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I was so surprised how delicious these gluten-free lemon crinkle cookies turned out. So. Darn. Good!
Before I tell you more about them, I want to first disclose that this post contains affiliate links to the products I recommend and use, and all opinions are my own.
If you’ve been following me here at Good For You Gluten Free, you know I love baking with almond flour. Almond flour is a protein-rich flour that makes baked goods moist and is much healthier for you than white flour.
Almond flour, simply put, is a great alternative gluten-free flour for all your gluten-free baking needs.
When I came across a recipe for Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies on Pinterest (original source: Food Fanatic), I was excited to give it a try, with a few adaptions of my own, of course.
I mixed the dry ingredients, beat the egg whites, rolled the cookies into balls, dipped them in the powdered sugar, and within the hour I was taste-testing these yummy gluten-free lemon crinkle cookies. It was heaven! I felt like I was eating a lemon candy sprinkled with powdered sugar.
And just look how beautiful these cookies look – so gorgeous! I was proud to serve this dessert to my guests.
I started to wonder if I could make this dessert for Passover, given that there’s no chametz in the ingredient list. Chametz is food made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen). Jewish people do not eat chametz on Passover in commemoration of the Jews hasty exit from Egypt.
According to my friend who consulted a rabbi, I found out that yes, almond flour is Passover-friendly. However, only almond flour made from raw almonds (not blanched) would not need a Passover certification on the product label. However, if the almond flour was blanched, in order to use it for Passover, it would require a Passover certification. Blanched simply means the skins are removed so the texture of the flour is really fine. I prefer blanched almond flour over natural almond flour in baked goods.
While I used Honeyville’s blanched almond flour in this recipe and Honeyville is my go-to almond flour (I made it well before Passover and it is Kosher – just not labeled Kosher for Passover), I did a little searching online and found Wellbee’s Superfine Almond Flour, which is blanched, is Kosher for Passover. You can get Wellbee’s on Amazon – I just bought some myself so I could make these cookies during Passover. (Do not use Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour – totally different texture!)
Also, be sure to note that most powdered sugar is not kosher for Passover (although Jewish law is changing its tune when it comes to eating corn, rice and legumes during Passover). Most conventional powdered sugar brands are made with cornstarch!
Because I avoid corn products, I used an organic powdered sugar made with tapioca starch (you could use arrowroot, or potato starch as well). Here is the powdered sugar I used made with tapioca starch.
I hope you enjoy these gluten-free lemon crinkle cookies as much as I do.
Thank you Food Fanatic for the inspiration and for this keeper lemon crinkle cookies recipe for Passover and year-round!
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine almond flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest
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Using your standing or handheld mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
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Stir in lemon juice and almond flour mixture until well combined
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Roll into 1.5 inch balls (mixture is sticky, so wet your hands to get well shaped balls).
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Roll each ball in powdered sugar and place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart
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Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops start to crack and bottoms are slightly browned.
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Cool completely on baking sheet and serve immediately
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These cookies store well and even taste better on Day 2!