This easy gluten free Russian tea cookie recipe is a delicious cookie to make to enjoy with a cup of hot tea. Russian tea cookies melt in your mouth and are a fun cookie to make!
If you love cookies as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free cookie recipes.

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I hope these super easy gluten free Russian tea cookies will help add some cheer to your day. Whether it is a holiday or any day...cookies definitely make the days sweeter!
This cookie recipe is perfect for a cold rainy day because they are really fun to make with your kids. Rolling the dough into balls is only a part of this kid-friendly gluten free snack; eating them will definitely be the best part :-).
To see my very favorite gluten free cookies, check out my Gluten Free Holiday Cookie roundup.

Today has been a great excuse for the kids and me to make these cookies. These cookies are great all year round, but their cute snowy white looks make them the perfect cookie for a cookie exchange or holiday party too!
If you are looking for more Christmas-style cookies, check out my best gluten free Christmas Cookies recipes.
Made your recipe last Christmas…. Yummms!"
Helen H.
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes, you can easily freeze these cookies. We like to make a double batch and freeze the extras. Then all we have to do is defrost them and roll them in the powdered sugar.
Nothing goes better with hot tea or coffee than these Russian tea cookies. Their sweet buttery melt in your mouth goodness is so good. These cookies are also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies...just in case you were looking and thought they look familiar.
This easy gluten free Russian tea cookie recipe is super easy to make, so follow along!
Instructions:

Slowly cream the butter with the powdered sugar in a mixer.
Can you make cookies without a standing mixer?
You can easily make these cookies in a bowl. Put all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to blend them. In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients. Mix the two together and then scoop onto

Chop up the raw pecans into small pieces.
Can you use different nuts?
Although pecans are more traditionally used in this easy tea cookies recipe, you can also use walnuts or different nuts.
You can also make a nut free crinkle cookie like these gluten free honey crinkle cookies.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Line a

Your dough will be firm enough to roll into balls. Bake at 350º F for 8-10 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, allow them to cool briefly and then roll in powdered sugar!
More Cookies
- These delicious Gluten Free Cranberry Shortbread Bars can be made with any fruit!
- If you love melt in your mouth cookies, these Gluten Free Austrian Vanillekipferl Cookies are another delicious cookie to make.
- Edible Gluten Free Cookie Dough (because sometimes the dough is the best part!)
- If you love a sandwich-style cookie, these Gluten Free Nutella Linzer Cookies are fun to make.
- Crinkle cookies are a lot of fun to make. Give this easy Gluten Free Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies recipe a try.
- These Gluten Free Ginger Cookies have a delicious pop of ginger flavor.

📖 Recipe

Gluten Free Russian Tea Cookies




Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter very softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- dash salt
- ¼ cup raw pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add butter, vanilla and sugar. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated.
- Slowly add flour on low speed and mix until blended. Add pecans and mix on low. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls.
- Place dough balls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove GENTLY with a thin spatula onto a cooling rack. These cookies are very crumbly when hot.
- Allow to cool 15 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar.
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, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
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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(*Note, this post is updated from an older January 2017 post.)
Martha
I used Bobs Red Mill. Cookies definitely were VERY SHORT! Once cooled texture was great. Taste was excellent. I did 1.5 X the recipe. I will try substituting a small amount of oat flour as that should help the crumble issue. Using my multi shelf convection it took 12 mins for perfect cookies!!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Martha, did you use Bob's 1 to 1 or all purpose blend? Thank you!
Rachel
The recipe does not say when to add the salt. With the flour? Also, I am assuming extra powdered sugar is needed beyond the 1/2 cup?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Rachel, the salt goes in with the dry ingredients. I hope you enjoy them :-).
Wendy Cassady
These cookies are notoriously crumbly. I used Cup 4 Cup GF flour and actually found them much LESS crumbly than most. Even less than the regular flour ones I make at Christmas. I did find that I had to cook them at least 20 minutes - they weren't even close to being done at 10.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much, Wendy. I haven't used that flour blend in this recipe, it is interesting it took longer to bake.
Barb
My momalways made pineapple cookies. They were so good ive try a couple times never turn out good. Añy sugestión ? She made oatmeal rasin cookies nd molassae cookies. Never turn out good any sugestion for the pineapple cookies. My child hood favorite. I put recipe away when i fine it i will text it back to you. Oh she made molasse rasin cake. Very moist so good.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Barb, those pineapple cookies sound delicious. Do you know if she used dried pineapple or fresh? I am wondering if the freeze-dried pineapple would work to recreate your cookies because you can crush it into a flour-like powder?
Dian
Mine stayed crumbly. I used everything you said and followed the recipe totally. Taste great but a crumbly mess.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Dian, I haven't heard this. What gluten free flour blend did you use?
Lisa
How long can i store these? Also is it ok to roll in powdered sugar before baking as well as after?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Lisa, These cookies should keep for 3 days. I am not sure about rolling before and after storing these because I haven't needed to do this before. I would say give it a try and let us know how they turn out 🙂
Cynthia Rhine
I just tried these using Jules GF flour and they came out so crumbly that I couldn't even pick them. Any suggestions for a
GF flour that is best for baking cookies??
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Cynthia. I looked up the gluten free flour you used and it has a LOT more starch content than the Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 blend I used to create this recipe. I think you will need to add more moisture if you are going to use Jules GF four for this recipe. Please stop back and let me know how it goes.
sara
Can I use coconut oil for butter?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Sara, You should be able to substitute coconut oil. Keep an eye on the the batter. You may need to use a little more flour. Let us know how they turned out 🙂
Michelle
Hi. Can I use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour mix.
And I'm going to use pistachios.
I make non gf cookies all the time. But I'm trying to find more gf cookies to make for my sister.
Thank you.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Michelle, I love that you want to make these for your sister. Pistachios should be fine, just grind them as finely as you can. As for a 1 to 1 gluten free blend, make sure it has Xanthan Gum in the blend. If it doesn't you will want to add 1 teaspoon so the cookie ingredients bind together. Otherwise they will fall apart. Take care and happy holidays!