With my gluten-free Linzer cookies, a buttery soft shortbread gets a nutty dose from almond flour. These buckwheat cookies, sandwiched with delicious fruit jam, are a delightful holiday bake, made with simple pantry ingredients and little effort!
Spritz and Linzer cookies were one of the first Christmas cookies I baked, some 15 years ago. From then on, these are baked every year in December because I can make them in all shapes, sizes, and jam fillings. Needless to say, I have a lot of fun with them!
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How to make gluten-free Linzer cookies?
What are the ingredient substitutes?
More cookie recipes for Christmas
Where do Linzer cookies come from, and why are they called Linzer?
The origins of Linzer cookies are Austrian. Linzertorte is a traditional Austrian dessert torte/tart from the Linz region in the country, which is where the cookies get their name from.
The classic dessert is a pastry, topped with fruit preserves. Linzer cookies use mostly the same ingredients and have a similar flavor, but are just presented differently.
How to make gluten-free Linzer cookies?
Even with buckwheat flour and no eggs, the cookies stay buttery soft, slightly nutty, and utterly delicious thanks to the almond meal and butter.
- Begin by beating your softened butter with sugar until it is fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract, buckwheat flour, and almond meal to it.
- With your hands, gently bring the dough together and then divide it into two parts.
- Roll each part into a ball and then set them to chill. 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator will do it.
- Once the dough is firm enough to handle, plop it onto your floured prep area.
- Then roll each ball into a rough circle that’s about 1/8th of an inch thick.
Bake and sandwich the buckwheat almond Linzer cookies
- Pick two cookie cutters in different sizes but the same shape.
- Punch out cookies from one of the rolled dough using the bigger cutter and set aside.
- Do the same with the other rolled-out dough.
- Then with a smaller cookie cutter, cut out centers from half of the cookies. Since these are sandwich cookies, make sure there is an equal number of whole cookies and cookies with cutouts.
- Bake all the cookies in a Silpat or parchment-paper-lined tray for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once golden, take them out and let them cool.
- Spread jam on each of the whole cookies. Then gently place the cutout cookies on top of each to sandwich them together.
- Drizzle icing sugar, and you have the most festive and delicious cookies ready.
How long do these jam cookies last?
These buckwheat almond Linzer cookies store well for 4 to 5 days in an air-tight container. Beyond that, they begin to get a bit moist (although the taste is still great). So, if you’re making a big batch ahead of time for holiday gifting, assemble them on the day of or just before you’re serving.
How to make vegan Linzer cookies?
The recipe is already eggless, so all you have to do is use plant-based butter. I won’t opt for coconut oil because half the fun of these jam-filled treats is in the buttery shortbread.
What are the ingredient substitutes in almond Linzer cookies?
Flour: All-purpose flour is an option. But the combination of buckwheat and almond flour does wonders for the cookies. If you have trouble finding almond flour, it’s easy to make your own from whole almonds. Simply grind them to as fine a powder as possible in your coffee grinder.
Feel free to use any gluten-free flour from a trusted brand. I was gifted a bag of it by the savvy woman behind Baking From My Heart and have used it for plenty of other recipes, besides this, successfully. I highly recommend them, if you want crumbly and tender gluten-free cookies.
Jam: While I love raspberry or strawberry jam (with seeds) for these cookies, feel free to use any jam that makes you forget all reason. A quick homemade one like Mulberry Chia Seed Jam or Persimmon Chia Jam is a fantastic option. So is apricot or cherry jam, because they pair beautifully with buckwheat. Marmalade is a great choice too.
Try the gluten-free Linzer cookies, cause:
They’re absolutely gorgeous.
They only look fussy!
You just cut and bake.
They’re crumbly and super-buttery.
You get a cookie and a dessert in one go.
For more festive cookie ideas
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 150 gms Butter I use salted butter
- 50 gms Icing sugar Plus more for dusting on the cookies.
- 1 cup Buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup Almond meal
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Strawberry jam You can use any jam of your choice. You may need more.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Keep a 2" star-shaped cookie cutter and a smaller star-shaped cookie cutter handy. You can use any shape though.
- Beat the butter in a large bowl, until smooth. Add the sugar. Beat until slightly fluffy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract, buckwheat flour and almond meal. Use your hands to bring together the dough gently.
- Divide the dough into half. Roll each half into a flattish ball. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or so.
- Flour your work surface well, working with one dough ball at a time, roll out into a rough circle, about 1/8" thick.
- Use a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Use a smaller heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies. As you will be sandwiching the cookies, make sure there are equal number of whole cookies and cookies with cutouts.
- Place them on the baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until golden.
- Once the cookies are cooled, place one whole cookie, right side down, put a small teaspoon of jam in the center and spread it gently. Place the cutout cookie on top. Press it slightly. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
- Once the cookies are cooled, dredge the cutout cookies with icing sugar.
- Place one whole cookie right side down, put a small teaspoon of jam in the center and spread it gently. Place the cutout cookie on top. Press slightly. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
- These can be stored in an airtight jar for about a week.
Ingrid says
Yum...buckwheat, I have to use this recipe to make Linzer cookies from now on!
Awesome post Tasha.
natashaminocha says
Thank you so so much Ingrid!! Really happy you stopped by! xoxo
Pooja says
I will surely give it a try
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you so much! xx
Siri says
Can we use whole wheat flour and what is almond meal? Powder of almonds?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Siri, yes, wholewheat will work fine. There may be a bit of difference in the texture though. Yes, almond meal is almond powder. Hope this helps. 🙂