Cat butter cookies

These calico cat cookies are the ultimate gift for any cat lover, which, let’s be honest, is about 85% of the population! With their signature three-color spots and buttery crunch, these cat cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat.

While they look professional, the secret lies in a simple, melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free shortbread base. We divide the dough into three parts, using natural cocoa powder to create the different shades of a calico coat.

Why This is the Best Gluten-Free Shortbread Recipe

Most gluten-free cookies can be crumbly or dry, but this shortcrust method ensures a sturdy dough that holds its shape perfectly in the oven.

• Naturally Colored: No artificial dyes, just rich cocoa powder for the “spotted” effect.
• Customizable: If you don’t have dietary restrictions, you can use a standard butter cookie recipe, but this gluten-free shortbread version is so good no one will know the difference!
• Perfect Detail: Using a variety of cat cookie cutters (like this set I used) adds a whimsical touch that makes every “kitty” unique.

How to Get the “Calico” Spotted Effect

To make your calico cat cookies look realistic, you don’t need to be an artist.

1. Roll Out: Start with your white (vanilla) base layer of dough.
2. Spot: Pinch off small bits of the light brown and dark brown cocoa dough.
3. Press: Scatter the “spots” randomly and use a rolling pin to press them into the base layer until smooth.
4. Cut: Use your favorite shapes to create a clowder of cat cookies!

Cat butter cookies

4.6 from 12 votes

Course: Bakery, SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Cookies

30

units

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Resting time

1

minute

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 250 g rice flour

• 190 g corn starch or potato starch

• 200 g white/light brown sugar

• 3 fresh eggs, room temperature

• 150 g soft butter

• 1 vanilla bean

• a pinch of salt

• 1,5 tbsp cocoa powder

How to

• In a big bowl mix all the dry ingredients: rice flour, corn starch, sugar, salt.
• Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the bowl.
• Mix all well, then add one egg at a time. You can use a mixer or do it by hand, it doesn’t make any difference.
• Cut the soft butter in small cubes, then add it to the dough.
• Work the dough until it’s smooth, then divide it in two parts. Take one part and divide it again in two parts.
• Take one of the smallest parts and add 1 tsp (TEASPOON) of cocoa powder. Work the dough until smooth again.
• Take the second smaller part and add 1 tbsp (TABLESPOONS) of cocoa powder and repeat the kneading.
• You will therefore have 3 dough in 3 different shades. Cover them with a cling film, individually. Let them rest for 1 hour in the fridge.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and let them warm a bit up at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Roll out the white layers very thin, approx less than 1 cm.
• With the two brown dough, make a lot of tiny balls of dough, rolling them into your hands one by one. They can be of different sizes. Then spread them over the white layer. The smaller the bites, the cuter the final result.
• Cover with parchment paper and then roll out pressing the brown bits into the white layer, so they all become one unique layer.
• Once you have your spotted rolled out crust, cur out cat shapes with a cutter.
• Place them onto parchment paper and bake at 170°C – 340°F for 12 minutes.

Notes

• If you have to do more trays to bake in different times, make sure to store the waiting ones in the fridge while waiting.

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And if you are looking to bake a vegan version of these cat butter cookies, you can use this recipe of my vegan almond cookies and add some cocoa to one part of the dough. Then follow the same process from point 8. Make sure to roll the dough between two parchment paper, because this vegan version is stickier.

And for more easy gluten free cookies recipes, check out my Instagram page, with lots of unpublished recipes!