My gluten free take on traditional, British Easter biscuits are the perfect partner for an afternoon cuppa. A classic biscuit style, they are lightly spiced with cinnamon and studded with succulent sultanas.
As a bit of a twist, I have also added orange zest to my bake, which pairs brilliantly with the existing flavours and gives a lovely little lift. You can of course omit the zest if you want to stick with the classic, but I urge you to give my twist a go.
These gluten free Easter biscuits are quick and easy to make and bake. Ideal if you want to whip up a teatime treat in a hurry, or if you need a last minute activity to help entertain the kids during the holidays.
Kids can have fun cutting different shapes or marking patterns into the biscuits, as they will hold their form nicely during baking. Alternatively, stick with a traditional round Easter biscuit shape. I find a large 9cm round cutter works nicely, but use whatever you have in your baking drawer.
Can I Use Cassia Oil Instead of Ground Cinnamon?
Yes, if you have cassia oil in your storecupboard please feel free to make this substitution. Add in a small drop of oil in place of the ground cinnamon. You may need to give the dough a little extra dusting of flour when it comes to rolling, but it will not affect it much.
Cassia oil is from the same botanical family as cinnamon, but is much stronger in flavour. Hence it is important to be sparing with it if you do substitute oil for cinnamon.
You could also use all spice in place of cinnamon, substituting it 1:1. It gives the biscuits a bit of a hot cross bun flavour vibe, so please use whichever you prefer.
I Don’t Like Sultanas, Can I Omit?
Yes no problem, the Easter biscuits will be a little smaller in volume, but still delicious. You could also try replacing them with chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips in particular would work really well with the orange zest and cinnamon flavours.
Can I Double the Recipe?
Yes, feel free to double, triple or even quadruple the recipe if you want to make a big batch! I kept the original recipe small batch, as you might only be baking for one or two people. Plus these biscuits are so quick and easy you can simply whip up a second batch if you are craving more.
How Should I Store Them?
Once baked, allow them to cool fully before storing in an airtight tin or container. Then they should keep nicely for about 3 days, however they are best enjoyed in the first day or two after baking.
Gluten Free Traditional Easter Biscuits Recipe
This recipe makes 5 large biscuits, and can easily be doubled if you would like to make a larger quantity. Once baked and cooled, you can store them in an airtight container for up to three days.
You will find the recipe for my gluten free Easter biscuits. Plus I’ve also added lots of photos underneath the recipe, to help make the method extra easy to follow.
For any help along the way or if you have questions, please do message me on social media (@myglutenfreeguide) or email me at [email protected].
If you do enjoy this recipe, please leave a review on the recipe card below – it makes a world of difference to me :). And/or send me photos of your finished biscuits, I LOVE seeing your creations!
Happy baking!
Laura xxx
Gluten Free Easter Biscuits
A gluten free twist on traditional Easter biscuits. Quick and easy to make, they are a lovely tea time treat, flavoured with cinnamon and packed with sultanas. This recipe also has an optional addition of orange zest, which pairs beautifully with the existing flavours.
Ingredients
- 50g Stork/Unsalted Butter (soft and at room temperature)
- 50g caster sugar - plus a little extra for dusting
- 1 large egg yolk
- 90g plain gluten free flour (I used FREEE) - plus a little extra for dusting
- 40g ground almonds
- 0.25 tsp xanthan gum
- 0.5 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 30g sultanas
- Optional: finely grated zest of half an orange
Instructions
I make these biscuits using a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, however feel free to use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 170C (fan). Take a large baking sheet and line with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
- Use a wooden spoon to cream the Stork/butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until smooth and completely combined.
- Add the egg yolk and mix again to combine fully.
- Sift the plain gluten free flour, xanthan and cinnamon into the bowl, and add the ground almonds and pinch of salt. Mix with your wooden spoon until the mixture first turns crumbly and then, as you continue to mix, into a nice ball of biscuit dough.
- Tip the sultanans and orange zest into the bowl and mix into the dough. Get your hands in there (lightly floured) and lightly knead the dough to ensure everything is completely combine and you have a smooth ball.
- Lightly dust your work surface and the ball of dough with gluten free flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a long oval, about 5mm thick. Then use a 9cm cookie cutter to cut three biscuit shapes (or however many you can fit) into the dough.
- Peel away the excess dough and reform into a ball, then carefully transfer the biscuits onto the prepared tray.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, cutting a further two biscuit shapes so you have 5 on your baking tray. If you want to add any patterns to your biscuits you can do so now.
- Dust the biscuits with a little caster sugar, then pop them into the oven (middle shelf) and bake for about 14 minutes, until they are starting the brown at the edges but still generally pale in colour.
- Allow to cool on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
For more yummy baking ideas, why not check out some of my other gluten free recipes:
Happy Baking! Laura xxx
