A tender, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, sweetened naturally and gluten-free. JUMP TO RECIPE
Shortbread has been around for hundreds of years. According to this article on the history of shortbread, the earliest documented recipe appeared in a Scottish cookbook in the year 1736. Back then nobody was concerned about the difference between natural and refined sweeteners or whether the baked goods they were eating were gluten-free, but nowadays most of us want (or need) healthier, more allergy friendly food. Thankfully shortbread can be replicated to address these modern-day concerns without any sacrifice in taste. This recipe for Honey Almond Shortbread is every bit as rich, delicious, and buttery as traditional shortbread but it’s sweetened naturally (with honey), and made with almond flour instead of wheat flour, so it’s gluten-free too.
As much as I love homemade cookies, they can be a little cumbersome to make, especially if you need to roll out dough and cut it into shapes. Drop cookies are easier but still require a bit of extra prep time prior to baking. In contrast, Honey Almond Shortbread requires no rolling, cutting or dropping of the dough onto cookies sheets. Simply mix up the dough and press it into an 8-inch tart pan. The hardest part of this recipe is remembering to take the butter out ahead of time so it softens to room temperature! (If you forget, all is not lost. Check out this article on how to quickly soften butter to room temperature.) Arranging the almond slices decoratively on top of the cookie dough will take you a few minutes, but if you’re short on time (or patience) just spread them evenly over the surface of the dough instead.
Honey Almond Shortbread takes only 10 minutes to bake! Once it’s done and has cooled for a few minutes you can cut it into wedges and either eat it handheld, like a cookie, or serve it more like a traditional tart (as pictured), perhaps with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. Yum!
Although Honey Almond Shortbread shares some of the most important characteristics with classic shortbread (rich, buttery, crumbly), it has a much more tender texture with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth quality – perfect for afternoon tea! If you’d like to see another healthier version of shortbread check out Almond Pecan Coconut Sugar Shortbread.
If you make Honey Almond Shortbread don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me over on Instagram @QueenofMyKitchen. I’d love to see your creation!
- 1¼ cups (120 grams/4.2 ounces) finely ground blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the almond flour, butter, honey, vanilla, and salt. Stir until a smooth, soft dough forms.
- Transfer to an 8-inch round non-stick tart pan with removable bottom.
- Press the dough evenly into the pan (place a sheet of plastic wrap on top or wet your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking).
- Arrange the sliced almonds decoratively on top OR spread them evenly over the dough.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still pale in the center.
- Let cool before slicing into wedges.
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