made them, I used raspberry and strawberry jam. I specifically make plain and funfetti flavors in this recipe, but I share even more fun flavor ideas below!
If you are a cookie fanatic like me, you will also want to check out these Gluten Free Duvshaniot. If you love baking, I have 100s of fun gluten free cookie recipes to try
Recipe At A Glance:
Allergen Information:
These Purim cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. Make them dairy-free by using plant-based butter and dairy-free milk.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend, Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour Blend, and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. Other blends should work; I have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Milk or Non-Dairy Milk – This helps the gluten free hamantaschen brown a little better.
- Butter – Please use unsalted butter. If you are dairy-free, you can use a dairy-free butter like Earth Balance.
- Eggs – Size large.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract.
- Sprinkles – If you make the funfetti version, ensuring your sprinkles are gluten-free is critical. Check my gluten free sprinkles list.
- Jam – Any flavor of jam you have on hand.
Tips For Success:
- Chill the cookie dough for 45-60 minutes. This will make them less likely to spread.
- Really judge your cookie dough consistency…remember every gluten free flour blend is different. Every blend has different starch-to-grain ratios, meaning you may need to tweak the moisture level of the cookie dough. If your gut tells you the dough is dry, add more butter. Add more flour if your gut tells you the dough is too sticky! Gluten free baking is like a chemistry experiment.
- If you use jam, I recommend using seedless jam so you don’t get crunchy seeds in every bite.
If you need more tips and tricks to make the perfect cookies, read my Gluten-Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: In a large
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using either the spoon method or leveling method. Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Soften the butter in a microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds. Add the softened butter, eggs, and pure vanilla extract to a smaller bowl and mix well.
Step 3: Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the funfetti sprinkles if you are making gluten free funfetti hamantaschen cookies.
Step 4: Mix the ingredients into a cookie batter. You can also mix your dough in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer.
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Step 5: For best results, if you are mixing with a spoon, I recommend a final mixing of the dough with your hands to ensure it is thoroughly blended. Here is the plain hamantaschen cookie dough.
Step 6: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 45-60 minutes. This will help prevent spreading while they bake.
Remove the dough from the fridge and preheat your oven to 350º F.
Step 6: Dust a piece of parchment paper or cutting board with a little gluten free flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the hamantaschen cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
You can use a biscuit cutter, the round top of a drinking glass, or a round cookie cutter in the dough. Whichever you use, this will help make all of your hamantaschen even and the same size.
After you cut out the cookies, grab all of the dough scraps and roll them out, repeating the process of cutting out the circles until you use all of the cookie dough.
Step 7: Take the edges of the flat disc of dough and fold them up. You can pinch the edges and fill them or fold the edges over the filling.
If you are making Funfetti-flavored cookies, the filling goes in after they are baked, so the pinch method is definitely the best way to make this flavor. To get those nice corners in the dough, lightly fold the sides over each other. Be careful not to pinch the corners too hard.
If you are baking traditional Hamantaschen, the jam filling goes in before you bake, so you can do the fold-over method to make your triangles!
One of the biggest challenges is folding up the sides of the hamantaschen so these triangle cookies stay together during baking. There is a big debate about whether to pinch the corners of the cookie dough or fold them over. Which method do you use? Drop me a comment and let me know!
Step 8: If you are making classic hamantaschen, use a spoon to add some jam to the center of each cookie dough circle.
Step 9: Line a
Step 10: Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 350º F for 9-10 minutes unfilled or 10-12 minutes if filled with jam. The actual baking time can vary depending on the size of your cookies and the thickness of the dough.
Step 11: Remove the cookies from the oven when they are finished baking and move them to a cooling rack.
Hamantaschen Flavor and Filling Ideas:
Traditional Hamantaschen:
- Poppyseed Filling – I like the Solo brand, but you can also make homemade poppyseed filling.
- Homemade Jam or jelly
- Add 1 TBSP of orange zest to the hamantaschen cookie dough for more flavor.
Uniquely Flavored Hamantaschen:
- If you love funfetti, or your birthday falls over Purim, you must make these birthday hamantaschen!! They are delicious and filled with vanilla frosting!
- Bake the hamantaschen empty like with the funfetti but fill the centers with Nutella. You can drizzle chocolate over them as well.
- Make them lemon by adding 1 TBSP of lemon zest and 1/2 tsp of lemon extract to the cookie dough. Fill the hamantaschen with lemon curd!
- Use the dough from this Gluten Free Cinnamon Cookie recipe to make cinnamon hamantaschen. Fill them with apple butter!
- Add mini chocolate chips to the dough!
Frequently Asked Questions:
A hamantaschen cookie is a Jewish cookie made during Purim to celebrate the Jewish people breaking free from Haman, who was planning to kill the Jews in his kingdom.
The triangle represents Haman’s hat, which had a triangle shape.
You can quickly freeze hamantaschen. Let them cool to room temperature, then pop them into a freezer bag. Store in the freezer flat. To thaw the hamantaschen, allow them to sit on the counter for 30 minutes.
If your gluten free hamantaschen turned out crumbly, your dough was too dry, or you didn’t use a flour blend with xanthan gum. Every single gluten free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, which affects the moisture level of your cookie dough. Read why flour blends vary for more information. You can try to wet the dough with additional melted butter.
These cookies are usually only made at Purim because they are part of the special celebration. They are a Purim tradition…that being said, go ahead and make them any time you like :-).
More Fun Recipes For Purim:
- These gluten free cheese blintzes make a great breakfast for Purim morning.
- The whole family will love this gluten free matzo ball soup with dinner.
- If you need a great side dish, these brown sugar carrots are a massive hit with our family.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Gluten Free Hamantaschen
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
- dash sea salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk or milk
- 1 cup jam seedless
- optional frosting and funfetti See notes for more flavor and filling ideas!
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Instructions
- Combine 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup cane sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and dash sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to blend the dry ingredients.
- Soften 3/4 cup unsalted butter in a microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds. Mix the softened butter, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk or milk, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract into a smaller bowl.
- Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the funfetti sprinkles if you are making gluten free funfetti hamantaschen cookies.
- Mix the ingredients into a cookie batter. You can also mix your dough in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer.
- For best results, if you are mixing with a spoon, I recommend a final mixing of the dough with your hands to ensure it is thoroughly blended. Here is the plain hamantaschen cookie dough.
- Really judge your cookie dough consistency…remember every gluten free flour blend is different. Every blend has DIFFERENT starch-to-grain ratios, which affects the moisture of what you are baking. If your gut tells you the dough is dry, add more butter. Add more flour if your gut tells you the dough is too sticky! Gluten free baking is like a chemistry experiment.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 45-60 minutes. This will help prevent spreading while they bake.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and preheat your oven to 350º F.
- Dust a piece of parchment paper or cutting board with a little gluten free flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the hamantaschen cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
- You can use a biscuit cutter, the round top of a drinking glass, or a round cookie cutter in the dough. Whichever you use, this will help make all of your hamantaschen even and the same size.
- After you cut out the cookies, grab all of the dough scraps and roll them out, repeating the process of cutting out the circles until you use all of the cookie dough.
- Take the edges of the flat disc of dough and fold them up. You can pinch the edges and fill them or fold the edges over the filling.
- If you are making Funfetti-flavored cookies, the filling goes in after they are baked, so the pinch method is definitely the best way to make this flavor.
- If you are baking traditional Hamantaschen, the jam filling goes in before you bake, so you can do the fold-over method to make your triangles! If you are making classic hamantaschen, use a spoon to add some jam to the center of each cookie dough circle.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the cookies onto it. I don't use an egg wash on my hamantaschen, but you can if you want to.
- Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 350º F for 9-10 minutes unfilled or 10-12 minutes if filled with jam. The actual baking time can vary depending on the size of your cookies and the thickness of the dough.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when they are finished baking and move them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, be sure to add 3/4 teaspoon to your dry ingredients. Guar gum is also okay to use.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter and use non-dairy milk.
- These cookies will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer. Freeze in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
- Poppyseed Filling – I like the Solo brand, but you can also make homemade poppyseed filling.
- Homemade Jam or jelly
- Add 1 TBSP of orange zest to the hamantaschen cookie dough for more flavor.
- If you love funfetti, or your birthday falls over Purim, you must make these birthday hamantaschen!! They are delicious and filled with vanilla frosting!
- Bake the hamantaschen empty like with the funfetti but fill the centers with Nutella. You can drizzle chocolate over them as well.
- Make them lemon by adding 1 TBSP of lemon zest and 1/2 tsp of lemon extract to the cookie dough. Fill the hamantaschen with lemon curd!
- Use the dough from this Gluten Free Cinnamon Cookie recipe to make cinnamon hamantaschen. Fill them with apple butter!
- Add mini chocolate chips to the dough!
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
So yummy, thanks for the recipe!
To make this lower in sugar, can maple syrup be used?
Hi Jillian, I haven’t tested any liquid sweeteners. If you try it, you will probably need to adjust the flour amount.
When do you add the milk? It’s not in the instructions.
Hi Ashley, the milk goes in with the wet ingredients. Thank you!
Can you substitute margarine for butter ?
That should be okay.
Is there any reason not to use the funfetti dough and fill it with the traditional jam or poppy seed? You seem to indicate you can only use it for the recipe that adds the icing after baking.
You can use any filling you like :-).