These Paleo Shortbread Cookies are an easy treat for the holidays or any time of year. Tender and buttery (but without the butter), they melt in your mouth!
Plus, there’s no chilling or rolling out the dough and no special equipment needed.
And this one-bowl recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and can easily be made vegan.
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Why this recipe works
Shortbread cookies trace their origins back to medieval Scotland, yet they’re still popular today. Usually made without eggs, they’re more tender and buttery than other cookies and feel like they just melt in your mouth.
But since they’re usually made with flour and butter, those of us who are gluten-free, dairy-free or Paleo can’t enjoy them. So I made this simple version with just 4 ingredients (plus salt).
Out goes the flour and in goes blanch superfine almond flour, which adds its own buttery texture. But just to make sure we really nail the texture, this recipe also adds coconut oil (but you can’t taste the coconut flavor) instead of butter.
And instead of regular white sugar, we’re using honey, but you can use maple syrup to make it vegan.
All you have to do is mix them together, bake and slice!
Between the ground almonds, coconut oil and honey, these are actually pretty healthy shortbread cookies.
Many recipes require chilling the dough before baking. I tested chilling this dough and found it didn’t really make a difference in the final product. Other recipes also often require rolling the dough between sheets of parchment. Again, I don’t find this necessary. Just pat the dough into a baking dish and bake!
But there’s also lots of ways to customize these gluten-free coconut oil cookies – read below for lots of ideas. One of my favorite ways is turn them into these festive Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil – use refined coconut oil as it will have less coconut flavor than unrefined
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Equipment:
- A large, microwave-safe mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a whisk
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- a fine-mesh sieve
- an 8×8″ baking dish
- a drinking glass with a flat bottom
- parchment paper
- a cooling rack
- a cutting board
- a knife
How to make Paleo Shortbread Cookies
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°.
Step 2
Line a baking dish with parchment paper so the paper is coming up just slightly higher than the sides of the pan. This will make removing the cookies easier later.
Step 3
Add the coconut oil to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the oil for about 30-60 seconds, until melted. No need to let cool.
Step 4
Whisk in the honey and vanilla extract until combined.
Step 5
Place a sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour (you might have to add it in batches).
Step 6
Add the salt and stir everything together with a spatula until well blended and there’s no more visibly dry almond flour. The mixture should be thick but pliable, like play dough.
Step 7
Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking dish and press it into an even layer with your fingers.
To ensure even thickness with a smooth surface, get the bottom of a drinking glass slightly wet with water and gently press it down over all of the dough. If the surface of the dough looks wet, gently pat with a paper towel.
Step 8
Bake until golden brown around the edges and slightly golden on top, about 18-22 minutes.
Step 9
Transfer the dish to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Step 10
Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the baked dough onto a cutting board.
I like to slice 3 down in one direction and 4 across in the other direction to get 20 cookies, but you can slice them however you like.
FAQ
To make them vegan, use pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
You can also add mix-ins to the dough:
– orange or lemon zest
– mini chocolate chips
– finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts
– finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or basil
– 1/4 teaspoon almond extract in place of or in addition to the vanilla extract
– after patting the dough into the pan, scatter sprinkles over the top and gently press them in
– after cutting into cookies, dip them in melted milk, dark or white chocolate and let them set on a parchment-lined baking sheet
Yes. You can store them at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five.
Yep.
If you want to freeze the dough after baking but before cutting, wrap the whole slab tightly with plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or baggie.
If you want to freeze the cookies after slicing, place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet (not touching each other) and place in the freezer until frozen, about 2-3 hours. Then transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or baggie.
You can freeze the baked dough or cookies for up to three months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Other recipes you might like:
- Paleo Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
- Paleo “Oatmeal” Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Paleo Pumpkin Cookies
- Paleo “Peanut” Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Orange Macaroons
Paleo Shortbread Cookies (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil see notes
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups superfine blanched almond flour not almond meal
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper so the paper is coming up just slightly higher than the sides of the pan. This will make removing the cookies easier later.
- Add the coconut oil to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the oil for about 30-60 seconds, until melted. No need to let cool.
- Whisk in the honey and vanilla extract until combined.
- Place a sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour (you might have to add it in batches).
- Add the salt and stir everything together with a spatula until well blended and there's no more visibly dry almond flour. The mixture should be thick but pliable, like play dough.
- Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking dish and press it into an even layer with your fingers. To ensure even thickness with a smooth surface, get the bottom of a drinking glass slightly wet with water and gently press it down over all of the dough. If the surface of the dough looks wet, gently pat with a paper towel.
- Bake until golden brown around the edges and slightly golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.
- Transfer the dish to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the baked dough onto a cutting board. I like to slice 3 down in one direction and 4 across in the other direction to get 20 cookies, but you can slice them however you like.
Notes
You can also add mix-ins to the dough: orange or lemon zest mini chocolate chips finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or basil 1/4 teaspoon almond extract in place of or in addition to the vanilla extract after patting the dough into the pan, scatter sprinkles over the top and gently press them in after cutting into cookies, dip them in melted milk, dark or white chocolate and let them set on a parchment-lined baking sheet Make ahead You can store them at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five. Freezer instructions If you want to freeze the dough after baking but before cutting, wrap the whole slab tightly with plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or baggie. If you want to freeze the cookies after slicing, place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet (not touching each other) and place in the freezer until frozen, about 2-3 hours. Then transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or baggie. You can freeze the baked dough or cookies for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Carson Love says
I just used these as my shortbread base layer and made paleo millionaire bars- SO good! One of those recipes that seems so simple, but the taste turns out even better than you’d expect!
I do a ton of paleo baking, and this is a keeper.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
So glad it worked! They sound fantastic.