these grain free, scd legal take on shortbread cookies are made with a mix of both almond flour and coconut flour, and sweetened with honey. they’re perfect for any celebratory occasion that calls for cookie cut-outs, but they’re equally delicious as a plain, everyday cookie to enjoy with a warm beverage.

I’ve always loved a classic shortbread cookie. A cookie that’s butter-y and sweet and a bit dense, with that distinct consistency that is reminiscent of cake but not quite. That’s the type of shortbread cookie I attempted to re-create for this holiday season.

I did not ice this cookies, although they are definitely a good candidate for icing. However these cookies are also just fantastic as they are– in their simplicity.

Like many grain free cookie recipes, these cookies can be easily stored in the freezer, which makes them perfect to prep ahead of the Christmas rush, and have them ready to go day-of. At least, that’s what I’ve gone ahead and done. Although it’s worth noting– these cookies are also freaking addictive and highly delicious when eaten cold out of the freezer (again, like many an SCD cookie), so admittedly this plan isn’t entirely bullet-proof. It’s possible I’ll be nibbling at frozen cookies all the way up til Christmas day, and then need to re-make them. But then again, who doesn’t wanna make fresh, Christmas-themed cookies on the day of? Right. I’m not sure how I got to this conclusion, but it appears that either way, this situation is a win-win.

These cookies are made with mostly almond flour, but it does call for a 1/4 cup of coconut flour. The rest of the ingredient list is rather simple, and like many of my recipes, I throw all the ingredients together in one bowl, making the prep time and clean-up time on these bad boys a breeze.

The cookies themselves are delicate, and so it will require a bit of freezer time for the raw dough before you can manipulate them with cookie cutters. However cookie cutters aren’t a must, you can also make these cookies in your more traditional circular shape– although I would still recommend allowing the dough to sit in the freezer for a bit to make it a bit less sticky and soft.

Now, getting back to the icing: if you feel your cookies are incomplete and you want to top them off with an icing or frosting, I have a few you can go to on my site. I think the vanilla icing recipe for my recent SCD chewy “chocolate” cookies would work very well with these shortbread cookies.

Find the vanilla icing recipe here.

You could also try something thick and luxurious if you want something that veers into frosting territory — in that case, try the cashew “buttercream” frosting from my gingerbread cupcakes recipe.

Find the cashew “buttercream” frosting recipe here.

Now on to the shortbread cookie recipe below. Let me know if you try this recipe for the holiday season or otherwise, tag me on IG @grainfreee.

shortbread cookies: ingredients

1 + 1/2 cup of almond flour
1/4 cup of coconut flour
4 tbsp of butter, melted (sub coconut oil)
1 egg
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp of honey
1/2 tsp of baking soda

shortbread cookies: how to

mix your dry ingredients in a large bowl, and add in your wet ingredients, combining well.
once the batter is well combined, knead it with your hands and form it into a ball or log.
wrap it in parchment paper tightly and place it in the freezer for 2 hours to get cold and firm.
once it’s hardened, remove portions from the freezer each time to roll out and make shapes with your cookie cutters. the batter gets warm quickly and that makes it difficult to shape, which is why it’s best to leave the majority of it in the freezer and roll it out in sections.
if there is a section that’s become to warm, simply pop it back in the freezer to allow it to cool before you try to roll it out again.
when rolling out the dough, place another piece of parchment paper on top fo the dough, and place the dough directly on top of the baking sheet, lined with parchment paper as well (if possible– this is so you don’t need to pick up the cookies and transfer them since they are delicate).
once your dough is rolled out– approx 1/4 inch in thickness, use your cookie cutters to create desired shapes.
bake in a preheated oven at 350, for 10 minutes. keep an eye to avoid them getting burnt as it will happen quickly.
these cookies are best stored in the fridge or freezer! allow to cool completely before icing, if you are icing.

Print Recipe