The week before Purim is a perfect excuse to make these gluten-free hamantashen. But don’t worry, so is Purim itself- and the week after. Since these healthy hamantashen are free of grains and refined sugars, no need to feel badly about it- so, let’s dig in!
If you’ve ever tried making hamantashen of any sort, you know they can be a bit of a tricky business. Jam leaking out the sides during baking, corners unfolding instead of holding a sharp triangle, edges burning while the rest stays soggy- all of these are common mishaps. Then there’s still the specifics of taste and texture. Hamantashen absolutely cannot be crunchy- they must have a bit of stretch and give.
All of this gave me pause before attempting gluten-free, paleo hamantashen. So much pause, in fact, that I pushed off recipe testing until a few days before Purim because it just seemed IMPOSSIBLE to get perfect.
But people have all sorts of reasons to avoid gluten, and nobody wants to feel deprived on Purim! So my first attempt went into production- and it was a stunning surprise. Taste and texture were great, no burning, no unfolding, no sogginess, no jam leaking…
Keep reading for the recipe!
What to Know About Making Paleo Hamantashen
Chilling the dough allows it to hold together while cooking, and to be firm enough to shape- though it’s still a bit delicate to work with, as all paleo doughs are. I would not skip this step.
The process of rolling out the dough, cutting circles, filling and pinching the corners- all that is the same!
BUT the dough is delicate, so your surface will need to be dusted with flour. More tips on this further down.
Any nut flour should work, but make sure it’s finely ground. For example, I wouldn’t use hazelnut meal, but if you pulse it in your food processor or coffee grinder to make it very fine, it will probably perform just as well as almond flour.
I do not recommend using coconut flour, as it requires much more liquid and is heavier.
An all-purpose gluten-free flour also performs much differently than almond flour, since it’s designed to replace glutinous flour.
Honey will usually make for a stickier dough. The finished product also might burn more easily. All in all, you’re welcome to try it, but the results will be different and I cant guarantee the outcome.
Yes! I used homemade blueberry-chia jam in this batch, but any fruit jam or even chocolate filling should work just as perfectly.
How to Shape Grain-Free Hamantashen
- The dough is sticky! These tips will help you work with it as well as you can.
- Dust the surface and the rolling pin with extra almond flour.
- After shaping most of the hamantashen, if you notice the dough getting more tacky and/or sticky, you may need to stop and place the bowl of dough back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- DON’T try to pick up the circles or the formed hamantashen with your hands. It may fall apart! Using a flat spatula to slide underneath each formed cookie, lift and slide it gently onto the baking sheet.
- Bake on parchment paper- this is the one I prefer since it’s unbleached. This is the most effective way to ensure that the hamantashen don’t stick.
More Healthy Recipes free of Refined Sugar:
- Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
- How to Make a Healthier Shabbos Menu
- Blueberry Muffin Tops
- Pomegranate-Date Chicken
