5 from 19 reviews

Gluten-Free Madeleines with Almond Flour

Name: Gluten-Free Madeleines with Almond Flour
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter (82% butterfat or higher), plus 1–2 tablespoons very soft butter or ghee for the pan; ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped*; ½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill blanched almond flour**; ½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill GF oat flour***; ¼ cup (40 g) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour****; 1 tablespoon (7 g) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour*****; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ⅜ teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (90 g) organic granulated sugar******; 2 large eggs; powdered sugar, for dusting; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 large (or 2 small) lemons ((Meyers if you've got 'em!)); 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and tempered

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on May 7, 2022 (updated Jan 9, 2025) / 22 Comments Jump to Recipe

Gluten-free madeleines get big flavor from brown butter, vanilla, and almond flour. They may look fancy, but they're actually super simple to make in under an hour.

Enjoy them dusted with powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate, or flavored with lemon zest and coated in a lemony glaze. Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

five GF madeleines on a plate with different toppings (chocolate, lemon glaze, and powdered sugar), one with a bite taken out to show the spongey interior — Almond flour and brown butter combine to make the dreamiest gluten-free madeleines ever.

When I shared a clip of behind-the-scenes GF madeleine making the other day, my friend commented, "Those are hard to make!" I used to feel the same way. But the truth is – madeleines are actually incredibly easy to make! At least, this almond flour madeleine recipe is.

Just heat the butter until it turns golden and smells nutty, whisk together the ingredients (simple ones that you likely already have in your pantry), butter your madeleine pan, scoop the dough in, and bake!

Between your fragrant kitchen and the fancy cookies you just made, you'll feel like you just stepped into a posh Parisian patisserie.

These GF madeleines bake up with crispy edges and tender middles redolent with vanilla bean brown butter (more on this below!) They're dreamy served warm from the oven dusted with powdered sugar alongside a cup of tea or coffee. But I've also included a couple of favorite variations: gluten-free lemon madeleines and chocolate-dipped madeleines.

Almond Flour Madeleines

I've adapted this recipe from the one in my debut cookbook Alternative Baker. That recipe uses tangerine zest and juice to make them pop with flavor, as well as almond and millet flours, which both pair nicely with citrus.

I wanted to share a more classic gluten-free madeleine recipe here on TBG, so I tweaked the flours to complement the flavors of brown butter and vanilla, keeping the almond flour, and using earthier oat flour in place of millet.

I'm a big fan of blanched almond flour in gluten-free baking because the structure, fine grind, and delicate flavor are a boon to many different types of baked goods.

I've streamlined the method to make these almond flour madeleines quicker and easier to get in and out of the oven and into your face, no dough chilling required now. And as a bonus, the new version bakes up with little humps, the hallmark of "good madeleines" by French standards.

madeleines on a plate being sprinkled with powdered sugar in a dreamy bokeh

Brown Butter = Madeleine Bliss

The key to madeleines' flavor is brown butter. Cooked until golden and caramelized, with a little vanilla bean if you have some on hand, brown butter adds big flavor and a lovely vibrant hue. If it's your first time, learn how it's done in my guide to browning butter.

Here it really makes the madeleines sing with cozy caramel notes that pair with delicate almond and vanilla. These flavors go especially well with chocolate for chocolate-dipped madeleines. Or try the lemon variation, which adds fresh, zippy flavor.

ingredients for almond flour madeleines — INGREDIENTS: gluten-free flours (almond flour, sweet rice flour, oat flour, tapioca starch), sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, salt

Flours for Gluten-Free Madeleines

A trio of gluten-free flours from Bob's Red Mill, plus tapioca starch, gives these madeleines the most dreamy texture:

Blanched almond flour adds tenderness, structure, and nutty flavor. Sub by weight almond meal, hazelnut flour, or another ground nut or seed flour. For nut-free, use tiger nut flour or millet flour.
Gluten-free oat flour helps fluff up the dough and it adds a touch of earthy flavor. Sub by weight millet, buckwheat, teff, or chestnut flour.
Sweet rice flour helps hold the dough together and lends a neutral flavor, like all-purpose. Sub by weight cassava flour or a GF AP blend such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.
Tapioca starch makes the cookies extra light and floofy. Sub by weight arrowroot starch or more sweet rice flour.

Method

This recipe is super simple to make! Here are step-by-step photos to help make your foolproof madeleine dreams come true.

Brown the Butter:

a vanilla bean, split and scraped on a walnut board — Split a vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds with the back of a paring knife.

butter and vanilla in a white saucepan — Place the butter in a medium saucepan and add the pod and seeds.

golden brown butter with swirls of foam in a white pot — Cook the butter until it turns golden and smells nutty.

Make the Dough

the flours are being sifted into a bowl — While the butter cools slightly, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

sugar and eggs in a stoneware bowl — Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until combined.

the butter has been whisked in — Whisk in the brown butter.

the flours are added to the bowl — Add the sifted flour mixture.

batter mixed in a bowl — Stir until smooth.

the pan is brushed with soft butter — Use a pastry brush dipped in very soft butter or ghee to butter the madeleine pan. (This is the pan I have.)

soft batter in the pan, pre-baking — Scoop the batter into the molds, filling them three-quarters of the way.

madeleines bake in the pan — Bake the madeleines until the tops just spring back to the touch and the edges are golden. Let cool slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines

Add bright citrus notes to the batter by rubbing lemon zest into the sugar before you add the eggs. Then make a simple glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar to dip the cooled madeleines in. The glaze locks in moisture, keeping these extra tender.

Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines

Chocolate pairs beautifully with brown butter, vanilla, and almond. Melt some bittersweet chocolate and dip half of each madeleine into the chocolate. You can temper the chocolate if you'd like to keep the chocolate smooth and snappy.

Gluten-Free Madeleines for Everyone

These GF madeleines are easy to make and even easier to eat! In fact, the hardest thing about this recipe is just getting your hands on a madeleine pan.

These are free of gluten and can be made without dairy, nuts, or refined sugar. Full of butterscotch notes from brown butter, flecks of vanilla bean, and the subtle flavor of almonds, they're just the thing to serve up with tea or coffee, or to pack in a cookie box for gift-giving.

I hope you love them as much as I love sharing the recipe!

three gluten-free madeleines on a plate with crumbs and a napkin on a marble surface

Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free madeleine recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.

5 from 19 reviews

Gluten-Free Madeleines with Almond Flour

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Gluten-free madeleines get big flavor from brown butter, vanilla, and almond flour. They may look fancy, but they're actually super simple to make in about 40 minutes. Enjoy them dusted with powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate, or flavored with lemon zest and glazed.

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 10

Total: 40

Servings: 20 cookies

Ingredients

Brown Butter

10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter (82% butterfat or higher), plus 1–2 tablespoons very soft butter or ghee for the pan
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped*

Dry Ingredients

½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill blanched almond flour**
½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill GF oat flour***
¼ cup (40 g) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour****
1 tablespoon (7 g) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour*****
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅜ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (90 g) organic granulated sugar******
2 large eggs
powdered sugar, for dusting

For Glazed Lemon Madeleines (see note for instructions)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 large (or 2 small) lemons (Meyers if you've got 'em!)

For Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines (see note for instructions)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and tempered

Instructions

Prepare Things

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375ºF (190ºC).
Use a pastry brush to coat the molds of a madeleine pan generously with the soft butter or ghee, making sure to get into all the crevices so they don't stick.

Brown the Butter

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the 10 tablespoons butter with the vanilla pod and scrapings over medium heat, swirling occasionally.
After 3–5 minutes, the butter will foam up, then turn golden and smell nutty with deep brown specks on the bottom of the pot. Watch it closely at this point so it doesn’t burn, reducing the heat if need be.
When the butter has browned, pour it into a heatproof container to stop the cooking and let it cool slightly, 10-20 minutes.

Make the Batter

In a medium bowl, sift together the almond, oat, sweet rice, and tapioca flours with the baking powder and salt.
Place the sugar in a large bowl and whisk in the eggs one at a time until combined.
Whisk in the cooled brown butter until smooth, then stir in the dry ingredients to form a thick batter.

Bake

Fill the molds three-quarters full with the batter. You can use a scant scoop from a #40 spring-loaded scoop, or a teaspoon, or a piping bag fitted with a large, plain tip. If the batter has firmed up or been chilled, use moistened fingers to flatten out the batter.
Bake the madeleines until the edges are golden and the humps are just shy of springing back to the touch, 6-8 minutes. They’ll finish cooking from residual heat.
Let cool slightly, then carefully loosen from their molds (a small offset spatula can help) and place, pretty side up, on a rack to cool.
When the madeleine pan has cooled, wipe it clean and repeat the buttering/battering/baking process to make the rest of the cookies.
Serve warm, dusted with a little powdered sugar, or let cool completely and dip half of each cookie in tempered chocolate (see notes).
The madeleines are best eaten shortly after baking, but they will keep in a container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

See my guide to browning butter if it's your first time.
The cavities in my madeleine pan measure 2x3 inches.

I use Bob's Red Mill flours here. See below for substitution suggestions for the individual flours. If you prefer, you can use any all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of some or all of the flours by weight.

*Vanilla bean: Can sub ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste added with the eggs

**Almond flour: Can sub by weight almond meal, hazelnut flour, or millet, sorghum, or tiger nut flour for nut-free

***Oat flour: Can sub by weight sorghum, buckwheat, teff, or chestnut flour

****Sweet rice flour: Can sub by weight GF all-purpose flour such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, or cassava flour

*****Tapioca flour: Can sub by weight arrowroot or corn starch

******Sugar: Can sub by weight maple sugar or coconut sugar (about 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon by volume)

Lemon Madeleines: Meyer lemons are especially lovely here! Rub the finely grated zest from 1 large or two small lemons into the sugar before adding the eggs. Make a glaze by whisking together 1 cup (110 g) powdered sugar, sifted, and 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice until a dippable glaze forms. Dip the tops of the madeleines in the glaze, letting excess glaze drip off, then place on a wire rack until dry.

Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines: Melt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of barely steaming water. If you like, you can temper the chocolate (see method here.) Dip half of each madeleine in the melted chocolate.

Make-Ahead Options:

The brown butter can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
The batter can also be made up to 1 week ahead and chilled.
To bake madeleines from chilled dough, scoop into the pans and use moistened fingers to flatten the batter in the pan.
Extra madeleines (not dipped in chocolate or glazed) can be frozen for up to 1 month. Rewarm in a 350ºF oven or toaster oven until heated through.
Leftover madeleines can become madeleine shortcake by topping reheated madeleines with a dollop of whipped cream and berries macerated in a little sugar or honey. Yum!

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

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Comments

5 from 19 votes (13 ratings without comment)

Gluten-Free Madeleines with Almond Flour

Almond Flour Madeleines

Brown Butter = Madeleine Bliss

Flours for Gluten-Free Madeleines