Gluten-Free Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies are perfect for the holidays and easy to whip up. Use a star or Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter for the festive season or make heart-shaped tender shortbread cookies for the upcoming Valentine’s day. Little pieces of cranberries make these cookies even more special! These cookies taste too good to enjoy them only during one holiday!
There’s something extremely comforting about making Christmas cookies. These Gluten Free Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies are a perfect base for your sugar icing decorations or just to enjoy like they are, as we did.
These shortbread cookies are soo soo good with a cup of tea or coffee. They are gluten-free, filled with sugar, butter, and cranberries and are tasty as they are! You can use any shape cookie cutters (i.e. heart, circle, square, star). The canvas is yours!
Ingredients you’ll need for Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ⅓ cup cornflour
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar (or confectioner’s sugar)
- 3 oz butter, room temperature
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp water or plant-based milk
- 3 pcs egg yolks
- ¼ tsp baking powder gluten-free
- 3 tbsp dried cranberry (washed and dried)
How to make Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies
- Place cranberries in a small bowl with warm water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes. Then take them out and place them on a paper towel to dry out. This will help the berries to soften and remove the excess chemicals that are used for dried fruits. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add butter, powdered sugar and stir with a fork to combine.
- Then, add egg yolks to the mix, one by one. Keep stirring with the fork until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add water or milk, depending on what you prefer.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 flours, baking powder, xanthan gum.
- When all of these ingredients are combined, strain the flour mixture and add portion by portion to the butter mixture.
- Keep stirring the batter (it should be easy enough to stir it with a fork). The batter should be tender, slightly sticky, and hold its shape. Finally, stir in the cranberries.
- In case your batter looks dry, add 1 more teaspoon of water/milk. If it’s more liquid, then a few spoons of rice flour.
- Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it up in a plastic wrap. Start rolling the dough until it’s even and to the desired thickness. (This dough makes about 14 standard size Christmas tree shape cookies).
- Place the rolled out dough into the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- When ready, remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies.
- Transfer the cookies to the preheated oven to 350 F for 10-14 minutes.
- Let cool and decorate with frosting or eat as they are. Both ways are delicious!
Involve your kids in the preparation of these cookies, they can cut, decorate with frosting, and then help with cleaning too (my favorite part, shh don’t tell anyone!)
Anyways, they’ll love it! I hope you enjoy these Gluten-Free Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies. Happy baking!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest! Your feedback is so important and it helps other TYB readers who are planning to make this recipe. Thank you, appreciated!
More Christmas Recipes You’ll Like:
- Cranberry Orange Mini Loaves Breads (Gluten-Free)
- Almond Cranberry Tart (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Dairy-Free)
- Pork Tenderloin With Lingonberry Sauce
- Homemade Lingonberry Sauce
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Gluten Free Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ⅓ cup cornflour
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar
- 3 oz butter room temperature
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp water or plant-based milk
- 3 pcs egg yolks
- ¼ tsp baking powder gluten-free
- 3 tbsp dried cranberry washed and dried
Instructions
- Place cranberries in a small bowl with warm water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes. Then take them out and place them on a paper towel to dry out. This will help the berries to soften and remove the excess chemicals that are used for dried fruits. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add butter, powdered sugar and stir with a fork to combine.
- Then, add egg yolks to the mix, one by one. Keep stirring with the fork until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add water or milk, depending on what you prefer.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 flours, baking powder, xanthan gum.
- When all of these ingredients are combined, strain the flour mixture and add portion by portion to the butter mixture.
- Keep stirring the batter (it should be easy enough to stir it with a fork). The batter should be tender, slightly sticky, and hold its shape. Finally, stir in the cranberries.
- In case your batter looks dry, add 1 more teaspoon of water/milk. If it’s more liquid, then a few spoons of rice flour.
- Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it up in a plastic wrap. Start rolling the dough until it’s even and to the desired thickness. (This dough makes about 14 standard size Christmas tree shape cookies).
- Place the rolled out dough into the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- When ready, remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies.
- Transfer the cookies to the preheated oven to 350 F for 10-14 minutes.
- Let cool and decorate with frosting or eat as they are. Both ways are delicious!
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you made this recipe I would love to see it and share it! Please tag me on IG @theyummy_bowl, using the hashtag #theyummy_bowl.
I absolutely loved these! They have nice texture with not being too dry as most of gluten free shortbread cookie recipes out there!
Thank you so much Marge, I’m so happy that you like this recipe.
can you use a liquid sweetner like honey or maple syrup instead of powdered sugar?
Laurel, I am not sure, I haven’t tried liquid sweetener for this.
what is sugar powder? is there a substitute?
Sorry I meant powdered sugar )