Deliciously nutty gluten free Spanish almond cookies (polvorones de almendra) are incredibly tender, super crumbly, and so delicious. They’re easy to make, literally melt in your mouth, and have the most incredible flavor.
Made with only 6 ingredients you probably already have on hand – almond flour, shortening, powdered sugar, gluten free 1:1 flour, cinnamon, and salt – these Spanish almond cookies are a crumbly shortbread that’s not too sweet but have a super soft and delicate texture.
This Spanish almond cookie recipe has been in my husband’s family for years so I decided to make it gluten free and simpler than ever! The original recipe calls for raw almonds to be blanched, roasted, and ground to make homemade almond flour. I’ve found that toasting store-bought blanched almond flour before adding it to the recipe gives you the same results and saves SO MUCH TIME!
What you’ll need to make these Gluten Free Spanish Almond Cookies (Polvorones de Almendra)
(links below are the gluten free & celiac safe products I used in this recipe)
- fine blanched almond flour
- vegetable shortening
- powdered sugar
- gluten free 1:1 flour
- cinnamon
- fine sea salt
What are Polvorones you might ask?
Polvorones are a type of Spanish shortbread cookie traditionally made with almonds and pork fat. In modern days, pork fat has been replaced with shortening or butter. “Polvo” in Spanish translates to powder or dust and these cookies will literally crumble into dust right in your mouth! They’re extremely popular during the holiday season, but I love them year-round.
More delicious gluten free cookie recipes you’re sure to love!
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Healthy Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies
- Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make these Gluten Free Spanish Almond Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and rating below. You can also snap a photo and post it on Instagram! Make sure to tag @glutenless_apron and use the hashtag #glutenlessapron for a chance to be featured. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Spanish Almond Cookies (Polvorones de Almendra)
- Yield: 18 Cookies
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Deliciously nutty gluten free Spanish almond cookies (polvorones de almendra) are incredibly tender, super crumbly, and so delicious. They’re easy to make, literally melt in your mouth, and have the most incredible flavor.
Ingredients
(links below are the gluten free & celiac safe products I used in this recipe)
- 1 cup packed fine blanched almond flour
- 10 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup gluten free 1:1 flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Add almond flour and toast for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway. Once done toasting, transfer almond flour to a large bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Set aside sheet pan with parchment paper.
step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and powdered sugar together on medium-low speed until shortening forms pea-sized crumbs.
step 3
In the large bowl with the cooled almond flour, add the gluten free flour, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until combined. Add flour mixture to the shortening/powdered sugar mixture and mix on medium-low speed until combined, this will take a few minutes. Press the dough together to form a ball.
step 4
Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust with gluten free flour. Place dough in the center of prepared parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to an even ½ inch thickness. Grab a 2 inch round cookie cutter and dust in gluten free flour. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut out the cookies. Use a spatula to carefully move cut out cookies onto the prepared sheet pan, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart. Re-roll dough scraps and cut out cookies until all the dough has been used.
step 5
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies begin to crack and the edges are a light golden brown. Allow cookies to cool completely on sheet pan as they are very delicate and will fall apart if moved while still warm.
* some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! thanks for the support! *
Alana says
Is it possible to use butter in place of shortening?
Emily Chave says
Hi Alana, I have never tried it but substituting butter in place of shortening should work fine in this recipe. The cookies may not have the same texture or keep their shape as well, but I’m sure they will still taste wonderful!
Anna says
Very yummy! I used a combination of butter and Earth Balance Spread instead of shortening and I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract too. Just be very careful when toasting the almond flour crumbs… i took mine out at 8 minutes-as the edges were really brown.