A Treasure Chest of Traditional
Gluten Free Christmas Cookies

Gluten Free Christmas cookies are traditional in many countries.

Zimtsterne Recipe

Most are flourless cookies based on almonds or other nuts, plus eggs and sugar. There are even some that are nut free.

Whether they’re gluten free Holiday, Christmas, or Xmas cookies to you, I hope this list will inspire you.

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Gluten Free Christmas Cookies  |   Vintage Christmas Cookie Recipes

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Gluten Free Christmas Cookies

Which are your favorites? Please leave a comment below.

Classic Gluten Free Christmas Cookies

Some recipe links go to German or Italian sites. You can use Google Translate to get a rough translation.

Amaretti

• Almond crescent cookies Tender crescent shaped cookies often with a crunchy coating of sliced almonds, and sometimes dipped in chocolate.

• Almond paste cookies come in many shapes and flavors.

• Amaretti, an Italian version of the crackled macaroon that is more crisp, and has a strong almond flavor.

• Bethmännchen These are traditional gluten free Christmas cookies made with prepared almond paste and flavored with rosewater. The recipes are in German, but you can use Google Translate.

• Florentines are sometimes called lace cookies. They are basically caramel with nuts and dried fruit, with the back side dipped in chocolate.

• Macaroons come in many flavors and textures. German's make Orangenmakronen at Christmas, which are festive orange macaroons.

  Almond Macaroons

• Marzipan Christmas cookies are popular in many countries. They are cousins of almond paste cookies.

• Pignoli, and its cousin Pinoccate. Pinenut studded almond cookies.

• Ricciarelli are oval shaped Italian almond cookies from Siena, often with powdered sugar and sometimes other flavors like orange.

• Schokoladen-Plätzchen Chocolate, hazelnuts, powdered sugar, and egg whites.

  Snowball Cookies

• Snowball Cookies A French version, called Boules de Neige have almonds, hazelnuts and vanilla, and are baked in pleated bon bon cups, then rolled in powdered sugar after baking. There's a recipe in The French Cookie Book.

• Thumbprint Cookie Recipes are a popular bright spot, as the centers can be filled with colorful jams or favorite creamy fillings. This recipe resembles the sun, to brighten up the dreary days of winter. Read it's history here.

• Weihnachtsschokomakronen I love the name of this one. It translates to "Scholar's Coma Christmas Crowns " on Google Translates. It really means Christmas chololate macaroons, but perhaps the translation says something... The recipe is in German, but you can use Google Translates to get the picture. It has marzipan, egg yolks, cocoa, pistachios, and white chocolate.

• Witwenküsse "Widow's Kisses" Almond Meringue cookies. Just egg white, sugar, and almonds.

• Zimtsterne Cinnamon stars from Switzerland. They are often hung on the tree as ornaments.

When it comes down to it, just about any almond cookie would be at home on a Christmas tray.

Vintage Gluten Free Christmas Cookies Recipes

I found the following traditional gluten free Christmas cookies in a 1916 cookbook of recipes submitted by women of the Hecker W.R.C. of Belleville, Illinois, and I’m excited to be able to share them with you.

Most of them are flourless cookies: wheat free, grain free and dairy free. A couple are even nut free. *Note

My personal favorite gluten free Christmas cookies are Zimtsterne, spelled Zimmt Stern below, which means cinnamon stars in German. It’s a gluten free sugar cookie recipe that can be flavored, cut out, and decorated however you like. See my more modern Zimtsterne recipe here.

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Chocolate:

• CHOCOLATE KISSES

  Whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, 1 lb. of powdered sugar (XXX). Beat a long time, add cocoa to taste and a pinch or two of cinnamon. Drop from a spoon on a greased tin and bake in a slow oven. D. A. N.

• CHOCOLATE DROPS

  Four egg whites, 1 lb. powdered sugar, ¼ lb. sweet chocolate. Mix well. Drop from spoon. Bake with slow oven. MRS. CHARLES PROCASKY

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Almonds:

• ALMOND MACAROONS

  One pound powdered sugar, whites of 3 eggs, ½ lb. almonds, chopped fine. Beat white of eggs to a stiff froth, then add sugar. Then nuts. Work paste well together with back of spoon. Dip hands in water and roll in small ball. Bake on buttered paper. Wet top with water. WANDA WAMSER

• CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

  One-half pound pulverized sugar, 6 oz. of ground almonds, 4 oz. grated chocolate, whites of 3 eggs. Drop on tins and bake in moderate oven. LENA HERMANN

• CHOCOLATE MUSCHELN

  One-half pound granulated sugar, (stirred with whites of 4 eggs, ½ hour), ½ lb. unblanched almonds (ground fine), 3 oz. butter, chocolate (grated), juice of half lemon, ¼ oz. ground cinnamon. Roll out one-half inch thick and cut with small cutter. Moderate oven. MRS. WILL KIRCHER

• CINNAMON MACAROONS

  One pound sugar, 1 oz. cinnamon, grated rind of lemon, whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Beat eggs, sugar and cinnamon for ¼ hour. Take out one-third and put in a separate dish. Chop fine 1 lb. almonds and hickory nuts and mix with two-thirds portion. Then drop on greased pans and put a small portion of one-third portion on each cake. JOSEPHINE MEYER

• ZIMMT STERN See modern version of Zimtsterne

  Whites of 6 eggs, 1 lb. of pulverized sugar, 1 lb of ground almonds. Use cinnamon to taste. Beat whites to a stiff froth, add sugar and beat one hour, then add cinnamon. Take of this mixture, 4 tablespoons to be used on top of cakes; add ground almonds to remainder, then roll out in pulverized sugar. Cut with star-shaped cutter. Drop a little of 4 tablespoons on top of each cake and bake in a moderate oven. LENA HERMANN

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Hazelnuts:

• HAZELNUT SCHNITZCHEN

  Whites of 10 eggs (beaten stiff); granulated sugar, 1½ lbs.; hazelnuts, 2 lbs; almonds, ½ lb. (in hulls); almonds, ½ lb. (hulled). Beat eggs and sugar ½ hour. Take out enough for tops, add nuts (finely ground). Roll out, cut into very small shapes, ice tops and bake slowly in moderate oven. MRS. LEE HARRISON

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Coconut:

• COCONUT CONES

  Whites of 3 eggs, not whipped, ½ lb powdered sugar, ½ lb. of grated coconut. Whip sugar and coconut into eggs with as few strokes as possible and drop from teaspoon on greased tins. Slow oven. JOSIE K. WANGELIN

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Cornflakes, Nuts, and Coconut:

• NUT CAKES

  One cup sugar, 4 egg whites, well beaten, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup cocoanut, 3 cups corn flakes, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Drop on buttered tins and bake in moderate oven. MRS. W. W. FUESS

Gluten Free Christmas Cookies with Other Nuts:

• HICKORY NUT MACAROONS

  One-half pound hickory nuts, chopped, 1 lb. pulverized sugar. Whites of 4 eggs. Beat eggs and sugar stiff; then put in the grated nuts. Drop from a spoon into a greased pan and bake in a moderate oven. Cocoanut may be used if preferred. S. REISS

• HONEY CAKES

  One cup honey, 1 cup syrup, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup sour milk, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon baking soda dissolved in sour milk, 3 tablespoons brandy or wine, 2 tablespoons lard, 1 cup hickory nut kernels, 1½ cups pecan nut kernels, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Let dough set 12 hours. Cut cookies in squares and bake in moderate oven. DORETHA L. SIEFERT

• NUT CAKES

  One pound chopped nuts, 1 lb. powdered sugar, the whites of 7 eggs, well beaten. Let come to a boil. Then cool, drop from spoon. MRS. CHARLES PROCASKY

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*NOTE: These recipes have an old fashioned format but are fascinating to read. One recipe calls for beating the eggs and sugar for a whole hour! And I don’t think she meant with an electric beater...Can you imagine? I am beginning to post modern versions of my favorites along with tips and modifications–including sugar free, low carb options. I will link to them from this page when I do. Be sure to subscribe to find out when I post them, as well as other favorite gluten free Christmas recipes.

NOTES: Since this cookbook is a treasure from my grandmother, and old enough to be in the public domain, I will reprint the recipes here as they are written, including the name of the submitter. The town has a strong German immigrant background, but it’s name is French, and you can see from the recipes and names that they come from various places.

The recipes don’t include time or accurate temperature, and some of the instructions are vague... but if you’re adventurous and want to give any of them a try use these temps:

moderate oven= 350ºF (180ºCelsius)
slow oven= 275ºF (140ºC)

Hint: A tin is a cookie sheet or pan.

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