These gluten free shortbread cookies are melt in your mouth delicious and impossible to resist. It's a soft, whipped shortbread recipe that's easy to make. You'll love these cookies!

If you love buttery soft, gluten-free cookies, also try our chocolate almond thumbprint cookies and our almond shortbread cookies.

A closeup of gluten free shortbread cookies with dried cranberries on top on a baking sheet.

This gluten-free shortbread recipe is based on our wildly popular melt in your mouth shortbread cookies.

Are they as good as the original? Oh, they're so so close! Honestly, they're the closest second place that there ever has been. And that says A LOT for a gluten-free cookie!

What does this gluten-free shortbread taste like?

It's very soft, slightly crumbly, and melts in your mouth when you take a bite.

It's not overly sweet, which is why we love sprinkling a little powdered sugar over the top.

4 pictures showing how to make gluten free shortbread cookies.

How to make gluten free shortbread cookies

These cookies couldn't be any easier to make! Here's the rundown:

  1. Cream the butter and sugar.
  2. Add the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, some cream (or milk), and a little vanilla and beat it just until it looks like thick whipping cream.
  3. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet. You can press a little cranberry into the center, if you'd like, then put the cookies into the oven.

That's it! Once they turn a light golden color, they are ready to come out of the oven!

Full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

What kind of gluten-free flour should I use?

This recipe has been tested with Cloud 9 All-Purpose Baking Mix. It's a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend that contains rice flour, buckwheat flour, cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum.

Gluten free shortbread cookies on a baking sheet with a sieve of icing sugar beside them.

How long do gluten-free shortbread cookies last?

These cookies will keep well for almost a week in a covered container at room temperature. But chances are they'll be eaten long before then.

Can I freeze gluten-free shortbread?

Yes! Shortbread freezes very well. Once they've cooled (from baking), freeze them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. When they're frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container, layering them between sheets of parchment paper.

They will keep well for 1-2 months in your freezer.

Gluten free shortbread on a baking sheet.
A closeup of gluten free shortbread cookies with dried cranberries on top on a baking sheet.

Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies Recipe

These gluten-free shortbread cookies are melt in your mouth delicious and impossible to resist. It's a soft, whipped shortbread recipe that's easy to make. You'll love these cookies!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.97 stars (33 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, 250 grams, at room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, 75 grams
  • 1 ½ cups 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, 260 grams
  • ¼ cup cornstarch, 40 grams
  • 5 tablespoons whole milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.Ā 
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar with electric beaters. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to beat just until the batter looks a little like thick whipping cream, about 2-3 minutes.Ā 
    1 cup salted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ cups 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 5 tablespoons whole milk or cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, drop the batter onto cookie sheets. If you'd like, press a cranberry on the top. Bake the shortbread for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are very light golden in color.Ā 
  • Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies taste best once they've cooled.Ā 
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 92mg, Potassium: 9mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 322IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg
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A closeup of gluten free shortbread cookies with dried cranberries on top on a baking sheet with the recipe title on top of the picture.