Shortbread Cookies (Almond Flour)
Tender and decadent-tasting almond flour shortbread are extremely simple to make, as well as vegan, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free and keto. This is a basic Shortbread recipe with many possible add-ins to suit whatever occasion presents itself.
2 cups blanched superfine almond flour, packed
½ cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered)
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
½ cup butter, melted, cooled slightly
1-2 Tbsp. water or liquid of choice, such as citrus juice or milk
1 tsp. pure extract, such as vanilla, lemon or rum
Optional Add-ins:
1 tsp. citrus zest, such as orange or lemon, freshly grated
¼-½ cup dried fruit, chopped
¼-½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼-½ cup nuts, chopped
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener and salt until there are no longer any lumps. Using a wooden spoon, whip in butter until fluffy add water/juice to combine. Stir in optional ingredients, if desired.
Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil and use your hands to spread it into a log. I found it easiest to fold the aluminum foil over the dough and press it into a tight log. You also want to make sure it’s as round as possible because the shape of the log decides the shape of your cookies. Tap the ends of the log to make sure it doesn’t taper off at the ends. Fold the paper or foil around the dough and freeze overnight.
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you want to make sure you get round circle cookies, roll the frozen log back and forth to make sure it’s a round log.
Cut the log into 12-18 slices. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown around the edges (the cookies will seem somewhat soft while hot; they will firm up as they cool). Keep an eye on them at the 10-minute mark as they can overcook quickly.
Remove from the oven and cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before serving.
Makes 12-18 cookies.
Cook's Notes:
- Storage: Because of their high fat content, the cookies are best stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks (or the freezer for up to 6 months).
- Sweetener: An equal amount of coconut sugar, brown sugar or granulated sugar of your choice can be used in place of the Monk Fruit.
- Vegan: replace the butter with coconut oil.
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the ½ tsp salt.
- Almond Flour Shortbread dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are Shortbread Cookies? Shortbread is a classic cookie that traditionally has sugar, butter, flour, salt and sometimes a touch of vanilla extract. Unlike many other cookies, shortbread does not contain any baking powder or baking soda. This keto almond flour shortbread cookie replaces the flour with almond flour, uses less butter because of the fat in the almond flour and does use some vanilla to curb the sweetness.
- What almond flour did we use for the Shortbread Cookies? We tested this recipe with Blanched Almond Flour. I think any brand of blanched almond flour will work fine, but I wouldn’t use unblanched almond flour.
- Can you use regular Monk Fruit for the Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies? I’m sure some people are going to wonder if you can use Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener in these cookies instead of the Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener that’s recommended. I haven’t tested it that way and I am going to guess that you need the super-fine powdered Monk Fruit to mix into a recipe like this with so few ingredients and no liquids.
- Can you make Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies dairy-free? I haven’t tried making a dairy-free version of these cookies, but I am betting that Coconut Oil will work for a dairy-free option.
- Can You Make Shortbread Cookie Dough In Advance? Yes! Once you make this shortbread cookie dough you can either refrigerate it for up to 3 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or freeze it for up to 3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag.
- Why do you have to chill shortbread cookie dough? You need to chill shortbread cookie dough in order to make the dough easy to work with and to prevent your cookies from spreading too much. If you’re dough is warm then it will become sticky and difficult to handle. I recommend chilling your dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out and chilling your cookies in the fridge or freezer right before baking them.
- Why Is Shortbread called Shortbread? Shortbread gets its name from its crumbly texture which is a result of the dough’s high fat content. The traditional ratio for shortbread is 1:2:3 (one part sugar to two parts butter to three parts flour).
- What’s the difference between Sugar Cookies and Shortbread? Unlike sugar cookies, shortbread is made without eggs or any leavening agents. Shortbread also has a more crumbly texture as a result of the dough’s high fat content. If you’re looking for sugar cookie recipes try my Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies or Sugar Cookies with Hershey Kisses.
- Can I Substitute the Almond Flour For All-Purpose Flour? Yes, you can substitute all of the almond flour for all-purpose flour OR you can even use half almond flour and half all-purpose flour.