As a gal from Danish heritage, I have always loved these rich and buttery treats so wanted to make a gluten free butter cookies version. They are light, flavorful and only need a few ingredients and take just 30-minutes. My non-gluten free husband said that they remind him of the classic ones he remembers from the tin. That was a huge honor!
Honestly, I knew I had this recipe right when my hubby, who can have all the gluten he wants, said it was just like the original. I wanted a really butter cookie that would remind me and my family of our Danish heritage and these treats do it every time.
We love serving them at Danish dinner parties with our ebelskivers recipe and non-alcoholic mulled wine for the ultimate night of Hygge.
Why they will remind you of the real thing
Classic Ingredients- Just like their classic counterpart, they only use basic ingredients but put together in just the right way so they still work without gluten. I found that the combination of King Arthur gluten free all purpose flour with just a bit of almond flour makes for a great "flour" base.
Butter, butter, butter- Yes, butter cookies use lots of butter and for good reason. It comes through in both the flavor and the texture.
Light texture- I love that every bite of these cookies have a light crisp flavor but with that butter, slightly sweet mouth feel.
What you need to make them
Just like with regular butter cookies, the main ingredients here are flour and butter. But there are a few other things that make these great.
- Butter & Sugar: As you can imagine, butter and sugar are two key ingredients in these cookies, just like the classics. Make sure to get a butter rich in flavor like Irish butter. For the sugar, powdered sugar works best. When combined with the butter and whipped just right, the aeration replaces leavening and gives that classic texture).
- Almond Extract: This adds a slightly nutty flavor that brings more depth to the cookies and brings the Danish touch. It is absolutely optional but I do recommend it OR some ground cardamom.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour gives these cookies the perfect slightly crisp edges and ridges that you love and know. It gives them more structure.
- Gluten Free Flour: King Aurthur's Gluten Free Flour Blend is my favorite kind of gf all purpose flour. I haven't tried other brands in this so it is definitely the one I recommend.
Let's bake like the Danes
If you love this, you are also going to love our flaky almond gluten free danish. It is perfect for dessert or breakfast.
If you are wanting this to end your delicious dinner, our dutch oven roast whole chicken makes a great main dish.
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30-Minute Danish Gluten Free Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature but still cool to the touch
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract OR ground cardamom (optional, but great for Danish flavor)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (240g) (King Arthur blend recommended)
- ½ cup (56g) almond flour
- 4 tablespoons milk (more if dough is too thick to pipe through)
Instructions
- Beat butter and powdered sugar together on medium-high for 3–4 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy
- Mix in vanilla, almond extract (if using), and salt until smooth
- Add gluten-free flour and almond flour, mixing on low until just combined
- Mix in 4 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is soft enough to pipe but not runny. It should move through a large open star piping tip (like Ateco 827 or 829) with steady pressure (you can add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk if needed)
- Pipe rosettes circles onto parchment-lined trays then chill piped cookies for 20 minutes before baking to keep the ridges from falling
- Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, just until the edges are light golden then cool on the tray (they’ll crisp up slightly as they rest)
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