This gluten free almond shortbread cookie is flavored with warm spices, orange zest, and almonds, and dipped in rich dark chocolate.
Calling all gluten-free cookie lovers! I have a cookie for you.
It’s spiced, it’s citrus-y, it’s nutty… and it’s dipped in dark chocolate.
Interested?
I created this cookie for my gluten-free friend, but I also loved it. It’s perfect for fall/winter with its’ warm spices. And orange and dark chocolate is one of my favorite combinations.
The texture is very similar to shortbread. It’s buttery and delicious and it melts in your mouth. These cookies are best eaten fresh, I’ve found. So plan on making and devouring them that day. Shouldn’t be a problem! But if you do make these gluten free almond shortbread cookies ahead of time, keep them tightly wrapped.
You can roll these cookies into a rectangular log and make any size version you’d like. They also cut wonderfully if you’re looking to do shapes. I made them into pumpkins on Halloween. Just chill your cut cookies for about 10 minutes before baking them.
Once baked, these gluten free almond shortbread goodies will get a dip in dark chocolate and a sprinkle of almonds. I use an all-purpose gluten free (cup for cup) flour in this recipe alongside finely ground almonds. If you didn’t want to make this gluten free, you could use flour.
I hope that you enjoy these Gluten Free Almond Shortbread cookies! What is your favorite kind of cookie? Let me know in the comments below!
Here are a few things you may need for this recipe:
Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour // Wild Soil Almonds // Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract // Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
This post contains affiliate links but are always products I highly recommend!

gluten free orange + spiced almond shortbread
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 40 1x
Description
A gluten free shortbread cookie, flavored with warm spices, orange zest and almonds, is dipped in rich dark chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose cup for cup gluten free flour (such as Bob’s or Cup4Cup)
- 1/2 cup finely ground roasted, unsalted almonds (plus more for garnish, chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon all-spice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grind roasted, unsalted almonds in a food processor until you get half a cup.
- Mix the gluten free flour with the almond flour, zest, salt and all of the spices.
- Cream softened, room temperature butter with sugar for a minute or two until combined. Add vanilla.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter in 3 additions until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl.
- Form your dough into 3 rectangular logs and wrap in plastic. Chill in the fridge for about 45 minutes, until firm. (If you would like to roll out/cut your cookies into shapes, chill your dough and roll out on a floured surface).
- Cut your dough into rectangles about a half inch thick. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Your cookies should still be cold/firm when placing in the oven. If they’ve softened, put them in the fridge on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cookies are beginning to brown at the edges.
For Dipping
- Melt 3/4 of the chocolate with the coconut oil over a double boiler. The coconut oil will help keep the chocolate smooth and shiny in lieu of tempering. Once melted, take off the heat and add the rest of the chocolate. Let sit until melted.
- Dip cooled cookies into the chocolate and sprinkle with chopped, toasted almonds. Place in the freezer a few minutes until the chocolate is set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
These cookies are best eaten fresh the day of. They will be okay for a few days in an airtight container, but note that they will be soften some.
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This looks so good! My son eats gluten free often because of a wheat allergy so it’s always so awesome to see a gluten free recipe! I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try soon. Thanks for sharing!
Where have these been all my life? Delicious!
One of the benefits of living in California we never runs off citrus fruit. Glad to find this recipe I can wait to try this at home for the weekend family dinner.
★★★★★
Oh my goodness, these look SO good. That dark chocolate was the perfect touch, in my opinion.
★★★★★
These sound delicious. There is everything here I need shortbread, almond and chocolate nice combo. There are so many well thought out gluten free recipes now.
This is an awesome delight and deserves more than 5-stars!
I would like to share this to my Mother, she will like it.
★★★★★
Saved! Definitely trying this recipe.
★★★★★
My 10 year old has shown a more interest in cooking so these would be fun for him to make as well
Hi These look delicious. I am considering making these for a christmas cookie exchange but am concerned about the comment that they soften quickly. Any tips to make them last longer? perhaps omitting the orange zest would help?
thank you, Nellie
Hi there Nellie! You could omit the orange zest in the cookie and sprinkle some over the chocolate before it sets. That would look pretty 🙂 If you store the cookies in an air-tight container, they should be okay for a few days. Mine were a little softer after a few days and didn’t have the shortbread “crisp” that they had the first day. However, they were still delicious! Baking them a little longer OR rolling them thinner will also make them much crispier.
I have to say I love your blog. Great photos! I imagine these cookies just popping right out of the photo into my mouth. They look delicious. I will make these cookies for Easter. Thanks for the recipe and inspiring me to bake!
I want to eat these Lovie. All day.