Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies
This recipe for Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies is a healthier shortbread cookie that is insanely delicious! I use a mix of Kamut flour and all purpose flour for a perfectly sweet cookie that you can feel good about indulging in!
If you're looking for more cookie recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes like my Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies With Sourdough Discard, Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Homemade Caramel, or Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies
- Ready In: 4 hours 37 minutes
- Makes: 22 cookies
- Main Ingredients: salted butter, Kamut flour,
- Flavor Profile: butter, slightly sweet, a little nutty
- Dietary Info: no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: Classic shortbreads but completely elevated!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Buttery & Crisp: These Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies are buttery, crisp, light, and have a melt in your mouth texture.
- Sweet & Nutty: Using Kamut flour can yield a sweet and nutty flavor in baked goods. And it's no exception in this recipe! They are subtly sweet, nutty, and they'll just make you wonder what exactly that flavor is.
- Subtle Crunch: The egg wash allows the Turbinado sugar to stick to create the perfect amount of texture and crunch when you enjoy these little cookies! This is the only shortbread cookie you'll ever need!
These Kamut Flour Shortbreads are insanely good and you would never even know you’re enjoying a “healthier” cookie. I love it when using certain ingredients can yield in an overwhelmingly healthier option without sacrificing a single drop of flavor and this recipe for Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies does exactly that!
These cookies with Kamut flour take advantage of the ancient grains, added flavor, and protein that Kamut flour brings. These take your classic shortbread cookie just up a notch. I modeled this recipe off a shortbread from the only bakery my husband and I will visit when we go to the beach. If you're a fan of Prager Brother's shortbreds, this is a copycat version!
If you like baking with Kamut flour, be sure to check out Kamut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Kamut Flour Biscotti, or Cinnamon Sweet Potato Bread Without Eggs.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use organic salted butter, but if you want to use unsalted butter, you can. Just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the dough if you are using unsalted butter. And, be sure to use a high quality butter, check out my post Best Salted Butter for Baking where I do extensive testing on shortbread cookies and the best butter.
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar because it gives shortbreads a very delicate and tender crumb.
- Kamut Flour: I use organic Kamut flour. Not all Kamut flour is created equal, and not all of them have great flavor (I've tried a lot!). But the Food to Live Organic Kamut Flour is the best!
- Eggs: You'll need an organic egg for the egg wash, this is what gives these cookies their beautiful golden brown finish and great flavor.
- Turbinado Sugar: I top these with organic turbinado sugar for that signature crunch and perfect texture.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- Make sure your butter is soft. You can leave this out on the counter and let it come to room temperature overnight, which is always the best option! If you have to microwave it, be sure to only microwave for 10 seconds per 1/2 cup at one time. If you have to do multiple intervals then that’s okay, but doing smaller increments prevents melted pockets of butter and you get a more even soften.
- Kamut flour is the star in these cookies, so don’t replace it with anything else! If you don’t have Kamut flour but want a healthier shortbread, try my Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies instead as they use all purpose flour.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours. But you can also leave overnight if you want or need to!
- Turbinado sugar makes these cookies! The texture it gives them is essential to this recipe, so don’t skip it!
- Store shortbread cookies in a cool dry place. Shortbreads are a buttery and crisp cookie so they need to be stored properly to keep their texture. I leave my shortbreads out on a platter on the counter as we have dry air here so it’s the perfect climate. Do not cover in a cake dome or put into an airtight container as they can get soggy. If you live in a very humid climate, shortbread is tricky. The fridge or freezer can be your best option!
- High Altitude – Bake at 350°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
How to Make Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until combined.
Add the Kamut flour and all purpose flour and mix to combine into a smooth dough.
On a large piece of plastic wrap, turn out dough and form into a log that is 12 x 2 x 2 inches and a square. You could also just roll it round too, the shape is completely up to you. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 3
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies into 24 cookies that are about ¼-inch thick. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
Beat the egg in a small dish. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top of all the cookies. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the cookies.
Step 4
Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and bottom. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies FAQ's
Kamut flour is an ancient grain which has added flavor and protein, whic is how it differs from all purpose flour. The flavor being the biggest impact in these cookies. Kamut flour provides a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Think of brown butter vs. regular butter, Kamut flour is like the brown butter of all purpose flour. The flavor is unmatched and can't be replicated! It's so delicious!
No, Kamut flour acts incredibly similar to all purpose flour. So, you're still going to get a buttery, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie!
Yes, because Kamut flour brings a nutty, sweet flavor to baked goods, it honestly makes these taste better than classic shortbread!
While you can use all purpose flour in place of Kamut flour, you're really just making plain shortbread cookies at that point. The magic of these cookies lies in the Kamut flour and the unique flavor it brings!
No, unfortunately there is no substitute for Kamut flour that's gluten free. Kamut flour is an ancient grain, and while you could possibly use gluten free flour in this recipe, you're really loosing the magic of this recipe because it's all about the sweet and nutty flavor of the Kamut flour.
Chilling the shortbread cookie dough allows the butter to solidify, which helps with cookie spread. It also helps create an incredibly tender, crumbly, melt in your mouth cookie experience. Do not skip this step, it's super important for the texture of these cookies. You can also let the dough chill overnight if you prefer too.
Make sure to form the log well and ensure that the cookie dough is all solidified together. If you don't form the log well and you have holes or portions where it's not together well, it will crumble when slicing.
If you want to make these eggless, you can easily use milk, heavy whipping cream, or a mixture of honey and water in place of eggs. If you're using honey and water be sure to use a 1 to 1 ratio of honey to water and microwave it for a few seconds so the honey melts and combines with the water. Then you can brush on any of these options in place of egg.
Yes, this is optional, but it really gives these the best texture!
When the edges are golden brown and the middle is set, then they are done.
If you didn't chill the dough, the cookies won't hold their shape and will spread too much. Don't skip the chilling step. You can also chill the dough overnight if that makes it easier to prep!
These should not be crumbly or breaking apart. These shortbread cookies are buttery, firm and crisp and they melt in your mouth. If they are crumbly or breaking apart, you didn't measure properly. Most likely too much flour. Be sure to always use a digital food scale for the best results. I also note the exact Kamut flour I use in the ingredient notes too.
Yes, you can freeze the dough log for up to 3 months. Just thaw the dough in the fridge for 24 hours, then you can slice and bake as instructed. The cookie dough should be chilled from the fridge when you bake, not frozen though. But, freezing the dough log lets you prep these in advance if needed.
Shortbread cookies are buttery and crisp, so they are best stored in a cool dry place. I store them out on a plate on the counter. It's not ideal to put them in an airtight container because they can become soft or soggy. You can also refrigerate them or freeze them inside an airtight container.
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Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
Ingredients
Dough
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 212 grams Kamut Flour
- 127 grams all purpose flour
Topping
- 1 large egg
- 48 grams turbinado sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the Kamut flour and all purpose flour and mix to combine into a smooth dough.
- On a large piece of plastic wrap, turn out dough and form into a log that is 12 x 2 x 2 inches and a square. You could also just roll it round too, the shape is completely up to you. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies into 24 cookies that are about ¼-inch thick. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Beat the egg in a small dish. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top of all the cookies. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the cookies.
- Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and bottom. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Store in a cool dry place for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- Make sure your butter is soft. You can leave this out on the counter and let it come to room temperature overnight, which is always the best option! If you have to microwave it, be sure to only microwave for 10 seconds per 1/2 cup at one time. If you have to do multiple intervals then that’s okay, but doing smaller increments prevents melted pockets of butter and you get a more even soften.
- Kamut flour is the star in these cookies, so don’t replace it with anything else! If you don’t have Kamut flour but want a healthier shortbread, try my Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies instead as they use all purpose flour.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours. But you can also leave overnight if you want or need to!
- Turbinado sugar makes these cookies! The texture it gives them is essential to this recipe, so don’t skip it!
- Store shortbread cookies in a cool dry place. Shortbreads are a buttery and crisp cookie so they need to be stored properly to keep their texture. I leave my shortbreads out on a platter on the counter as we have dry air here so it’s the perfect climate. Do not cover in a cake dome or put into an airtight container as they can get soggy. If you live in a very humid climate, shortbread is tricky. The fridge or freezer can be your best option!
- High Altitude – Bake at 350°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
Nutrition
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These are the best shortbread ever!