Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars

Soft, buttery, and soy-free, these vegan Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars are made with just six base ingredients and are ready in 30 minutes! Add your own flavorings or enjoy as is! These bars are a popular treat in our house, and we suspect they’ll be popular in yours, too! {Gluten-Free + Soy-Free + Vegan}

Hold the phone and shut the front door! Because today in the Spirited kitchen we have Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars. Unlike some shortbread recipes that turn out dry and flaky, these shortbreads turn out soft and buttery and downright satisfying. They are made with allergen-friendly butter, gluten-free baking flour, and your choice of flavorings. I was surprised by how delicious Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars turned out, given how simple the ingredient list is. There’s nothing parched, bland, or boring about them!

In fact, this recipe is so easy, we’ve made several batches inside of three days. The girls go absolutely nuts for them, and the 11-year-old decided Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars need to be on our Christmas menu. Since she’s planning the menu (the 7-year-old picked Thanksgiving), her suggestion is a done deal. And absolutely no one is complaining.

Here’s the thing about these shortbread bars: You know how sometimes you make cookies and once you’ve prepped the batter, you’re too tired to bake it and would rather eat it instead? Well, shortbread bars are so easy to make, there’s no mid-recipe fatigue. First, blend everything together, next spread the dough into the pan, and finally bake. Then set them on the counter to cool. Finally, enjoy! The recipe is as simple as that. 

These shortbreads are sweet and delicious just as they are. But if you have leftover energy to use up, then get a little crazy with your Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars and:

Add frozen fruit on top while they’re still warm Dip them in chocolate Drizzle chocolate over them Sprinkle powdered sugar on top

If you’re ready to male your own Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars, then keep on reading and get ready for some deliciousness! 

GLUTEN-FREE SHORTBREAD BARS INGREDIENTS:

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make your own Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars.

• Allergen-friendly buttery spread. I use Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread (in the tub). I have not tried this recipe with ghee, however that’s another option.
• Confectioners’ sugar. In addition to the amount added to the dough, reserve extra for sprinkling on the top of the baked bars, if desired.
• Gluten-free flour. The key to baking with gluten-free flour is to select a brand with a flavor you like. Since not all gluten-free flours taste the same, this process can be trial and error. I like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
• Baking powder and sea salt
• Water. Add a tablespoon at a time, blending in between each addition, if the dough is too crumbly.
• Optional: Add your favorite flavors. Vanilla, lemon, and almond extracts complement the sweet cookie flavor. If only adding a splash of flavoring (a teaspoon or less), then you shouldn’t need to adjust the other ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE SHORTBREAD BARS:

The process to make Gluten-Free Shortbread Bars is easy. Play around with flavors and baking times to get the style of bars you want!

1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking dish and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter for 30 seconds on a LOW to MEDIUM speed. Add the confectioners’ sugar to the butter and blend until combined. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, continuing to blend on a LOW to MEDIUM speed. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water, blending in between each addition, and then add any flavorings, as desired. Spread the dough into the greased pan.
4. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until desired level of doneness is achieved.
5. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for two to three days.

NOTE: The dough will not spread during the baking process. The way it goes into the oven is most likely the way it will come out. So it’s a good idea to try to spread the dough as evenly around the pan as possible. The dough will also continue to cook even after it comes out of the oven. I find the 20-minute mark is almost perfect. 

VARIATIONS AND TROUBLESHOOTING:

• Add flavors. Add vanilla, lemon, or almond extracts to change the flavor. If adding a teaspoon or less, you shouldn’t need to adjust the other ingredients.
• When the dough comes out crumbly: Add a splash of water.
• When the dough comes out to soft: Sprinkle in more flour and cream the ingredients together again.

BARS, BARS, AND MORE BARS!

• Cranberry Pecan Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Almond Butter Oatmeal Bars
• Mixed Berry Fruit Bars
• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
• No-Bake Paleo Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

This recipe is adapted from Jane Hodge’s Scotch Shortbread Bars in Best of Country Cookies (1999).

Friends, I hope this recipe finds you well. Take care of yourselves, stay safe, and know, as always, I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Print

Hodge, Jane. “Scotch Shortbread Bars.” Recipe. Best of Country Cookies. Ed. Julie Schnittka. Greendale, WI:Reiman Publications, LLC., 1999. 86. Print.