This easy vegan and gluten-free linzer cookies recipe creates a light and crispy cookie with a rich berry jam filling. These cookies are AIP/paleo, grain free, coconut free and make a perfect holiday cookie!
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As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find delicious gluten-free baked goods that taste as good as their conventional counterparts. My nut-free and vegan linzer cookies recipe promises a classic crispy cookie with a rich jam filling without any gluten, nuts, dairy, or eggs. It’s an allergy-friendly treat everyone will enjoy!
Vegan Linzer Cookies
Linzer cookies are a traditional Austrian dessert traditionally made with nuts and butter for decadent shortbread cookie with a sweet and tart jam filling. To keep these cookies nut-free they are made with a blend of cassava and tapioca flour. They’re filled with a homemade raspberry jam compote, but would also be really delicious with a chocolate or salted caramel center for a decadent treat that’s perfect for Valentine’s day or other special occasions/holidays.
If you enjoy my gluten-free sugar cookies or my strawberry cookies you are going to love this linzer cookies recipe. They’re easy to make with just a couple bowls, and don’t require any specialized ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
- cassava flour – I recommend Otto’s Organic Cassava flour or Bob’s Red Mill Cassava flour
- tapioca starch
- palm shortening – ensure you’re using 100% vegetable shortening here and not a mix of coconut oil and palm shortening if you’re coconut free.
- pure vanilla extract
- frozen strawberries or raspberries
- maple syrup
- lemon juice
Ingredient Substitutions
- You can use arrowroot starch instead of tapioca starch.
- Palm shortening can be replaced with an equal amount of melted coconut oil if you can tolerate coconut. The cookies are slightly more fragile using this substitute, and won’t get as golden brown as they bake, but it’s a good option if you can’t get palm shortening and want to avoid the additives often found in vegan butter.
- If you aren’t following a vegan diet you can replace the maple syrup in the berry compote with honey.
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries can be used here but the color of the compote won’t be as bright/concentrated and you’ll need to add water to the pot along with the lemon juice when stewing them down in order to create a compote.
- You can replace the strawberry or raspberry jam filling with melted chocolate, or a vegan caramel like in this recipe.
- I don’t recommend any other substitutions.
How to Make Linzer Cookies
Follow these step by step instructions to make this easy vegan linzer cookies recipe!
STEP 1: PREP THE OVEN
First, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat/whisk wet ingredients until combined. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use your hands to bring the dough together.
STEP 3: ROLL OUT THEN CHILL THE DOUGH
On parchment paper, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough ball to a minimum of 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate dough for 5-7 minutes.
STEP 4: CUT OUT COOKIES
Use a fluted cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
STEP 5: BAKE COOKIES FOR 11-12 MINUTES
STEP 6: MAKE FILLING
While cookies bake, make the jam filling.
STEP 7: LET COOL
Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely before handling!
STEP 8: FILL & SANDWICH COOKIES
Spoon 1 tsp of jam into the center of half the cookies, and top with remaining cookies.
Expert Tips
- The cookie dough should be rolled out to no less than 1/4-inch thickness.
- Be mindful of your chill-time. The purpose of chilling the dough is so that it is not as soft and breakable, but over-chilling will result in stiff dough that will also crack. If your dough over-chills:
- Allow it to warm up a bit before using the cookie cutter.
- Use fingers to smooth over cracks and bring the dough back together.
- Ensure cookies are all the same thickness so they bake evenly.
- Allow the cookies cool fully before handling or adding the jam filling or they will crack/crumble.
- Once removed from the oven, leave the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes. Then gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before adding filling.
- Wet ingredients like the palm shortening and maple syrup should be at room temperature rather than cold, so they mix easily and evenly and allow the dough to be moist and smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Linzer cookies are a twist off the linzer torte, originating from Linz, Austria.
The dough should be tacky, though not sticky. If this is the case, try adding more cassava flour 1 tsp at a time until the dough is a tacky consistency. Note, it will become less tacky once refrigerated.
This is due to lack of moisture in the dough. You’ll want to ensure that the wet ingredients that you’re using are room temperature so they don’t solidify in the dough.
Yes. The ball of dough can be made and kept wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. Remove from fridge and allow to soften before rolling out between two pieces of parchment paper. If necessary, return to fridge for 5 minutes before using cookie cutter.
Alternatively, you can freeze the dough wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag for up to 30 days. Allow the dough to come to thaw in the fridge for 12 hours before using.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively, these can be kept in the freezer for up to a month. If freezing, allow to come to room temperature before enjoying.
Looking for more vegan and gluten-free cookies and treats? You might enjoy
If you try this Linzer Cookies recipe I would love if you could give it a star rating and short review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious
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Linzer Cookies Recipe (gluten-free, paleo, nut-free)
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 10 linzer cookie sandwiches 2 inch diameter 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These AIP Linzer Cookies are light and crispy and so delicious with a rich berry filling. They’re vegan, paleo, grain free, coconut free.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cassava flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Berry Filling
- 1 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries
- 2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
- 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine cassava flour, tapioca starch, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer/hand held mixer or using a large bowl and whisk combine palm shortening, maple syrup and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Use a spatula to fold palm shortening mixture into flour mixture and then your hands to bring the dough together.
- Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to a rectangle 1/4-inch thick*
- Refrigerate sheet of dough 5-7 minutes.
- Cut out cookies from dough using a fluted cookie cutter.
- Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake in the middle rack of oven for 11-12 minutes until slightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool at least ten minutes before removing from cookie sheet and transferring to cooling rack to complete cooling.
Jam Filling
- To a small saucepan, add frozen berries, lemon juice and honey on low-medium heat. Allow berries to melt, stirring intermittently until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes.**
Assembly
- Once cookies have cooled completely, spoon 1 tsp of filling into the center of half the cookies, and top with remaining cookies.
Notes
* Ensure not to roll out your cookie dough too thin or the cookies will crack.
**Jam will continue to thicken once removed from heat and if refrigerated.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
These are amazing!! I have a little dog with special needs and I make her food. I wanted to be able to share these with her and palm oil is toxic for dogs so I swapped out butter (I can have dairy) and they are PERFECT! Thank you so much! Your site is amazing. Can’t wait to make more things.
Hi there we made cookies and they were delicious but when we are making the strawberry filling you said in your text that it would thicken but when we made it it did not become thick can you recommend any solutions to make it more thick . Thank you Bye
Hi Ava, thank you for leaving your review! It should thicken once you’ve used the right amount of berries and let it simmer long enough after it boils. You could try using a bit more berries to see if this helps.
Delicious! They were a huge hit at the 3rd grade class breakfast this morning. I used arrowroot instead of tapioca. The dough was lovely to work with. I was able to transfer the round to the cookie sheet without breaking or distortion.
Lovely! Perfect crumble and crunch. Saved Christmas.
This was awesome … mine look a bit more messy haha but they’re delicious ! Thanks !
Another perfect recipe. These are the best AIP cookies I’ve found so far—and I love them just on their own, even without the filling. You’re a genius at this, Nicole!
Mi cookies came out delicious but they where kinda chewy in the middle and i did tried to bake them longer but came out a little bit bitter and too hard. Any thoughts on why did this happened? I thought about putting half syrup and half sugar so i take away some of the moisture. But right now i love the color and the flavor, just not the texture. Tastes like if it had xantana
So yummy no too sweet and not too salty!
Any thoughts on using coconut flour instead of cassava?
Hi there, coconut flour won’t work here unfortunately
These are absolutely delicious! I made them as a plain cookie, no filling. I love the crisp texture and lovely balance of sweet and a hint of salt.
Do you ever post your measurements in grams, rather than cups? I made one of you loaves and it was too dense – I assumeI packed the flour too tightly in the cups.
Hey Claire! Are you referring to the sourdough bread? It’s definitely more dense than a loaf made with gluten but there’s a possibility you could have used too much flour. Next time I make a loaf I will try to remember to measure in grams.
These are delicious and pretty easy to make. I substituted coconut oil for the palm shortening and was worried that might affect the dough but it was fine. My dough did crack a little while working with it but once I rolled it out it was fine and I found the key was to refrigerate the cookies for a few minutes after cutting them out, as recommended. Don’t try to transfer them to your baking sheet until you take them out of the fridge and then they’ll keep their shape without cracking. Even with the coconut oil, they turned a little golden while baking!
Can I substitute arrowroot for the tapioca?
Hi Susannah, they are often interchangeable but I haven’t tried myself in this recipe so can’t say for sure!
Can I replace tapioca with arrowroot starch?
Hi Sami, they are often interchangeable but I haven’t tried myself in this recipe so can’t say for sure!