Gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe – a Halloween bake that’s so easy to make that it’ll scare your socks off. Nobody would ever know they’re Coeliac-friendly and they can easily be dairy-free and vegan with one simple swap!
Gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe – I gave my classic gluten-free shortbread recipe a spooky makeover that’s just as buttery, melt-in-the-mouth and more-ish and only requires 2% extra effort to decorate. Who on Earth would ever guess (or care) that these were gluten-free? Nobody, I tell you!
Yep, I’m still on a monstrous mission to make a whole bunch of spooky yet delicious gluten-free recipes that are frighteningly easy to make and decorate. It all started with my Halloween mummy brownies and I’m pleased to say that these are just as easy to whip up and will undoubtedly impress all your ghoulish guests.
I’ve never been a big Halloween person (which is probably why this is the second Halloween recipe I’ve posted in 5 years) but this year I’m really into my spooky baking. It’s just so much fun to take a classic and disguise it under a spine-chilling guise… when in reality, your first bite will confirm that the end result is actually just awesome, mouthwatering, buttery shortbread!
This type of baking represents the fun angle of food and baking that I feel like us gluten-free folks always miss out on; so often, everything is more about food being safe and available rather than fun… but with these recipes, I hope to remind everyone that dietary requirements and fun aren’t mutually exclusive!
Best of all, this is yet another bake that’s 100% beginner-friendly and great for kids to get involved with. It’s just shortbread with a bit of green food colouring, shaped into fingers with a flaked almond stuck on the end ? But they look a million dollars, in my opinion!
Here’s everything you’ll need – pay special attention to the type of green food colouring you’ll want to achieve a vibrant colour like in the photos…
Gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe: What you’ll need…
- Butter: We need to be using room temperature (softened) butter so make sure you get it out of the fridge a few hours before you start. Salted or unsalted is fine.
- Caster sugar: Sugar isn’t just for sweetness – it’s very important in biscuits so definitely don’t leave this out!
- Vanilla extract: The better quality yours is, the better it will taste!
- Gluten-free plain flour: I use a simple commercial blend from the free from aisle in the supermarket. If you can’t find a blend like this where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.
- Cornflour: This ensures your biscuits have the perfect texture. It’s easily available in supermarkets as it’s traditionally used to thicken sauce and side note: in the US, it’s known as corn starch.
- Xanthan gum: This is super important in biscuits so they’re not too brittle – it’s essentially a gluten-replacer that you can find in supermarket free from aisles.
- Green food colouring gel: Notice the inclusion and importance of the word ‘gel’! Regular watery food colouring won’t give you the colour you see in the photos at all and if you add tons of it, you’ll dilute the dough and ruin it. You can buy food colouring gel on Amazon but I usually get mine when I stop past Hobby Craft.
- Strawberry or raspberry jam: This is for a ‘bloody’ effect around the witch finger nails and can also double up as a dip too!
- Flaked almonds: These are used for the witches’ nails and are absolutely perfect for the full ‘finger effect’ with zero effort!
So, what do my gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers taste like?
They taste exactly like my regular gluten-free shortbread – they just got a scarily simple Halloween makeover! Each biscuit has a satisfying snap and a slightly crumbly, buttery, melt-in-the-mouth centre that you’ll only get from a ‘proper’ shortbread.
And no, they won’t crumble or fall apart in your hands! The only difference is a little jam and a flaked almond on each biscuit for a ‘bloody’ fingernail effect. I also like to use the extra jam as a dip, making it super easy to present them in an eye-catching way on a medium-sized plate.
So often, I get asked questions like ‘what green food colouring should I use?’ or ‘how do I make this recipe dairy-free?’ and I always say… read the FAQ section! So before you ponder anything, please check the FAQ section below first ??
Gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?
It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.
Can I make your gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe dairy-free?
Easily, with one simple swap:
- Use Stork hard margarine instead of butter.
That’s it! I’d highly recommend adding the vanilla extract if making these dairy-free as margarine lacks a lot of flavour when compared to butter.
Can I make your gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe vegan?
Follow the steps above to make this dairy-free and you’ve only gone and made gluten-free, dairy-free AND vegan shortbread! Just ensure the food colouring you use is vegan-friendly too.
Is this recipe low FODMAP?
Yes! This recipe is suitable for the elimination phase of the diet – no changes necessary.
Which green food colouring should I use?
I’ve already touched on this on the ingredients info above, but please make sure you use a green food colouring gel! Regular watery food colouring won’t give you the colour you see in the photos at all and if you add tons of it, you’ll dilute the dough and ruin it.
You can buy food colouring gel on Amazon but I usually get mine when I stop past Hobby Craft. I used to use green food colouring paste for stuff like this (which would still work fine) but it’s a little harder to mix in as it’s thicker and more gloopy.
And yes, all these green food colourings I mention are gluten-free!
Do I need any special equipment to make your gluten-free shortbread biscuits recipe?
Nothing flash here – no stand mixer, food processor or electric mixer required. I don’t ever use one when I’m making shortbread.
You’ll simply need a silicone spatula, non-stick baking paper and a rolling pin. Oh, and your hands too!
How do I make sure my biscuits don’t spread in the oven?
Fortunately, I’ve already done that part for you!
The biggest cause of shortbread spreading when baked (which they shouldn’t at all) is not having enough flour in your dough.
So if following my recipe and measuring out everything correctly, you’ll find that these biscuits don’t spread at all.
Can I use gluten-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour to make this recipe?
Certainly not using this recipe. This recipe uses gluten-free plain flour which is easily available in supermarkets here in the UK.
If you can’t find it where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.
The reason you can’t use flours like almond or coconut in this recipe is because gluten-free plain flour is a blend of lots of different gluten-free flours and starches.
So to ditch a carefully made blend and try to substitute them all for ONE flour… it’s just not going to work!
Gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe: Tips for the perfect bake every time
- No need to use an electric mixer. Just use a spatula and your hands to avoid over mixing.
- Don’t over mix the butter and the sugar at the beginning of the recipe. Once they’re combined – stop!
- Make sure your butter is softened before using. Otherwise you won’t be able to mix it into the sugar – trust me.
- Don’t worry if the dough isn’t coming together right away when mixing. It’s only once you get your hands in there that a dough will form – even then, be patient!
- Don’t over bake them – you definitely DON’T want them to be browned in any way. Think about shortbread you’ve eaten in the past… it’s always an even, pale, blonde colour. The same applies here… it’ll just be a pale green colour!
Gluten-free Shortbread Witches’ Fingers Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 125 g butter softened
- 65 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g gluten-free plain flour
- 50 g cornflour (corn starch)
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- green food colouring gel (see FAQ section above for important note about gel food colouring)
- strawberry or raspberry jam
- 15 flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150C fan / 170C and prepare a baking tray with non stick baking paper.
- In a large bowl mix together the softened butter and sugar to combine. Then add the vanilla and a drop or two of the green food colouring gel. Mix once more – do this with a spatula, not a mixer.
- Add the plain flour, cornflour and xanthan gum and mix once more with your spatula. It will be super crumbly, but once combined get your hands in to start bringing it together to form a ball of dough. It takes time, and you’ll think ‘it’s not coming together, it’s too dry’ – ignore that thought, just keep going for a few minutes.
- Portion the mixture out into about 15 pieces.
- Roll each portion into a finger-like shape. I press a nut into the end to create a nail bed (don’t leave the nut in, it just helps with the shaping). Use a sharp knife to carve in some of the lines we have on our fingers!
- Place on the baking tray and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Once cooked remove and allow to cool a little before placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Once cooled, place a tiny amount of jam in the ‘nail bed’ area. Then finish with a flaked almond which then looks like a nail.
Nutrition
Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free shortbread witches’ fingers recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
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