Gluten-Free PB&J Cookies (Almond flour, 1 bowl, 30 minutes) (2024)

FAQs

Why do my almond flour cookies fall apart? ›

Typically, almond flour cookies fall apart because of a measuring error; weigh your flour to be certain you are using the correct amount. Additionally, it's important to let the cookies cool completely and set before removing them from the baking sheet.

Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.

13- Make sure your baking soda and/or baking powder are fresh. These are the leavening agents in your cookie recipe and if they are no longer active, your cookies won't puff up and may spread more. Try a fresh container if they've been open longer than 3 months. 14- Use a tried and true gluten free cookie mix.

Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free. Try adding anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of liquid or fat to the recipe and see if that helps.

Almond flour's high-fat content means it can brown more quickly, so a moderate oven of around 325 F (165 C) can prevent burning while allowing the interior to cook thoroughly. Moreover, due to their moisture content, almond flour baked goods might need a longer baking time to set properly.

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

As with gluten, this could stop a cookie from spreading too much as it bakes. So I've decided to try adding a hydrocolloid to my gluten-free dough. Some grocery stores sell xanthan gum and guar gum, especially if the stores have a gluten-free aisle. Many gluten-free recipes call for xanthan gum.

Your results may vary if using a different GF flour blend. The longer you let the dough sit in the fridge before baking, the better these cookies will be!

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

Gluten-free batters need a longer bake time.

Because gluten-free batters contain more liquid than traditional versions, they typically take longer to bake. If you remove them from the oven too soon, you may develop a gummy, mushy texture.

Does gluten-free flour take longer to bake cookies? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often take longer to bake than their wheat-based cousins. This is because they have more moisture. Gluten-free flours are typically thirstier and need more hydration. So when you see our gluten-free focaccia bakes for 50–60 minutes—compared to 20–30 for our gluten-y focaccia—don't be alarmed.

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture.

Moisture. There are many ways to increase moisture in a recipe. In general, recipes that call for pureed fruit, sour cream or yogurt are ones you can rely on for a moist product. In case your recipe does not call for these things, using brown sugar instead of white sugar to add moisture.

While visual cues like the toothpick test and pressing the top of the cake will still help, the best way to determine if your baked goods are perfectly done is with a timer and oven thermometer. This is because gluten-free treats often look underdone and slightly wet inside after baking.

Do store almond flour in the fridge or freezer for maximum staying power and freshness. Do cool baked goods for at least 30 minutes. Almond flour creates baked goods that are extra moist and tender, so they may crumble or fall apart if handled before completely cooled.

Almond flour also works best in baked goods with a high egg white content, because the egg white is a binding agent. If your recipe does not have a high egg content, you might need to add a binding agent, like xanthan gum or flax seed.

Since almond flour is denser than traditional flours, the muffins can sometimes end up crumbly, dry and almost more like cornbread that has dried out rather than a soft, fluffy muffin with a crustier top.