How to make Gluten free Viennese Whirls. Easy gluten free Viennese whirls recipe. Beautiful buttery cookies filled with creamy buttercream and sweet jam are so quick and easy to make you will wonder why you haven't made them sooner!
These Viennese biscuits are equally pretty as they are delicious no one will believe they are Gluten free. Beautifully piped soft whipped shortbread cookies can be eaten on their own but preferably delicately sandwiched together with your preferred jam and light buttercream. They will be perfect alongside any gluten-free afternoon tea.
If you are looking for other baking recipes that are perfect for afternoon tea you might also like my strawberry meringue cookies, gluten free Bakewell tart, and gluten free Victoria sponge cake.
Egg, Dairy and Gluten free?
That’s no problem these whipped shortbread cookies are already an egg free recipe and are easily adapted if you require a gluten free dairy free recipe. Just be sure to switch the butter to your preferred dairy free butter block. If preferred you could make Viennese fingers (see variations) So no reason for you to miss out.
Ingredients
Whipped shortbread cookies ingredients
- Butter- I used unsalted butter (Not margarine). Always use soft room temperature butter as cold butter straight from the refrigerator will not whip well. (Use dairy free butter block if required)
- Gluten free Flour - I used gluten free all purpose flour blend. See recipe tips below for more information regarding what gluten free flour blend I used.
- Corn starch - Use Cornflour if in the UK see my is cornstarch - cornflour gluten free for more information.
- Sugar - White fine sugar works best. I used caster sugar.
- Vanilla extract - Adds additional flavor.
- Xanthan Gum - Required as a stabilizer keeping the ingredients together. Acting just as gluten would and is a common ingredient in gluten free baking.
Filling
- Jam - I used strawberry
- Unsalted Butter - Room temperature (use dairy free if required)
- Powdered Sugar - Also known as icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Viennese fingers - If you prefer pipe 2-inch individual fingers and once the fingers have cooled gently dip in melted chocolate to make chocolate Viennese fingers.
- Chocolate Viennese biscuits - You can skip the filling and like above dip half of the gluten free Viennese whirl into melted chocolate. Then carefully place them on parchment paper until the chocolate has set.
Instructions
- Prepare a piping bag with a star nozzle. Line the baking tray with Parchment paper.
- In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, Xanthan gum, and Corn starch.
- Add the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mix and whip well until fully combined and it looks light and smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into the piping bag. Pipe the dough onto the tray making swirled circles around 1½-inch swirls ending in the middle making a small peak. Leaving around 1 inch between as they will expand when baking.
- Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
- Once refrigerated place in the oven for around 15-20 until lightly golden. if they are too pale leave them in for slightly longer.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray as they will firm up while cooling and be too delicate to handle until cool.
- Once cooled carefully sandwich the cookies together filled with jam and buttercream.
Recipe Tips
- Gluten Free Flour – I used a shop bought Gluten free All purpose flour blend from Doves Farm Freee from range. Which is a flour blend of Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize and Buckwheat flour. I have had reports that others have used Bob’s Red Mill and other Gluten free All purpose blends with my recipes that have worked well. I would love to know what flour blends worked for you. So feel free to get in touch by leaving a comment below or you can contact me directly.
- Kitchen Scales - Using digital scales is recommended when baking. I always measure using scales and in grams as baking is a science. When baking gluten free it is essential to weigh out ingredients to get the best results! There is no need to purchase expensive digital scales and you can find them available cheaply online.
- Oven Temperatures - Your oven temperature may be slightly different. As all ovens vary in temperature and the baking time is used as a guide. Some ovens run hotter than others. You could invest in an oven thermometer to be more accurate.
Recipe FAQs
These Viennese cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for you to enjoy for up to 3-4 days. I recommend you remove them from the fridge 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the cookies to come to room temperature.
Always chill the dough after being piped for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This will allow the butter to firm back up before placing the cookies in the oven. This will reduce the amount of spreading in the Viennese whirls.
Yes, You can substitute the butter for your preferred dairy-free butter block.
Depending on the butter that you use or if it is not room temperature it may be difficult to pipe. If you prefer using a teaspoon can drop the same-sized cookies onto the baking sheet rather than pipe the whirls.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten free Viennese Whirls
Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and all information is approximate.
Equipment
- piping bag. medium star piping tip.
Ingredients
Biscuit ingredients
- 150 grams Unsalted butter Room temperature
- 100 grams Gluten free All purpose Flour (Known as gluten free Plain flour in UK)
- 50 grams Cornstarch (Use Cornflour if in the UK)
- 40 grams White fine Sugar (Caster sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Filling
- 3 tablespoon Jam I used strawberry
- 40 grams Butter - Room temperture (use dairy free if required)
- 80 g Powdered Sugar (sieved) (Icing sugar)
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare a piping bag with a star nozzle. Line baking tray with Parchment paper.
- In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, Xanthan gum, and Corn starch.
- Add the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mix and whip well until fully combined and it looks light and smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into the piping bag. Pipe the dough onto the tray making swirled circles around 1½ inch swirls ending in the middle making a small peak. Leaving around 1 inch between as they will expand when baking.
- Place the baking tray in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow them to chill as the mixture will be warmer from being handled in the piping bag and if not refrigerated will fall flat in the oven and lose its peak.
- Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
- Once refrigerated place in the oven for around 15-20 until lighly golden. if they are too pale leave in for slightly longer.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray as they will firm up while cooling and be too delicate to handle until cool.
Filling
- Beat Butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until light, smooth and creamy.
- Once the cookies are fully cool carefully spread a little jam on half of the biscuits and the buttercream filling on the remaining biscuits and then carefully sandwich them together. You could also pipe on the buttercream filling with a smaller nozzle if you prefer a neater even finish but is not nessissary.
- Store the Viennese whirls in an air=tight container and place them in the refrigerator to set to help the jam firm up. As they may want to slide off the buttercream. Remove from fridge when getting ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and is always an approximate calculation. Recipes may include information of various products used. It is your responsibility to check that ingredients you use when making a recipe are gluten free.
I hope you enjoyed this Gluten free Viennese whirls recipe.
I would love your feedback. Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below. You can also tag me in any photos taken when trying this recipe over on my Instagram.
Zoe Samuel
Made these and they looked great after coming out of the fridge. Put them in the oven and ended up like wafers. Will try again using a different flour.
Amanda
Hi Zoe, Oh no! I'm so sorry the recipe didn't work for you. Can you let me know what flour blend you used and did you substitute any of the ingredients? They are a delicate biscuit but have always held their shape well. I would love to try and solve this for you. Thank you, Amanda x
Angus
Made these with the kids, the loved them, highly recommended.