I’m excited to share my delicious Gluten Free Duvshaniot (Israeli Honey Cookies) with you today. These perfectly spiced honey crinkle cookies are delightful for all occasions and easy to make. Feed them to a crowd, and they will disappear!
I barely remember eating gluten free Duvshaniot when I was growing up. But my grandma made them, and they were terrific. I recently found her recipe and knew I was on a mission to replicate it.
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These gluten free duvshaniot are soft, tender, and unbelievably flavorful. They are boasting with sweetness, but it’s not overwhelming. Don’t forget to check out all of my delicious gluten free cookies on the blog for more baking inspiration!
These melt-in-your-mouth Israeli honey cookies turned out lovely, and I’m so glad I could make my own gluten free version. Now, I can enjoy them and feel like I am a kid again. If you love recipes that bring back memories, you will love these gluten free cheese blintz too!
Why I love this gluten free honey cookie recipe:
- My kids like to call these honey crinkle cookies because of the outside crinkles from rolling in powdered sugar!
- These honey cookies are easy to make and taste delicious.
- You can make a double batch and freeze them so you have cookies at any time.
- Even better, these cookies are made with simple ingredients you already have on hand. You can make these cookies in about 20 minutes!
We made these tonight. When my kids saw the ingredients they were apprehensive about trying it. Ginger? Clove? But once they gave it a bite the entire tray disappeared.”
Cindy B., blog comment
What are Israeli Honey Cookies?
Israeli honey cookies are also known as Duvshaniot. They are a well-known cookie that’s commonly used to place in gift baskets to give to family and friends.
In Israel, they are used to wish each other good fortune during the new year. You will rarely ever find a gift basket that doesn’t have some Israeli honey cookies because it’s such a huge tradition. Another Israeli favorite is these gluten free mandelbrot.
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also works well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty baked goods.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this cookie recipe with the two flour blends above. Both worked well, but I found letting Bob’s rest a bit was helpful.
- Xanthan or Guar Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain a binder like Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, you must add it separately.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free
- Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cloves
- Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs – Use size large eggs.
- Honey – I tend to use cheaper honey types for baking and save the good quality honey types for tea.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
Tips For Success
1. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before rolling it into balls. This will allow the rice flour in the blend to soften, eliminating any grit.
2. I like using parchment paper instead of a non-stick baking spray when making cookies. Parchment paper makes clean-up easy.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Are you ready to give this recipe a try? Gather up your ingredients!
Step 1: Add all of your dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk to blend. (Partially melt the butter.)
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, forming a soft cookie dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 30-45 minutes.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Your mixed honey cookie dough will look like this. The honey will make it a little sticky, which is okay.
Step 5: Use a cookie scoop to scoop up cookie dough and use your hands to roll it into balls. Next, roll the dough balls in powdered sugar. Kids love helping make these cookies because they can play with their hands!
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray it with this gluten-free baking spray. (Note that PAM Baking Spray is not gluten-free!)
This is the same process used to make my gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies.
Step 6: Optional: You can bake your cookie balls as is or use a glass to gently press down each cookie to flatten it. Bake at 350º F for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Recipe FAQ:
Yes, while they are typically made during Rosh Hashana, they can be made and served any time of year. Once you taste them, they will become a household favorite, and you will crave them. Especially when fall hits, and you want something with some spice in it.
You should store these cookies in a sealed container. You can keep them on the counter or put them in the refrigerator. They will last 3-5 days if they are away from heat steam and are in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze gluten free Duvshaniot cookies if you want to. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or storage container, lasting 1-2 months in the freezer. This is great for planning.
When you are ready to serve, take what you want from the freezer and allow it to thaw. They will defrost within a few hours, and then you can eat them. You could even toss them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm them up if you want to.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
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!
Gluten Free Duvshaniot Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup honey * see note
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar for rolling the cookies
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a small bowl, add the butter and honey and microwave for 30 seconds to melt/soften.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the butter and honey and whisk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookies. Roll each into a ball.
- Take each ball and roll in powdered sugar.
- Place onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. You can use a glass to press the cookies down a bit or leave round.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until done.
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, add 1 teaspoon.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- You do not need to use an expensive local honey to make these cookies. I use a cheaper wildflower blend, which you can get at the grocery store. Just make sure it is 100% pure honey with no additives.
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.
This post was updated from an older May 2020 post with more recipe details.
Just finished taking these out of the oven and I have a new favourite recipe. The recipe comes together very easily and the spices are nice.
Forgot to chill the dough before baking but they still turned out! just not as crackled on top 🙂
I am so glad you loved these cookies!
I used vegan butter & they were very soft, couldn’t roll them, was the butter the issue?
Hi Joy, it shouldn’t have been an issue to use vegan butter. Did you completely melt the butter? Did you chill the dough? Lastly, what gluten free flour blend did you use? Some of them may not need as much butter, depending on the starch level.
These cookies sound so simple to make and look so delicious! Can’t wait to try them!
I am so glad Laura, enjoy 🙂
Oh my gosh – I’ve never made these. These are adorable and definitely going on the must make list for next Rosh H or any time I want a fun little sweet treat.
Thank you…I don’t know how I forgot to post them a few months ago but at least I got it up on the blog for everyone 🙂
We made these tonight. When my kids saw the ingredients they were apprehensive about trying it. Ginger? Clove? But once they gave it a bite the entire tray disappeared.
LOL, kids can be some of our biggest skeptics. I am so glad they gave them a try 🙂
These sound so good, Sandi! Little honey spice cookies–yum!
Thank you Jenni, they are definitely yum!