Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in for a bite of these moist lemony Gluten Free Madeleines. They are bursting with fresh lemon flavor with a dusting of powdered sugar. These soft French cookies are one of my favorite cookies.
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Today we are celebrating the bounty from our mighty lemon tree. I think our tree is a little mad at us, we finally had to prune it because it was getting too tall...hopefully, we will still get our delicious giant lemons!
A madeleine is a cross between a cake and a cookie, and that moist sponginess is what made me fall in love with these cookies. This gluten free Madeleine recipe is so easy to make! Nobody will know these delicious homemade madeleines are gluten free!
Lemon desserts are a thing here thanks to our very productive lemon tree. If you are looking for even more gluten free lemon desserts, I have you covered with a ton of great recipes!
Why These Madeleines are Great:
- My easy gluten free French madeleines are so light and fluffy. A true French madeleine is known for its soft springy cake-like texture and this recipe nails it.
- If you have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, these madeleines allow you can enjoy the same desserts as non-gluten-free people.
- You can make these lemon-flavored, or omit the lemon juice and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to make these more traditional.
- These cookies taste as if they came from a French bakery! This is the best gluten free Madeleines recipe!
- They freeze easily so you can enjoy them anytime!
If you want to try more madeleines, why not make these gluten free butterscotch madeleines or these gluten free matcha green tea madeleines?
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work I do not recommend canned coconut milk. You can also use regular milk if you prefer.
- Butter - I recommend using unsalted butter. To make these fully dairy-free, use vegan butter.
- Eggs - Use size large.
Substitutions:
- Substitute the butter for a plant-based butter if you are dairy free.
- If you are egg-free, use an egg replacer like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. I have not tested chia or flax eggs in this recipe.
- If you can not use xanthan or guar gum, use my Gluten Free Flour Blend. It is an incredible gum-free gluten free blend that is easy to make.
- Substitute the lemon juice for orange juice (and zest) for orange madeleines.
Madeleine Tips For Success:
- I have mentioned this, but it is important to say it again. Do NOT overmix your madeleine batter. It truly makes a huge difference.
- Let the madeleine batter sit for 10-20 minutes. This helps soften the rice flour in the gluten free flour blend.
- If you do not have a Madeleine pan, you can make them drop-style on a
cookie sheet , or cook them in a muffin pan.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Are you ready to see how easy these gluten free madeleines are to make?
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add your wet ingredients and mix well. I recommend partially melting your butter. Don't make it too hot or it can cook your eggs. Use a wire whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is "just barely mixed." This is my best secret to making light and fluffy cake-like gluten free madeleines.
I do not recommend using a standing mixer because it overmixes your batter and this affects the texture of your madeleines.
Step 4: Add your batter to the greased madeleine pan and bake for 15 minutes until done. You can tell your madeleines are baked when you touch the top of a madeleine and it feels firm.
Remove from the oven and allow cooling on a cooling rack. When cool, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate.
These gluten free madeleines have the perfect crispy edges and soft cake insides.
If you are looking for special holiday madeleine flavors, you can't go wrong with these gluten free pumpkin madeleines or these gluten free chocolate peppermint madeleines.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can either spray your madeleine pan with coconut oil or rub the pan with butter to prevent your madeleines from sticking.
Store these madeleines in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or store in the freezer in a zipper bag for up to 4 months in the freezer.
If you love lemon cookies, give this easy Gluten Free Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe a try too! This Madeleine's post was updated from an older February 2020 post with more detailed instructions.
More Gluten Free Lemon Dessert Recipes:
- This Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake is one of the best cakes on the blog.
- If you love loaf cake, this Easy Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is a family favorite.
- My Gluten Free Lemon Layer Cake makes a great birthday cake.
- These Creamy Gluten Free Lemon Sour Cream Cakes are light and fluffy.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Madeleines
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- dash salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cups milk or non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For Icing
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice depending on how thick you want your icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Be sure to set the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Add your wet ingredients into a smaller bowl and whisk to blend.
- Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix them gently until they are just barely mixed. Do not overmix your batter! It will make a big difference in how these madeleines turn out.
- Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. If you are using a gluten free flour blend that is a little gritty, let the batter rest for 20 minutes.
- Spray your madeleine pan with coconut oil, or grease with butter.
- Add some batter to each madeleine section.
- Bake the gluten free madeleines for 10 minutes until they are firm to touch on top. Remove the cookies onto a wire rack for cooling.
- Dust with powdered sugar when the cookies are fully cooled.
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 or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Try not to overmix your batter. Your madeleines will be lighter if you don't overmix the batter.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer. To freeze, add the cooled room temperature cookies to a freezer zip bag.
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, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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.
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Karen M.
I made these today and they were very good, I used King Arthur one to one gf flour. I do think they need a little more
lemon flavor. Mine didn't quite look like yours but I think I over filled the tin. I put my batter in a piping bag but those had more air holes in them. I had some batter left so I just spooned it in the tin and those came out better. Don't over fill the tin. I drizzled some lemon glaze over them, giving them more lemon flavor.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked them Karen 🙂
Karen M
I love your recipes! I use yours more than any gf blog.
Sandi Gaertner
Wow, I think you made my year. Thank you so much for the compliment Karen, it means a lot to me 🙂