Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread

This Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread recipe tastes rich and buttery – without the butter. This simple recipe is made with just FOUR ingredients and can be topped with chocolate for an extra-special holiday treat.

Who doesn’t love a good shortbread cookie? Rich, buttery, just crumbly enough, and typically made with just a few, simple ingredients.

It’s a must for the holiday season – no cookie platter or holiday dessert table really feels complete without some shortbread cookies on it. 

I have a few shortbread cookies on my site, including one that is gluten-free and made with browned butter. It is so good and I would absolutely recommend that recipe if you eat butter, but unfortunately not on the menu for me anymore now that I’m dairy-free.

Time for a Vegan Shortbread recipe!

So, I got rid of the butter, made a few adjustments to get the texture I was after, and voila – just FOUR main ingredients, three optional ones for added pizazz, and just a teensy bit of work to get from dough to cookies in your mouth.

Let’s get into how to make these gluten-free vegan shortbread cookies – it’s simple and similar to making any other cookie recipe.

First, you’ll combine your fat and sugar of choice. I used coconut oil and coconut sugar, but vegan butter would also work in place of the coconut oil, and you could use any granulated sweetener of your choice for the sugar, such as maple sugar. I would avoid any liquid sweeteners, like maple syrup or honey, since it will affect the texture significantly.

Then, if desired, you’ll stir in vanilla extract. Not necessary, but adds an extra hint of vanilla flavor that I love.

Next up, add your flours. We use a combination of almond flour and cassava flour for this recipe. The combination of the two creates a tender, flaky, and delicious cookie that holds up well and isn’t too crumbly. That’s all for the dough! Press it into the pan of your choice. Then, it will sit for about an hour to let all the ingredients settle and absorb into the flour.

After baking, you can leave the vegan shortbread as is, OR do as I do, and add chocolate. I’m one of those add-chocolate-to-everything kind of people (gild the lily, much?) but if you prefer a plain shortbread, don’t do as I do and serve them as is! They’re still so delicious and perfect for serving with tea, coffee, or with your other holiday cookies.

Can you make these ahead of time?

Absolutely! These gluten-free vegan shortbread freeze phenomenally well. Just make sure you seal them in an airtight container before you do for maximum freshness. I have batches in my freezer right now from recipe testing and they are still absolutely delicious. 

I hope you love these tender, flaky, chocolate-covered gluten-free vegan shortbread recipe as much as I do!

If you try them out, tag me on Instagram @bakeritablog to show me your masterpiece, and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think :D happy holidays, lovely friends!

Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Rachel

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Description

This Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread tastes rich and buttery – without the butter. This simple recipe is made with just FOUR ingredients and can be topped with chocolate for an extra-special holiday treat.

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Ingredients

½ cup (100g) refined coconut oil or vegan butter, slightly softened

½ cup coconut sugar, or maple sugar or other preferred granulated sweetener

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

¾ cup (105g) cassava flour

½ cups (48g) blanched almond flour

Pinch of salt, optional

3 ounces dark chocolate, melted

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Instructions

1. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease a 14″ x 4.5” tart pan with a removable bottom with coconut oil.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil or butter with the coconut sugar. Mix until completely smooth and incorporated. Add in the vanilla extract, if using. Add the flours and salt and stir until completely incorporated and a smooth dough forms.
3. Press the dough into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
4. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour at room temperature. If you’re letting it set for over one hour, move it into the fridge.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. Bake the shortbread in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown around the edges.
7. Let cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.
8. Once cool, lift the cookies out of the pan. If leaving them plain, cut into your desired shapes.
9. If you want the chocolate topping, smooth the melted chocolate evenly over cookie and let cool slightly before cutting. I’d recommend cutting when the chocolate is cool, but not completely firm so it doesn’t splinter. Once cut, transfer the chocolate-covered cookies to the fridge to let the chocolate firm up completely.
10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few days, or in the freezer for longer storage.

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