These 3-Ingredient Shortbread Biscuits are simple cookies made with no gluten, no eggs, no refined sugar, and rich in fiber.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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3-Ingredient Shortbread Biscuits
These 3-Ingredient Shortbread Biscuits are simple cookies made with no gluten, no eggs, no refined sugar, and rich in fiber.
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Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 150.5 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour - (note 1)
- 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - (note 3)
Optional – to create a chocolate shell
- ⅓ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- ½ teaspoon Coconut Oil - (note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (160°C). Prepare a large baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour and maple syrup until the dough is wet and sticky.
- Cut two pieces of parchment paper to a size of about 10 inches x 7 inches (25cm x 17cm). Lightly spray some oil on only one of the sides.
- Place the first piece of parchment paper on your work surface – oiled side up, not touching the work surface. Place the cookie dough ball on the oiled side of this piece of parchment paper. Press the second piece of parchment paper on the cookie dough – oiled side on the dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 7-inch x 5-inch rectangle (17 cm x 14 cm). It will make a thin 1/4-inch cookie dough.
- Oil the blade of a knife or pastry cutter to press and cut this rectangle into 14 smaller rectangles. You may need to reoil your cutting tool as it could be sticking to the cookie dough.
- Gently spread each rectangle of dough so they don't touch each other on the parchment paper. The cookies won't change shape or grow in the oven, but if they touch each other, they won't have crispy edges.
- Lightly prick each biscuit with the tip of a lightly oiled fork. Be gentle when pricking the cookies with a fork; don't press all the way through, as they are fragile and may break. You can also skip this step, as it's mostly decorative.
- Slide the piece of parchment paper with the cut cookies onto the baking sheet set aside earlier.
- Bake the biscuits on the center rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes at 300°F (160°C) until the edges are just turning golden brown.
- Let them cool down on the baking sheet at room temperature for 15 minutes, then on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. They firm up as they cool down.
Optional decoration
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and oil, microwaving in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, and repeating if needed, until fully melted.
- Place the melted chocolate into a small, tall, narrow glass. Dip half of the cookie in the melted chocolate, wait for a few seconds above the glass to let the excess melted chocolate run down the glass.
- Place each dipped cookie on a plate covered with lightly oiled parchment paper.
- Freeze for 10 minutes to set the chocolate shell.
Notes
Note 1: Almond meal works, but the cookies will be darker in color and a bit grainy. If you don’t eat almonds, cashew flour or sesame seed flour provides the same result. Wheat flour or oat flour won’t work with the same ratio!
Note 2: Or any liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup.
Note 3: For flavor, you can swap it for 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract for a different shortbread flavor.
Note 4: Or any low flavor oil like olive oil.
Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.
Storage: Store them in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies will get softer and chewier with time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 150.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 1.5mg | Potassium: 37.5mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10.6g | Calcium: 57.4mg | Iron: 0.7mg | Magnesium: 3.5mg | Zinc: 0.1mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.
- Almond Flour – This is the main ingredient that forms the structure of these shortbread biscuits. It provides a rich, nutty flavor and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture without using wheat flour.
- Maple Syrup – This acts as both the sweetener and the liquid binder for the dough. Any liquid sweetener like agave syrup or date syrup also works.
- Vanilla Extract – This adds a classic, warm flavor that complements the almond base perfectly. You can also use almond extract for a more intense flavor.
How to Make 3-Ingredient Shortbread Biscuits
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few more tips for a perfect shortbread cookies.
- Roll Dough Thin – For a truly crunchy shortbread biscuit, make sure you roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6mm) thin.
- Roll a Perfect Rectangle – To get a perfectly even rectangle, you can fold the sides of the bottom piece of parchment paper to create a guide. This helps you roll the dough into a nice shape without the edges splaying out.
- Enjoy the Texture – These shortbread biscuits are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the center. They will lose their crunch over time, so I recommend enjoying them within a few days of baking.
- Add a Chocolate Shell – You can serve the biscuits plain or dip half of each one in melted dark chocolate. Place the dipped biscuits on a plate lined with lightly oiled parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes to set the shell.
- Change the Flavor – To make a delicious almond shortbread, simply swap the vanilla extract for 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract in the dough.
- Try a Faster Method – To save time, you can skip the rolling step. Just divide the dough into 14 even balls, place them on the baking sheet, and flatten each one with the palm of your hand before pricking and baking.
Easy and delicious !
Thank you so much for this lovely feedback!
Hi I am about to try this and checking if Golden syrup or honey will work as Maple syrup is not a standard for me.
Yes, honey work. I never baked with golden syrup but it’s a liquid sweetener so I suppose it will work as well.
What kind of oil do you recommend for spraying the dough and board?
I always using olive oil spray
Would adding mini chocolate chips to the dough work? Or would it crumble apart?
I am afraid it will.
Please tell me, how many grams are in 1 cup?
Click the metric button to convert the recipe in grams and ml. One cup is 250ML, it’s a volume, which means you will get a different weight (grams) for 1 cup of almond flour compared to 1 cup of sugar.
Perfect timing! Cant wait to make this for Christmas
I look forward to hear how it goes.
It taste super good try it guys ! thank you for the recipe
Thank you!
Can you freeze these cookies until Christmas?
Sure!
hi, is there anyway to make these last longer? think of Christmas gifts for family, with other baked goods as well, is going to be busy.
You can keep them for up to two weeks in a cookie jar (or airtight container). They will still taste good, but like all homemade cookies, they will get softer every day. This is because the moisture from the air, which enters every time you open the jar, causes them to soften
Delicious so yummy. I eat them all in one day. I did not put the chocolate on, but they have a good flavor.
I am so happy you love them!