Rice flour cookies with pine nuts and lemon zest: outrageously good.
You should know these cookies are a real lifesaver because they’re ready in almost no time and are outrageously delicious! They’re perfect for breakfast or as a little treat at any moment of the day. The best part? No cookie cutters are needed — you shape them by hand and straight into the oven! Outside they stay slightly crisp, while inside they remain very soft, a contrast you’ll fall in love with at the first bite. Made with rice flour, they are naturally gluten-free and ideal for everyone.
Come along and let’s start baking.
Happy baking, Giusi.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 15 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for rice flour and pine nut cookies
- 1 cup (about 5 oz / 140 g) rice flour
- 1/4 cup (about 1 oz / 30 g) potato starch (fecola)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3.5 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1 1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 egg
Steps for rice flour and pine nut cookies
In a bowl, work the softened butter with the powdered sugar. Add the lemon zest, the egg, and finally the rice flour, potato starch, and baking powder (if the dough is still too sticky, add a little more rice flour). Once the dough is nearly cohesive, add the pine nuts and mix everything until you have a very soft but workable dough ball.
With damp hands, shape into balls and flatten them with the palm of your hand. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 15 minutes.
Once baked, let the cookies cool completely and enjoy with great satisfaction.
I hope you enjoyed these super-fragrant and delicious rice flour and pine nut cookies. See you at the next recipe.
Storage for rice flour cookies
You can store these cookies in a tin or an airtight container for about 4–5 days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Why wet your hands to form the balls?
The dough made with rice flour and butter can be a bit sticky; slightly wetting your hands will allow you to shape it perfectly without it sticking to your fingers.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
Powdered sugar blends more smoothly with the potato starch and rice flour, making the cookies much finer and less grainy, so I strongly recommend it.
Can I replace the potato starch?
Absolutely! If you don’t have potato starch, you can use the same amount of cornstarch (maizena). Both help make the cookies more crumbly and light—perfect if you’re after that melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Why is there no need to chill this dough?
Even though the recipe uses butter, chilling is not necessary! In fact, with rice flour and potato starch, the cold could make the dough too firm and crumbly. Without chilling, the dough stays soft and much easier to work with by hand, keeping the perfect consistency for forming the balls.
