Today is monumental. It is one of those lessons of tenancity and perseverance. It is a life moment of realizing that I am a slave to the kitchen. No wait, that isn’t right. It is a life moment of realizing that you can do anything that you put your mind to. What taught me this? The Trefoil Girl Scout Cookie. No scratch that. This Gluten-Free Vegan Trefoil Cookie.
These boogers took all day to figure out. At 9:30 p.m. I was finally able to do my victory dance around the kitchen after an entire day of tweaking, stressing, and sweating over such a good tasting gluten-free/vegan shortbread recipe.
Nothing but the best for you, my friends. Even down to the cookie cutter, I was determined to make sure that you were given the best homemade Trefoil cookie recipe imaginable! I found the Girl Scout cutter on Etsy from Marie at Stray Squirrels; who totally deserves the biggest shout out! I ordered this on Friday {mind you, she lives in Minnesota and I, California} and it arrived on Monday. Aaaaahhh, people who follow through immediately… Please support her Etsy store! *Shout out ended*
These shortbread cookies pack a vegan buttery crunch to them with an incredible sandy texture. They are insane, really. I ate 5 of them right out of the oven {this shouldn’t surprise anyone, however}. In fact, Trefoils really are my ultimate first love of all the Girl Scout cookies, which is probably why I had to make sure they were perfect. Plus, I had a certain Caitlin for whom I had to make sure were up to par for her approval.
Trefoil Girl Scout Cookies Recipe
Makes 24 cookies
Egg, dairy, and gluten free
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 stick vegan butter (8 Tbs), chilled and cubed
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. brown rice flour
- 1/2 c. sorghum flour
- 1/4 c. arrowroot powder
- 1/4 c. potato starch
- big pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat 350 degrees.
- In an electric mixer, blend the butter and sugars together just until combined. No more than 30 seconds {you do not want too much air to get into the butter}.
- In a separate bowl, combine flours, starches, salt and xanthan gum until well mixed.
- Add flour mix into the butter mix with the mixer briefly until just combined. Knead with your hands until smooth.
- Roll dough out between 2 pieces of parchment/wax paper until 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shape. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar in the raw, and freeze for 20 minutes {Thanks for the tip, hipster Ashlae!}
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to set on baking sheet until cools.
Can’t you just imagine what this cookie tastes like??! Eeeeeeeeeee! Apparently my victory dance is going to last a long time {which I like to believe is well-deserved}…
Hi Cara!
I have made these cookies twice to rave reviews – they are delicious! I have a question about the dough consistency: when I use the amount of butter that you recommend, the mixture is really floury and doesn’t look like traditional cookie dough. It also doesn’t stick together, so both times I have ended up doubling the butter. How is the dough supposed to look before you roll it out? Thanks!
Hi Cara, I can’t wait for your book to come out! It’s pre-ordered. 🙂 I do have one question in your flour blends/uses as I am still confused and don’t want to mess up. I can’t have potato (or corn), so if I want to make a blend and/or replace the potato starch part, can I replace that amount with the same amount of arrowroot powder or would it not work right then? Example, YOUR blend: 3C Brown Rice, 3C Sorghum, 1.5C arrowroot, 1.5C potato starch<<<what are my options to replace just the potato starch and amount and still get the same effect? I hope you can clarify for me so I don't mix what I think is right and waste a huge amount of products. I have so many allergies (including eggs)that I really appreciate trying some of your recipes and being able to enjoy something. 🙂 Thank you!!
First of all, THANK YOU for the preorder! Goodness on a biscuit, that is awesome. About your questions, you can totally sub the potato starch for more arrowroot or even tapioca (which would be my #1 choice!) This is a super simple fix so I am most positive you will still find GREAT results with this substitute. Good luck and let me know! xo
Thank you! I shall try that! 🙂
Would these recipes work out the same if I used regular white flour instead of gluten free flour
It should be okay, Hannah, but I cannot guarantee it since I haven’t tried it. Let me know if it works out! xo
hi cara (: just found your blog last week and am already addicted to it!!! your recipes look great and really easy to make, and also loved the baking tips part, i learned a lot!! im starting with my gf cooking, about sorghum flour, they dont sell it where i live, i mean here they use it for crops, but not humans, i guess its not the same, how can i replace it??
thanks again for such a beautiful blog… i laughed so hard with the do you even get out? coment on the praise chezz crackers… i think most vegans, and not to mention gf spend most the time in the kitchen!! .. i just figured out its either that, or spending your life at the store reading food labels lol … good luck i loooooooooove cooking (:
You are too cute, I just loved reading this comment–thank you! I couldn’t be more thrilled to share my love for gf/vegan cooking and baking 🙂 About the sorghum, yes! You can easily replace it with any of the medium flours (oat, rice, etc). You also can just do 100% brown rice and not do a blend. It’s totally up to you to play with. Let me know how it goes, Marie! xo, Cara
Yum! I love shortbread cookies, but have never tried making them vegan (too afraid they wouldn’t taste right) – these looks great, though! And you’ve gone and made them gluten-free, too… outstanding. I’ll have to give this a try sometime, thanks for sharing!
Well, let’s be honest, if you don’t have to make them vegan {or gluten free}, I wouldn’t you know? You cannot replace that butter taste but when you gots no choice, they are delightful! Actually pretty darn good, what am I saying? Make them gf and vegan! 🙂 xo
Thank you for the sweet shout-out. Your cookies look scrumptious!
Thank YOU for being awesome and getting me the cutter so quickly! xo
My oldest Girl Scout daughter saw the pic and said ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE TREFOILS!!!! Oh MY, TREFOILS!!!! Can WE eat them???!!!!! I really love the cookie cutter! Absolutely wonderful!
And for the record, the girls and I have been too busy selling the real GS cookies for the last 2 weeks (650 boxes in a small town of only 1500 people but 3300 sq miles so lots of driving lol) to make those thin mints, and now Im too tired lol but rest assured, I WILL, at some point, very very soon, be doing so, and will update when I do. Mostly because these children can be really can be really persistent people lol
haha! Oh Delta, I am wishing your daughter never saw this now 🙂 And congrats on the massive selling fest. 650 boxes? That is AWESOME! You and your girls are some incredible saleswomen!
AMAZING work!!!! I mean seriously. These cookies are a work of art and I bet they also taste wonderful!
WOW. Coming from YOU {I’m a big fan of you}, that means so much! Thank you Nikki. xo!
Ohh my gosh! How did you figure this out! Amazing! I miss shortbread so much! Even as a vegan before going GF, I missed it. Every time I see girl scouts, I want to tell them to go back to their leaders and ask for GF, vegan cookies…..but my husband stops me. I know better, since I was a scout myself. Now, I don’t have to wish for that, I can make your creations! I don’t have the fancy cookie cutter, but I just want the taste. You deserve an award for this!! 🙂 You made my day!
Oh Amanda, I am sooo happy to hear this! You just made MY day with this comment. Thank you for this and I hope you like them! xo
You are amazing!!! Thank you for the recipes….. 🙂
Hi Linda! Oh shucks, you are so welcome…and thank YOU for this awesome comment! xo
These look divine! And I love your attention to detail – right down to the cookie cutter. You spoil us!
You spoil ME! It’s the least I can do, Cadry–thank you : )
Oh. My. Gosh. You are blowing my mind, yet again. Another amazing looking cookie recipe. And to think, I haven’t even thought about shortbread cookies in years, now I simply MUST have one 🙂 Thanks for sharing, these are beautiful.
Beth, you are making me blush! Thank you so much for the extremely thoughtful comment. xo
i havent had a trefoil too! better late than never.. i was wondering about that cookie cutter.. all those thin cookies soo perfect and so prettttyyy! now i cant even say that i dont have gf supplies.. coz i have lots :].. u know i am just too lazy to use a cookie cutter.. but i will try these shorties 4 sure! my to-try list is longer than this years calendar now… 😀
i hear ya about getting obsessed with something. every few weeks i try to veganize Rasgulla(indian dessert cheese ball in flavored syrup).. and the texture is just not there.. try and try again..
It’s an addiction almost, isn’t it Richa? But goodness, how amazing you feel when you nail the recipe huh? {my to-make list is ever growing as well. I need extra days this year to make everything}
I am a little ashamed to say that i have never had a trefoil…is that weird?
Obvisouly I was missing out on something absolutely wonderful; I totally thought you imprinted each of those cookies by hand 🙂 I thought geesh, here she goes being all amazing on us with her handprinted cookies; you are still amazing with your little green girl scout cookie cutter!
Definitely not weird at all! Sometimes there are just other cookies that demand our attention 🙂 Now about the cookie cutter, I love you people–but that would just be stupid crazy of me to have hand-imprinted all of these!! hahaha.
Wow. I officially suck as your sister. And as your nieces’ mother. Make sure you bring all your fancy cooking crap to our house for Easter because you are going to be baking up a storm with those two, in between holding your namesake baby of course!!
Just because I make awesome homemade Trefoil cookies doesn’t make you a sucky sissy, sissy! Don’t get all crazy hormonal on me 🙂
Believe me, I am already making a list of all the fun things Kookie, Schmoops, and Cami will be making in the kitchen. I cannot wait!!!
Eee!! I am so excited for you! I was just thinking about shortbread cookies last week. You’ve, once again, solved my woes.
See? I am in tune with you 🙂
It’s almost as if we were meant to find each other.
You fill my days with pictures of some of the cutest pups and I give you recipes that you have been thinking of in your head 🙂 xo!!!
yep, the room in our potential new house? the one that I was going to use as a BIG closet and workout room? now has YOUR name on it. 😉
this is my favorite GS cookie, I cannot wait to try it!
YES!!!! I will call it my vacation home 🙂 And on said vacations, I will be baking my favorite Bettie Trefoils all day long. xo
Hah! Very good. You know, I wish I had you comment-replying ethic… I currently have over 100 to reply to… that’s my morning sorted. Hah. These look wonderful, Cara 😀
Thank god I finally meet up to your approval 🙂 And get on your comments, will ya?? Don’t leave your readers hanging…
I have! I don’t like to, but I don’t always feel like replying after work!
I was going to say–I noticed a nunch of replies to my comments as of late. Nice work, Frugs. You get a gold star 🙂
Delicious! Might try these for the kids…they look perfect!
They are sure to please, Shira! You can even dip them in some melted non-dairy chocolate chips just to be all fancy 🙂
Yum – of course! Great idea 🙂
xo!
My favorite GS cookie! Are you SURE it tastes as good as the real ones with all the real dairy products? I’m gonna trust you with my palate, if you’re sure. Can’t believe you got the cookie cutter, too. Pure genius, my friend!
MJ, for what I have to work with, you better believe it is just as good! Do your wife a favor: order this cookie cutter and make her some this weekend 🙂
Great job! Who knew they made Girl Scout cookie cutters?! You deserve an extended intricate rain-producing victory dance, my friend! 🙂
No rain! Please! Just a sun dance will be suffiicient 🙂 hehe. Thanks B-town. xo
Eeeeeeeee!!!! These are perfect looking and in sure the taste is incredible too!!! I’m doing a victory dance for you, you are amazing Cara!!!
Alright! Multiple victory dance going on simultaneously throughout the country. The best ending to a delicious cookie fest 🙂
Shortbread. My husband’s favorite cookie in the world, pecan sandies. I’d wager you’ve done all the work for me there. My favorite? Lemon bars with a shortbread crust. Got my vegan butter made yesterday, too, just in time. And that cookie cutter? So incredibly cute. I’m glad you didn’t have to incise each cookie separately to please Caitlin. Hi, Caitlin! Well done, Princess Fork.
If I didn’t find that cutter, it was appearing that I would have to do it 🙂 ha. Oh and I am waiting for Laurel’s recipe for homemade vegan butter… *tapping foot on ground impatiently*
It’s not my recipe. It’s here http://veganbaking.net/other-vegan-treats/735-vegan-butter all I do is change everything except the formula; i.e. I play with my food! However, tons better than EB IMHO. We can compare notes, but Mattie is brilliant!
I will testing this out this weekend! Thanks for that, L-train 🙂
I have been following your blog for a while, and it just has to be said your posts are always just gorgeous, both in the words and the pictures 🙂
Hi Gabby! Thank you so much for the comment–I love hearing from you 🙂 And thank you for such a sweet thing to say, truly. That just made my day! xo
I’m so glad 🙂
You and me both! hehe
Look great! How do you find the time to test recipes. So cool!
Thank you!! and… Great question 🙂 I am lucky to have a schedule in which I can fit that sort of taste-testing in once in awhile. Usually it doesn’t take THAT long, it just so happened that today’s post did. xo!
So wonderful!
Thank you, Shannon!
Shortbread is my favorite too! These look perfect!
Are you a big chocolate person? See, I’m not and so I think this is why I heart these cookies so! xo
I love dark chocolate but not so much milk chocolate. But I think I am just a big butter fan and short bread tastes soooo buttery 🙂
HAHA! Yes, butter is my first pick over all choices too 🙂
Er, YOU are not a big chocolate person? Sorry? Come again?
I have never been a big chocolate person, really. I would rather have a piece of yellow cake, truth be told 🙂
And for my second favorite G.S.cookie…thank you. I think. Ha. Ha. These look simply amazing.
They really don’t get the glory they deserve, do they? A simple cookies but really, the best of them all. Thanks Kelly! xo
laaaaady friend! you did it! you did SUCH an amazing job! they look like the real thing..but BETTER. thank you for making sure they were up to par for me 😉 i can’t wait to make them! xo <3
You put a lot of pressure on me sister 🙂 ha! See what happens when you start requesting things? Only but the best for you <3
you are the sweetest <3
A beautiful chickpea as yourself can never be let down!
Wow – I can just taste the butteriness! Now I am going to be craving these all day. ….off to hunt down a girl scout!
hehe. I have done my job then! 🙂
that cookie cutter blows my mind! quite a triumph.. well done Cara.
Yeah, I am feeling rather proud of myself as well 🙂 xo!