Gluten-Free Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

5.0 from 1 vote

These hazelnut shortbread cookies are buttery, rich, nutty, and delicious. They melt in your mouth as soon as you bite into them. 

Shortbread cookies are already delicious on their own. But add hazelnut meal, and they become even more addicting. They are the perfect crowd-pleaser for the holiday season. 

Ingredients

• Cassava Flour 
• Oat Flour 
• White Rice Flour 
• Hazelnut Meal
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter 
• Sugar-Free Sweetener
• Vanilla Extract 

How To Make Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Mix the cassava flour, oat flour, white rice flour, hazelnut meal, and salt in a large bowl until combined. 

Add the butter and sugar-free sweetener to a stand mixer. Beat it using the paddle attachment until it is fluffy. 

Next, mix in the vanilla extract until combined. 

Mix in the hazelnut flour mixture and beat it just until the dough comes together. 

Place the hazelnut shortbread cookie dough on your countertop and press together into a ball. Shape it into a log that is 4 centimeters in width and 10-11 inches long. 

Wrap the hazelnut shortbread cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

About 20 minutes before you plan to bake the shortbread cookies, set your oven to 350°F and let it preheat. 

Unwrap the cookie dough and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. Place them on a baking sheet and bake them for 12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges. 

Let the hazelnut shortbread cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Place the cookies on a cooling rack and let the cookies cool completely. 

Tips For Making Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Use room-temperature butter. It will blend evenly into the cookie dough. Let your butter sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before making the shortbread cookies.

Use a granular sugar-free sweetener. Do not use stevia to make these cookies. You will not be able to beat the butter until it has a pale color and is fluffy. It will break down into a liquid, and the butter will sit on top of this liquid. Use Swerve, sugar-free sweetener. You can use granulated monk fruit sweetener or maple sugar if you want to keep things natural. 

Chill the hazelnut shortbread cookie dough. If you skip this step, the hazelnut shortbread cookies will lose their shape and spread too much as they bake in the oven. Chill the shortbread cookie dough for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results. 

How To Toast Hazelnut Meal

You can toast hazelnut meal to give these cookies even more flavor. 

There are a few ways you can toast hazelnut flour. But the easiest way to toast hazelnut flour is by using the oven. 

1. Set your oven to 350°F then let it preheat. Place the hazelnut meal onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
2. Spread the hazelnut meal into an even layer and place it into the oven. 
3. Bake the hazelnut meal for 10-15 minutes, turning it over every 5 minutes until golden brown. 
4. Remove the hazelnut meal from the oven and let it cool completely before using it. 

How Do You Make Hazelnut Meal

Making hazelnut meal is easy to do. The trick is adding a bit of sugar to the hazelnuts before you grind them. The sugar will prevent it from becoming hazelnut butter. 

Add the hazelnuts and sugar to a food processor. Pulse it a few times until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Do not pulse the hazelnuts too much, or you will end up 

with hazelnut butter.  

Place the hazelnut meal into an airtight container. Store the hazelnut meal in the fridge for 1 month. You can also store the hazelnut meal in the freezer for 2 months.

What Is The Difference Between Shortbread Cookies And Butter Cookies 

The difference is in the amount of fat and sugar. Shortbread cookies contain more fat, creating a buttery, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth when you eat it. Butter cookies contain more sugar and less fat. They are also baked at higher temperatures. 

Recommended Recipes: