This gluten-free shortbread recipe gives you that classic melt-in-your-mouth texture that shortbread is known for, buttery and delicious. Whether you bake it as traditional wedges or use cookie cutters for fun shapes, it holds its form beautifully while baking. I have also included a few flavor variations so that you can enjoy your shortbread plain and simple or with a creative twist.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
Shortbread has always been one of my favorite cookies. Before going gluten-free, I loved Walker’s Shortbread. A few years ago, they introduced a delicious gluten-free version of these cookies, which I thought were amazing until I started making my own. These shortbread cookies are so good. This is the best gluten-free shortbread recipe you’ll ever make.
If you love cookies as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious homemade gluten-free cookie recipes! You may also love this new Gluten-Free Lemon Shortbread recipe.
If you prefer a slice-and-bake cookie, these Gluten-Free Sables have a similar flavor. You can also try my maple version, Gluten-Free Maple Shortbread.
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps:
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 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Other blends will work, but moisture adjustments may be necessary. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain a binder such as xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon. Learn more about Why Binders are Important in Gluten-Free Baking.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter for better control of saltiness. See the substitutions below for a gum-free option.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract. Using imitation vanilla will affect the final flavor.
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter.
- To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
Testing Notes From My Kitchen
This easy gluten-free shortbread recipe has been a family favorite for many years. It is buttery, with crispiness, yet it has that classic shortbread melt-in-your-mouth texture. I tested a dairy-free version using Earth Balance plant-based butter. Its flavor was close to using real butter, but not 100% the same. It did work well, though, just chill the dough longer because plant-based butter tends to be softer.
I tested three flour blends, and other flour blends will work, but you need to keep an eye on the shortbread dough. Some starchy blends require extra flour. If your dough seems wet, add more flour. If your dough seems dry, add more melted butter. Make your adjustments one tablespoon at a time so you have better control.
How to Make This Easy Gluten-Free Shortbread (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.
Step 2: Melt your butter and add the pure vanilla extract. Whisk to mix. Some recommend using room-temperature butter instead of melted butter. I have tested both and couldn’t tell much of a difference.
You can also use a food processor to mix up your dough.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix into a soft dough.
Step 4: Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. The dough should be easy to shape into an oval. If your dough is wetter, add more flour. If your dough is too firm, add more butter.
Preheat your oven to 450º F. Use the regular bake setting and not the convection setting.
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Step 5: Place the dough on parchment paper. Press your dough to 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch thickness.
HINT: Use a rolling pin or flat-bottomed glass to make the top flat and smooth.
Step 6: Score the dough by cutting it into wedges. Use a big, sharp knife or a pizza cutting wheel. I have more control in keeping the lines straight using the big knife. I find scoring before baking makes cleaner cuts without the shortbread crumbling.
👀 Sandi Says: You can also roll the dough thinner and use cookie cutters, or make your dough a rectangle and cut out to be rectangle-shaped shortbread.
Step 7: Use a shishkabob stick to poke holes. These are decorative but do help your shortbread bake more evenly. If you are short on time, you can skip this step.
Step 8: Optional: Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Slide the parchment paper onto a
Step 9: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is golden. The long bake at a low temperature helps get this shortbread crispier.
Store extra shortbread in an airtight container. You can also freeze the extras in a zipper-style freezer bag.
Enjoy them plain, or dip/drizzle some melted chocolate over them! You may also love my Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Shortbread and my Gluten Free Gingerbread Shortbread recipes!
Try these yummy flavor variations!
- Lemon – Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Delicious at a summer tea party!
- Espresso – If you love the coffee flavor, add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee to the dry ingredients! Pair with dark roast coffee.
- Chocolate Chip – Add mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings to the dough. Enjoy anytime!
- Holiday Special – I love this shortbread mixed with dried cranberries and pistachios! It makes a wonderful cookie for the fall and winter holidays!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Because shortbread has so few ingredients, it is hard to mess it up. The best secret is using high-quality butter. Some very creamy butter brands, like Plugra, are made with European butter, which works well.
Poking holes in the shortbread helps distribute heat more evenly, allowing the center to bake while the outside edges brown.
I know many like to cut back on sugar. Shortbread has so few ingredients; they work together to taste like real shortbread. I do not think cutting back on sugar is a good idea for this recipe.
Shortbread’s three most common shapes are wedges (made in a circle and cut like bicycle spokes), circles, or rectangles.
Yes, you can use cookie cutters! This dough holds up well to cookie cutters.
This shortbread will keep fresh for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the shortbread in a zipper-style freezer bag.
If you love European cookies, you will also want to try these Italian Gluten Free Pizzelle Cookies!
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:
I have so many incredible gluten-free cookie recipes on the blog. Here are some of my favorites:
- Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies
- Easy Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers
- Buttery Gluten-Free Cowboy Cookies
- The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Love This Gluten-Free Shortbread 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 Shortbread Cookies (Buttery, Crisp, and Easy)
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter * see note
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Instructions
- Add 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/2 cup cane sugar, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.
- Melt 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk to mix. Some recommend using room-temperature butter instead of melted butter. I have tested both, and I was not able to tell much of a difference.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix into cookie dough
- Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. The dough should be workable so you can shape it into a circle. If your dough is wetter, add more flour. If it is too dry and crumbly, add more melted butter. Every flour blend varies, so adjustments like this is normal.
- Preheat your oven to 450º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the dough on the parchment paper. Press your dough to 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch thickness.
- HINT: Use a rolling pin or flat bottomed glass to make the top flat and smooth.
- Score the dough by cutting it into wedges. Use a big sharp knife or a pizza cutting wheel. I find I have more control in keeping the lines straight using the big knife.
- Note: You can also make your dough a rectangle and cut these out to be rectangle-shaped.
- Use a shishkabob stick to poke holes. These are totally decorative, but do help your shortbread bake more evenly. If you are short on time you can skip this step.
- Optional: sprinkle with coarse sugar. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.
- Put the shortbread into the oven and turn DOWN the oven temperature to 300º F.
- Step 9: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is golden. The long bake on a low temperature helps get this shortbread crispier.
- Enjoy them plain or dip/drizzle some melted chocolate over them!
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Butter – You can use vegan butter to make this dairy-free, but note it will not be as creamy or buttery in flavor.
- These cookies will last for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- See the recipe post for lots of flavor variations.
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.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I made this recipe for my very picky gf daughter and the only thing I changed was I swapped the sugars for golden brown sugar which I use in my traditional Scottish shortbread. They were absolutely delicious and so crispy. I did use Bob’s Red Mill gf flour too. Wow outstanding!
I love knowing the golden brown sugar worked well in this recipe. I am thrilled the shortbread tasted like your traditional shortbread! Thank you.
I followed the recipe exactly but my shortbread did not even come close to turning out like these pictures. It ended up all melting together and made one giant soft cookie. I had to try to cut it apart after it was baked and the flavor wasn’t right. I’m really not sure where I went wrong. I even used a ruler to make sure they were the right thickness.
Hi Molly, I am happy to troubleshoot, but I need to know what flour blend you used. And what your dough looked like. 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 dough. My rule of thumb if you used a flour blend I haven’t tested is if your dough is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Recipe looks SUPER simple but have you made it thinner like a cookie consistency and if so how did you change the cooking instructions?
Hi Kathleen, I haven’t made it thinner, so if you try, you need to bake it for less time.
Do have a weight measurement in grams for how much flour you typically use per cup?
What flour blend are you using? Every blend has a different weight. I do have weight measurements for several blends, note I haven’t tested all of these in the shortbread recipe (King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s 1:1, Namaste, Trader Joe’s blend, and Cup4Cup.
These are really lovely cookies. So easy that my (no bake) husband made the dough. They turned out perfectly. Tender, buttery, crisp on edges, everything shortbread should be! Highly recommend.
I love your husband helped make this shortbread!! Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad you loved the cookies.
These are delicious! Put the dough in a rectangular pan to bake, and it turned out great. Thanks for the quality recipe!
You are very welcome, Heidi. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Have you tested this recipe in a ceramic shortbread pan? I have one by Brown Bag that I use for regular shortbread and wondering if anyone has tried it already.
Hi Karen, I don’t own such a pan, so I don’t have any advice on using this in my recipe.
Can chopped pecans be added to this shortbread recipe? How many?
Hi Gayle, Yes you can add them. I haven’t done this personally, but I would think 1/3 to 1/2 cup would be sufficient.
I just made these. Absolutely delicious. Definitely reminds me of Walker’s. I did have a problem with the dough spreading. I think next time I will also chill the dough after I have shaped it. I wonder if baking these in a round cake pan or springform pan would work.
I am so glad you loved the shortbread. It is very close to Walker’s.
Thanks Sandi!! I’m already making them again! Fantastic recipe❤
These look delicious. Do you know how long they would bake, cut into individual rectangles? Or is is better to slice the shapes and leave the larger rectangle intact as you did with the round? Thank you.
Hi Eli, I baked my gluten free gingerbread shortbread in rectangles, so I would follow the directions in this recipe: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-gingerbread-shortbread/
I am really picky about my shortbread and this recipe is fantastic! I didn’t think I would find a GF version that would fill the void I had since having to go GF. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and melted butter and it was perfection.
You made my day coming back to let me know this shortbread recipe is a winner. Thank you, Lisa!!
A beloved relative was recently dx with diabetes but I’d love to make these for her. Would it be possible to substitute part or all of the gfree flour with almond flower? Thanks.
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested this recipe with mostly almond flour. Almond flour absorbs moisture very differently from flour and I suspect if you only use almond flour, the batter would be soggier and fall apart when baked.
By far this is the BEST gf shortbread recipe I have found. Even my non-gf friends were impressed. One batch did not last a day at my house.
I am so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you for coming to let me know :-).
OMG this shortbread is heavenly! I love shortbread but haven’t had it in years because it’s so hard to find it GF, thank you for this recipe.
I am so glad you loved it, Kathryn.
These are so simple and so good! I dipped the tips in white chocolate and sprinkled pistachios over the top. What a delicious and elegant surprise!
I am so glad you loved them!
Can I replace butter with coconut oil / butter?
Thanks!
Hi Eve, I have not tested coconut oil in this recipe so I am unable to advise if it will work or not. If you try it, please let me know.
The PERFECT texture! Can’t believe these are gluten free. I’m excited to make these again at the holiday time… maybe drizzle chocolate over top! So yummy.
It is really good with chocolate too :-).