Gluten Free Linzer Cookies (Paleo, Dairy Free)
Recipe Key
These beautiful Linzer Cookies have a tender texture and a nutty almond flavor. The simple almond flour shortbread cookie is layered with jam and finished with powdered sugar. The traditional cut-out in the top has a glistening stained-glass-window effect making it an impressive holiday treat. The cookies are soft and buttery but totally gluten free, dairy free and paleo.
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies come from the Linzertorte an Austrian dessert named after the city of Linz. The tart is made with ground almonds, topped with fruit preserves and a lattice design on top.
Linzer cookies are a smaller version of the Linzer torte formed into a cookie sandwich with raspberry jam filling topped with powdered sugar.
Gluten Free Linzer Cookies
Here I take the traditional Linzer cookie and upgrade the recipe with healthier ingredients.
I use almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut oil, pastured egg, almond extract, vanilla extract and orange zest to give the cookies a shortbread-like texture and rich nutty flavor. They are sweetened with maple syrup and the powdered sugar on top is made with powdered maple sugar (recipe below) or organic powdered sugar.
I use raspberry jam but any flavor jam will work. I choose organic jam since berries are heavily sprayed.
These holiday cookies taste and look like the ones you buy from a bakery but they are much healthier, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and paleo.
Tips for Rolling and Cutting the Dough
You can follow the recipe card below for the exact steps but here I want give you some tips to make your cookies come out perfectly.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP IS DOUGH MUST BE COLD.
Once you make the dough, divide it into 2 balls. This way you can roll out one ball and the second one stays chilled.
Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment about 1/4 inch thick. You don’t want it too thick.
Before cutting the cookies into shapes put the rolled piece of dough into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Cold dough will not stick to the cookie cutters. If the dough is warm it will stick to your cookie cutters and the shapes get messy.
Remove the dough from the freezer and cut out your desired shapes with your cookie cutters (half solid shapes, half with cut-out “windows”) and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Re-roll any dough scraps that remain and put the dough back into the freezer before cutting more cookie shapes. Repeat the process to make use of all of the dough.
Once your tray is filled with cookies, finally pop the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes to re-chill the dough before baking.
Tips for Putting The Cookies Together
Allow the cookies to cool completely. Once the cookies are baked let them cool completely before picking them up. If you assemble the cookies while warm, they might fall apart.
Dust with half the cookies with powdered sugar before assembling. Take all the cut-out cookies and place on one tray. Dust only the cut out cookies with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
Spread 1-2 teaspoons of jam on the full cookies and place the cut out cookies on top to form a beautiful little Linzer cookie sandwich.
Cookie Cutters
I bought Linzer Cookie Cutters. These are good because they have nice small shapes for the cookie window cut out. The only drawback is you have to remove the dough from the little cut out after every 2 cookies.
Alternatively, use any cookie cutter you have and a small bottle top to make the cut out. The top of the bottle of vanilla works well.
If you don’t have cookie cutters use a mason jar and a small bottle top.
How To Store Gluten Free Linzer Cookies
Store the cookies at room temperature for 1 day without any cover or lightly cover with aluminum foil. Don’t cover with plastic wrap or put in an air tight container, they will get soggy.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, let come to room temperature for best eating.
Making these soft and buttery gluten free linzer cookies is lots of fun. They are a beautiful and festive holiday cookie made healthier. Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and paleo. Happy baking!
If you give this recipe a try, please let us know what you think! Give it some stars or leave a comment. ♥
If you like this recipe, try these other healthy holiday cookies:
- Soft and Chewy Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Honey Roasted Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Paleo Ginger Sandwich Cookies
- Easy Thumbprint Cookies
- Almond Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
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PrintGluten Free Linzer Cookies
These beautiful soft and buttery linzer cookies made with almond flour are an impressive holiday treat but totally gluten free, dairy free and paleo.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Paleo, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted (84 grams)
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour (280 grams)
- 1/3 cup coconut flour (33 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 pastured egg, room temperature
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2–3/4 cup raspberry seedless jam (or other flavor)
- 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar or paleo powdered sugar
Paleo Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar ( I used maple sugar, coconut sugar will be darker)
- 1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil in a small pan and set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, vanilla extract and orange zest.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Mix until the dough comes together. Form it into 2 balls.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 minutes to prevent sticking when rolling.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the first ball of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper about 1/4 inch thick. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer, use linzer cookie cutters (see notes above for cookie cutters) to cut half with a cut out in the center and half with full centers (read tips for making the dough).
- Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Re-roll any dough scraps that remain. Put the rolled dough into the freezer for 5 minutes before making the cut outs.
- Repeat with the second ball of dough to make cookie cut outs with all of the dough, half with a cut out in the center and half with full centers.
- Once your baking sheet is full, place the baking sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 20 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.
- Let cool. Once the baked cookies are cool, separate the full cookies from the ones with the cut outs.
- Dust the only the cookies with cut outs with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
- Spread 1-2 teaspoons of jam on the full cookies and place the cookies with the cut out on top to form a cute little Linzer cookie sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Serve!
- Store loosely covered with foil on a plate or in the refrigerator if storing for more than 2 days. They will get soggy if you store them in an air tight container
Paleo Powdered Sugar
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Start blending on low speed and gradually increase to high.
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Blend for 30-60 seconds, or until your mixture obtains a fluffy, powdery consistency (like powdered sugar).
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Let the mixture settle in your blender for 15 seconds before removing the top!
- Sift through a fine strainer to dust your linzer cookies.