Gluten Free Hamantaschen Cookies

gluten free hamantashen - gfJules

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Gluten Free Hamantaschen (Haman’s Hat/Haman’s Pocket, pronounced hah-men-tasch-en) cookies are certainly unique and symbolic at Purim, but are also so good you should add them to your recipe box for any time of year.

These soft, shortbread cookies cradled around your favorite jam are another take on thumbprint cookies … only with some pretty yummy history.

gluten free hamantashen cookies | gfJules

 

I first learned of these delicious cookies when I was reading one of my reader’s accounts of how heavenly this cookie could be when made with my gfJules Gluten Free Flour!

I began to read more about the history of this cookie and more about Purim – more, that is, than I already knew from my kids’ mini-Bible books including favorite stories like Esther’s. (By the way, go Esther! You’re a rockstar in my book, girl!)

Sheryl and Molly Schochet Hamantaschen
Readers Sheryl and Molly Schochet shared their beautiful Hamantaschen made with my gfJules Flour. Pictured are apricot and chocolate chip.

 

The Hamantaschen cookie’s long history includes yeast incarnations and more cookie-like incarnations, the latter of which sounded more intriguing to me. I mean, what’s not to like about a buttery shortbread cookie with sweet fruit filling?

gluten free hamantaschen

So, I dove into the history further, read reams of recipes and decided to give this seasonal sweet a try. I love that Purim traditions include sending gifts of food to friends, and of course, a Purim feast! (These cookies would be wonderful for either!)

Gluten Free Hamantaschen YUM

They are very easy to make with my gfJules Flour, since it provides stretch where other gluten free flours in rolled doughs often do not.

Whether you concoct a homemade poppyseed filling, or just use your favorite preserve, jam, chutney or paste (like quince) — you choose. It is not even necessary to chill this dough before rolling, so it’s quick, too! (EVEN QUICKER: just use my gfJules Gluten Free Cut Out Sugar Cookie Mix!)

 

gluten free hamantaschen with gfJules Cut Out Sugar Cookie Mix

Just roll out the dough, cut out with a sharp round cutter (like a biscuit cutter), brush lightly with milk and honey and fill the center with a dollop of your favorite jam or poppyseed filling.

folding technique for making hamantaschen

Fold the corners over each other 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 so that they overlap, or alternatively, pinch the edges together well, dabbing the dough with water first to keep them from separating. Some folks prefer one method over the other — see which works best for you!

Hannah H. Hamantaschen
reader Hannah H. made these beautiful gluten free Hamantaschen using a wheat flour recipe, simply subbing in my gfJules Flour 1:1 and adding a tiny bit of extra water to help the dough stick together better.

 

After the cookies are formed, sprinkle with sugar and bake! In under 10 minutes you’ll have gluten free Hamantaschen cookies you’ll love but hate to have to share!

gluten free hamantaschen with berries CU

Search no further for a great way to celebrate this Purim, or just this wintry weekend – take your pick! (And don’t forget to check out my Challah recipe if you are in need of more yummy recipes for Purim!).

reader photo gluten free Hamantaschen

And here’s another reader’s experiment with my gfJules Flour versus my gfJules Gluten Free Cut Out Cookie Mix and my gluten free Hamantaschen recipe. I love a good (edible!) experiment!

gluten free hamantaschen experiment

Ok just one more photo from another reader — they look too good to pass up!

Mir C's gluten free Hamantashchen
Reader Mir C’s gluten free Hamantashchen.

gluten free hamantaschen on tray

Gluten Free Hamantaschen Cookies

Yield: approx. 24 cookies
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes

Gluten free Hamantaschen Cookies (also known as Haman's Corners and Hamantash) are a fun way to celebrate Purim, but they're delicious anytime!

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

OR

  • 1/2 cup palm shortening (recommended) or solid coconut oil shortening
  • 1/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
  • 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 2 large eggs (or Ener-G® gluten free egg replacer works well here)
  • 2 Tbs milk of choice
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbs. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. citrus peel or zest (it makes all the difference!)

Filling

Topping

  • 1 egg (or 4 Tbs. milk of choice)
  • 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
  • 2 tsp. water (omit if using milk in place of egg)
  • demerera or coarse sugar (optional)
  • shopped pistachios or other nuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F (static).

To prepare the dough, cream shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs (or substitute), 1 tablespoon milk and vanilla.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually stir in with the wet mixture until fully incorporated. A smooth dough should be formed at this point – not sticky or dry. If it is crumbly, stir in more milk, one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together easily.

Prepare a clean surface or pastry mat by dusting lightly with gfJules® Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (don’t use gritty rice flour to roll the dough!). Roll dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness and cut 2 1/2 – 3 inch circles using a sharp round cookie cutter.

Place a teaspoon-sized dollop of filling in the center of each circle. Fillings can include any fruit preserve, jam, chutney or paste, such as quince. They should not, however, be watery.

Brush edges of each circle lightly with water, then fold into one point (use the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 method pictured above), then bring the bottom rim of the circle up to form the bottom of a triangle.

Pinch each of the three corners firmly, brushing again with water if necessary to keep the corners stuck together during baking.

Gently transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Stir these toppings together: egg (or 4 tablespoons milk of choice), honey and water. Brush lightly on tops of each exposed portion of the cookie. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar, if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 11 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if desired. If cookies are very crumbly when eating, they were slightly overcooked.

Yield: approximately 24 cookies

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

gluten free hamantaschen on tray

Make these yummy cookies any time you’re in the mood for delicious shortbread cookies and jam!

Pin for later!

Gluten Free, Vegan Hamantaschen

Gluten Free Hamantaschen -- yummy shortbread cookies filled with poppyseed filling or your favorite jam. SO Yum! gfJules

GF Hamantaschen Cookies

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Gluten Free Hamantaschen
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    • Gorgeous Hamantaschen, Dana! I love the different fillings you’ve used – so colorful! Happy holidays!!!
      ~jules

      Reply
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  2. March 16, 2022.
    I made these gfjules flour dough hamentashen this morning. They are delicious and they held their shape! I used all of your extra tips (especially helpful about the correct moisture content), refrigerated the first ones as I made more. I made poppyseed filling from the website vganish.com.
    Thank you very much!

    IMG_8179

    Reply
    • They look fantastic, Leslee!! So glad you were able to make these for Purim and enjoy this sweet tradition! Love the photo — thanks so much for sharing! I just tried a pistachio filling for the first time this year. I’ll have to look for that poppyseed filling recipe (yum!)
      ~jules

      Reply
  3. Can I form them the day before ? And then bake the next morning? Do I bake right from the fridge or do they need to come to room temp first ?
    Thank you.
    Shelley

    Reply
    • Hi Shelley, you can make them ahead and bake them right from the fridge! Just be sure to cover them well so they don’t dry out in the refrigerator. ENJOY!
      ~jules

      Reply
  4. Help please. The hamantaschen I made came out tasty but would not keep their shape. I used marzipan filling and I must admit it might have been a bit too liquid. Is their a key to keeping the Napoleon hat form when it is baking?
    Thanks!
    Debbie

    Reply
    • I’m so glad you loved the taste of the gluten free Hamantaschen recipe! If the filling was very wet, that can contribute to the dough corners opening up, but the biggest key is making sure the parts of the dough that are being squeezed together in the corners are brushed off of excess gluten free flour, and then wetted slightly (dab with a wet finger) and pressed together really well. It can still happen that they open up occasionally, but this is the best way to help them stay together. I hope that helps for next time you make this recipe!
      ~jules

      Reply
    • I just went back and added photos showing another technique that might work better for you, Debbie — it’s the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 folding technique. Check it out as it might help your dough to stay together better than the pinching method!
      ~jules

      Reply
  5. Thank you so much! I had been pushing off making hamentashen as I didn’t want my ingredients to go to waist! Now I can’t wait to try these!

    Reply
  6. These were delightful! We tried our family recipe last year with a flour from the store and there were TERRIBLE. This year, we used your flour after finding this recipe a few weeks ago, and WOW, what a difference. They were exactly like I remembered from before my gluten free days. Thank you so very much Jules! Sanity restored

    Reply
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