Erin’s Recipe Rundown
I’ve always loved the look and taste of Linzer cookies and this gluten-free version doesn’t skip on any of the beauty or flavor!
These gluten-free Linzer cookies are irresistible with their hint of cinnamon and jam filling, plus they look fancy without being fussy.
Why You’ll Love It: These easy, buttery, tender, just-sweet-enough treats are made to be shared! They’re perfect for cookie exchanges, parties, and all that the holidays have in store.
Top Tip: For best results, I recommend freezing the cookies before baking to help them hold their shape. I use this linzer cookie cutter set that!
For more gluten-free Christmas cookies, try these gluten-free thumbprint cookies, gluten-free spritz cookies, gluten-free pizzelle, gluten-free biscotti, or gluten-free shortbread cookies.
xoxo erin
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free Linzer cookies Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: It’s important to use a high-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour that contains xanthan gum, like King Arthur, for the right texture and structure.
- Almond flour: I love adding a little almond flour to the dough so that they turn out tender and golden brown.
- Cornstarch: Common in shortbread-style cookies, the cornstarch is key for softer, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
How to Make Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Two bowls needed: Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl first. For the other ingredients, I like to use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work too!
Combine and chill: Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet. You may have to stop and scrape the bowl once or twice to get it all combined. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge. This will making rolling it out so much easier!
Roll and cut: Don’t forget to flour your surface first! You can cut out plain circles, but I like to use a cookie cutter with scalloped edges for a little extra character. Use a tiny heart or star shaped cutter to create the center designs in half of the cookies.
Freeze, bake, assemble: Freezing them for just 15 minutes is key to avoid spreading! Bake and cool. Sprinkle the cookies with the heart or star cutouts with powdered sugar. Cover the other cookies with jam. Put one of each together to make the cutest sandwich cookies!
MORE GLUTEn-FREE CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies (Easy No-Spread!)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (262g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ⅔ cup (67g) almond flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Other
- 1 cup (226g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (248g) raspberry jam
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well-combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix again until fully incorporated.
- Divide the dough into two discs and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. (If chilling for more than a few hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.)
- Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 2½-inch circles (I like to use cookie cutters with scalloped edges).
- Use a small heart- or star-shaped cookie cutter to cut designs in the center of half of the cookies. (Or you can use this linzer cookie cutter set!)Use a thin spatula to place the cookies with cutouts on a separate baking sheet from the ones without cutouts to ensure even baking.
- Freeze the cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the cookies with cutouts with powdered sugar. Top the remaining cookies with 1 teaspoon of jam, spreading it slightly. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies.
