Gluten-Free Hamantaschen Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (2024)

I love making homemade gluten-free hamantaschen for Purim every year. I also love to give them away in my Shalach Manot bags for Purim (and, of course, I don’t mind eating a few myself!). In this post, you’ll learn how to make gluten-free hamantaschen cookies at home easily. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Before I found out I had celiac disease, and before implementing the gluten-free diet, I would enjoy yummy hamantaschen cookies every Purim.

People would either make them for me to eat, or you could easily buy them at the store.

But for many years, after going gluten-free, there was no such thing as a gluten-free hamantaschen cookie. I would watch everyone enjoy this delicious cookie without getting to enjoy a bite of my own.

Until now.

This year, I decided to create a gluten-free hamantaschen cookie recipe of my own. And boy did I ever! I came up with a delicious gluten-free hamantaschen recipe that rivals any gluten-full cookie around.

This cookie makes me happy.

What is Hamantaschen?

Hamantaschen is a traditional symbolic cookie eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim. The cookie is shaped like a triangle to mimic the look of Haman’s hat, the villain of the Purim story. It is then filled with some preserves or sweet filling.

The cookie is symbolic because the filling is “hidden” from sight. The story of Purim is full of hidden symbolism.

• The root word for Esther is “hester,” which means “hidden.”
• The story of Esther is the only story in the Jewish Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible, which is also the Christian Old Testament) where G-d’s name is never explicitly mentioned, even though G-d’s presence is felt throughout the story.
• Further evidence of the symbolism of the word “hidden” is also found in the idea that Esther kept her identity as a Jew “hidden” from King Ahasuerus.

As you can see, a cookie with a hidden filling is quite apropos for a holiday with so much hidden meaning.

How to Make Gluten-Free Hamantaschen Cookies

I studied a bunch of hamantaschen recipes before coming up with my own. I needed to understand what exactly makes this cookie tick to develop this recipe.

The key is to have a good gluten-free flour blend. I recommend two flour blends for the best results.

First, I recommend my trusty Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend to make these cookies because it nicely mimics the texture of wheat flour. This flour is easy to find, and I know most people have access to it.

Second, if you don’t mind placing an order online, I highly recommend Lorraine’s All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe. The cookies turn out softer, and dare I say, they taste better.

That said, please note the following before using Lorraine’s Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe:

• Lorraine’s products are not labeled kosher. They do not, however, contain any non-kosher ingredients. This is a new brand, and the owner says she is working on getting a kosher label.
• When working with Lorraine’s All Purpose Flour, be sure to measure the flour by grams. While Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour contains 148 grams of flour per cup, Lorraine’s all-purpose gluten-free flour contains only 140 grams of flour per cup. This means you’ll need only 770 grams of Lorraine’s flour for this recipe.
• If you must measure by the cup (i.e., you don’t have a kitchen scale), be sure to spoon and level the flour (do not pack it in) as too much flour will negatively affect the taste, texture, and look of the cookies. In fact, too much flour results in a dry cookie with lots of cracking.

Step #1: Make Your Cookie Dough

First, mix all the ingredients together to create a nice cookie dough. It’s easiest if you work with a large standing mixer.

Remember, this is a large recipe, so mix carefully, as the dough may catch on the top of the mixer if you don’t have a large standing mixer.

Remove the dough from the bowl and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 10 minutes while you prepare your workspace. This will allow time for the flour to absorb the moisture from the wet ingredients and allow the dough to chill a bit, making it easier to work with. Read more about working with gluten-free flour and dough in this article.

Step #2: Roll Out and Shape the Dough

Lightly flour a clean, flat surface or countertop, then roll out the dough. You can roll it out all at once or divide the dough in half and work in batches. I divide the dough in half to work in batches.

Alternatively, I have discovered that placing a silpat mat on my counter with a little flour makes less mess. Use it if you have it!

You’ll want to roll out the dough so it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Next, use a round cookie cutter (or even the top of a glass) to cut out circles.

Step #3: Add Jam and Shape Cookies

Now it’s time to add a dollop of preserves or filling to the center of each circle. You can use any flavor you desire.

I love using apricot jam, raspberry jam, and/or Nutella as the filling of each cookie, but many people love fig and poppy seed filling too. Use whatever you like, you can’t go wrong.

You then want to fold the cookie into a triangle. You simply cup the dough circle with your fingers so it forms into three edges, then you pinch the edges together so they stay connected when baking.

Watch this video to get a sense of how to fold hamantaschen.

Here is what my hamantaschen looked like once I added a dollop of filling in the center of each circle. Remember, if you put too much jam in the middle, it might leak out or be more difficult to pinch into a triangle. If you use too little, the cookie will be dry. I use about 1/2 tablespoon and generally don’t have any issues.

Step #4: Bake Hamantaschen

Once you fold all the cookies, you’ll then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Here is how these beautiful cookies look when baked and cooled.

A Few Tips

You’ll notice that the dough is quite easy to work with. It rolls out well and holds together at the three edges as long as you gently pinch the edges together well.

You may, however, run into one or more of these issues:

(1) Cracking: The dough may crack a bit in the oven. To prevent this from happening, be sure to measure your flour so you don’t use too much flour. Too much flour will result in a dryer cookie that is more prone to crack.

Also, you can smooth the dough with your fingers before baking to deter cracking. I noticed the dough cracked less when I used Greek yogurt in lieu of cream cheese and when I used Lorraine’s All Purpose Flour instead of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour.

(2) Cookies Opening: Some of the cookies may open when baking. Be sure to gently but firmly pinch the edges together before baking. Any cookies that open during baking are samples to be eaten immediately – lucky you!

(3) Jam Leakage: Some of the fillings may leak out of the cookie. If you’re going for a perfect cookie, you may want to hold back on how much filling you use. About 1/2 tablespoon is all you need.

How to Make Vegan + Gluten-Free Hamantaschen Cookie

I have a friend who not only eats gluten-free but also eats dairy-, egg-, corn- and soy-free. I always like to make her my gluten-free hamantaschen cookies, but she can’t eat them because of the dairy and egg.

This is why I’ve come up with a vegan + gluten-free hamantaschen cookie recipe, and one that is just as tasty.

I halved my regular gluten-free hamantaschen recipe to make a small batch for my vegan friend.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend + more for flouring surface (444 grams)
• 1 tsp baking soda (I use baking soda instead of baking powder because baking soda is corn free)
• 2 flax eggs (mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal + 6 tablespoons of warm water and allow it five minutes to gel)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup avocado or other vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce

Mix all the ingredients together and follow the rest of the instructions to make your dough and fold your cookies.

You can use any jam as the filling, but my friend made a special request for chocolate hamantaschen, so I stuffed them with chocolate chunks from Enjoy Life.

See Also

Authentic Italian Struffoli Recipe from Nonna in 55 Minutes!

How Do They Taste?

Both of my gluten-free hamantaschen recipes taste incredible. You’ll end up with a flaky, tender, slightly dry cookie filled with delicious jam, chocolate, or filling of choice.

Happy Purim to all! I hope you enjoy the taste and symbolism of these wonderful gluten-free hamantaschen cookies.