This easy gluten free Russian tea cookie recipe is a delicious holiday cookie. These buttery, nut-filled treats are the perfect accompaniment to a warm cup of tea, making them a beloved classic for generations. My Russian tea cookies melt in your mouth and have an incredible light airiness.
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Recipe At A Glance:
I hope these scrumptious, gluten free Russian tea cookies will help add some cheer to your day. Whether it is a holiday or any day, cookies make the days sweeter!
If you love cookies as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free cookie recipes.
Allergen Information:
These cookies are gluten-free, soy-free, and egg-free. See the Substitutions section for a nut-free and dairy-free option.
Why These Cookies Are Great:
- This recipe is tried and true. You can also read through many reader comments and see all the fun flavor variations my readers have created.
- These cookies are so light they melt in your mouth. They are full of delicious flavor.
- You can freeze these cookies without the powdered sugar and then roll them in sugar after thawing them.
- They are entertaining to make with your kids!
Love making these cookies with the grandkids. Some don’t like nuts so we substitute Enjoy Life mini chips. We always make these on Christmas Eve for them to leave for Santa. I had tried so many GF recipes that were horrible and a waste of expensive ingredients. Thankfully I found you! I share them with others who need GF recipes. This was such a game changer because I knew nothing about gluten free! Thank you!"
Carol, blog comment
If you want more Christmas-style cookies, check out my best gluten free Christmas Cookies recipes.
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 with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 GF Blend. Other blends should work, but every gluten free flour blend has a different grain-to-starch ratio. This can affect the moisture level, so you may need more or less flour or liquid.
- Xanthan Gum - A binder is essential, especially in this recipe. Add one teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum if your blend lacks a binder.
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Pure Vanilla Extract - Readers also like to use almond extract.)
- Pecans
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate chips like the Enjoy Life brand.
- To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
Can you use different nuts?
Although pecans are traditionally used in this easy tea cookie recipe, walnuts or pistachios.
I made these this past weekend and I'm in love!! they truly just melt in your mouth. I substituted the nuts for a dried cherry, cranberry, and blueberry mix since I can't have nuts and they still turned out really well. definitely going to have to make these again with how addictive they are."
Jeanette K., Pinterest comment
You can also make a nut-free crinkle cookie like these gluten free honey crinkle cookies.
Tips For Sucess:
- Don't forget to chill the dough. This will help prevent your cookies from spreading when baked.
- Don't take a hot
cookie sheet and put the batter on it, or I promise the cookies won't turn out. They start baking immediately, and it messes with the shape of them. Use a couple of sheets and rotate them out when making large batches of cookies if needed.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Slowly cream the butter with the powdered sugar in a stand mixer. You can also use an electric mixer or mix this by hand in a large
Step 2: Place the nuts onto a cutting board. Chop up the raw pecans into small pieces with a chopper. I have this chopper, and it chops the nuts easily.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixer bowl. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape when they bake. Chilling also softens the rice flour in the blend, eliminating grit.
Step 4: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350º F.
Step 5: Line a
Step 6: Your dough will be firm enough to roll into balls. Bake at 350º F for 8-10 minutes.
Step 7: When you remove them from the oven, allow them to cool briefly on a cooling rack.
Step 8: Roll them in powdered sugar!
Recipe FAQ:
You can easily make these cookies in a bowl. Put all of your dry ingredients in a large
Store these cookies in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
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.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
- 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.
- 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
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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.
Note: this post is updated from an older January 2017 post with more recipe details.
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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!