Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Shortbread

So, who’s up for trying gluten-free lemon almond shortbread? It’s zesty and delicious, whilst having that buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture.

They're so crumbly and light and I could eat a whole batch with a cuppa!

Jump to:

• ✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients notes
• 🔪 Equipment notes
• 🍱 Storage
• 💭 Top tips
• ♻️ Alternatives and substitutions
• 🧁 Other goodies
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe

I really love almond and lemon flavours; I think it’s a slightly unusual combination but somehow really works. It also means you can make a buttery gluten-free shortbread with a flavoursome twist.

Before I got this recipe just right, I tried a few combinations for my gluten-free lemon almond shortbread.

My main issue is that not all ground almonds (also called almond flour or meal) are created equal. The one I was using at first was so coarse that my biscuits were coming out too grainy, and not overall a pleasant texture.

I finally settled on a nice brand of almond flour. It’s fine enough that you get a decent crumbly texture without the grainy chew. So, you may need to change your brand if the one you’re using gives you a really coarse texture.

🥘 Ingredients notes

• As with many of my baking recipes, I recommend starting with room temperature ingredients. This makes it easier for your ingredients to mix together.

• I prefer to use vanilla and almond extracts rather than essences, as it has a better stronger flavour. The extracts are a purer taste as it’s less processed than essence.

• When measuring your ingredients, I always recommend using weights rather than cups for greater accuracy. This is especially important for the amount of flour.

🔪 Equipment notes

• I like to use digital scales for weighing my ingredients as it's easier and more accurate than other scales (or using no scales!). I'm a fan of these KitchenAid or Salter ones!

• Use measuring spoons for your teaspoon and tablespoon amounts where possible. Make sure the scoops filled with your ingredients are levelled before adding them to your mix!

🍱 Storage

You can store your gluten-free cookies in an airtight container. They should keep for up to 4 days stored at room temperature.

💭 Top tips

For neat biscuits, I like to roll the dough into a log, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for at least 30mins before slicing off thin rounds. If you really want perfect circles you can stick your dough log in the freezer instead of the fridge so they’re extra cold and hold their shape even more.

♻️ Alternatives and substitutions

If you also like your lemon flavour to be quite subtle, try using only 1 lemon for the zest. This still gives the whole biscuits a good lift, but without being too sharp if you’re baking for people that maybe aren’t super into lemon or strong flavours.

🧁 Other goodies

I definitely recommend that you whip up a batch of these delicious lemon almond cookies! But as an avid home baker, I’m sure you’re asking yourself “what next?”.

If you do love all things lemon though, why not check out my recipe for tangy lemon curd - a gluten-free recipe!

Or if you're after some more gluten-free goodness, why not take a look at my recipe for a gluten-free Tequila Rose skull cake, gluten-free whisky almond dessert bars or gluten-free chocolate brownie cookies.

Other Related Recipes:

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📖 Recipe