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AMAZING easy-to-make Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers that will take you straight back to childhood. This versatile Coeliac-friendly recipe is also egg free and can be made Vegan too… But no one would ever know!
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Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers… Reliving my biscuit childhood, but better!
It was only a matter of time before my Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers made it onto the blog… And rightly so. Because they’re AMAZING! Perfect Jam Sandwich Biscuits that will help you to relive all the BEST bits of childhood.
It’s a recipe I’ve been playing with for months… I needed the texture to be just right. And I also wanted to make them as accessible as possible… So THESE Jammy Dodgers are not only gluten free, but they’re also egg free and can be made Vegan too.
Even better… They’re super-easy to make. And no mixer is needed… Which makes them the perfect project for baking with kids. After all… Gluten Free Kids should NEVER miss out either!
What are Jammie Dodgers?
Jammie Dodgers (or Jammy Dodgers) are a very British biscuit with a history of over 50 years. Apparently, they were named after Roger the Dodger from the iconic British comic book The Beano. Made from two shortbread biscuits sandwiched with (traditionally raspberry) jam, they are identifiable by the small (heart-shaped) hole through which the jam can be seen. And they are still as popular today as they were when first produced back in the 1960’s. Over the years, many new flavours have been created and it seemed only right that I should make an easy gluten free version too.
Of course, depending on where in the world you live, you may have something very similar… Whether Jam Sandwich Biscuits, Jammy Wheels, Linzer Cookies (although these are made with ground almonds) or Bulgarian Maslenki, there are a few global variations… And while it’s probable that textures vary with each, there is a reason that cookies sandwiched simply with jam are so popular… They’re delicious!
Creating a Gluten Free Vegan Jam Sandwich Biscuit….
Okay… Now here’s the thing. Quite a lot of gluten free Jammie Dodger recipes out there contain egg. And the commercial versions seem to have a list of ingredients and chemicals as long as your arm. You don’t need either!
In developing this recipe, I tested egg versions and non-egg versions… Some contained butter, others were vegan or egg free. We’ve tried and tested every combination and in all sorts of ingredient ratios. The verdict is this… Our no-egg versions were hands-down the best texture. They weren’t too soft and had a better shelf life.
When comparing dairy butter vs vegan alternatives however, it was noticeable that the consistency varied slightly… And ultimately, the vegan recipe was reworked to give an equal texture and structure to the dairy version. Of course, the butter version is more… well… buttery (as in… you can taste the dairy). But the Vegan version is just as delicious and there is no compromise in the recipe shared. They are just a slightly different colour.
And with that… At the bottom of this post, I share TWO separate recipes for my Jammie Dodgers… One with butter… and one without… But both gluten free and both egg free.
The Vegan ‘butter’ used to make dairy free Jammy Dodgers…
When developing and testing the recipe, I used Stork Vegan Baking Block butter alternative. It is important that you use a BLOCK dairy free ‘butter’ rather than a soft spreadable variety. This will support the texture of the final biscuits and support shape during baking.
An alternative available in the UK is Flora Plant Butter, which comes in salted and unsalted forms. If using salted ‘butter’, leave out the additional pinch of salt listed in the ingredients!
Dairy butter for making all-butter biscuits
Again, it’s important to use pure block butter to make these cut-out cookies. Don’t use ‘spreadable’ tub versions as the additives may cause the biscuits to ‘spread’ in the oven.
I always use unsalted butter when I bake. But using salted butter is fine too… just remember to leave out the salt listed on the recipe card, to compensate.
The flour blend for making Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers
In testing my gluten free Jammie Dodgers recipe, I used my Gluten Free Alchemist home-mixed white Blend A (recipe at the bottom of my Gluten Free Flours and Flour Blending Page). To this, I added a little additional cornflour (known as corn starch in the US), to create the most balanced texture.
Nonetheless, the recipe appears to be pretty versatile and should work equally well using any good commercial gluten free blend, such as Doves Freee plain white flour. It is important however, to ensure you use a flour BLEND for making these sandwich biscuits. A single flour such as corn, rice or buckwheat won’t work.
Do I have to add the extra corn starch to the flour blend?
No. As mentioned above, the corn starch gives the cookies a balanced texture that allows them to melt in the mouth and ensures they are not over ‘gritty’. However, I have tested my ‘dodgers’ with and without it… And if you prefer not to use it, that’s fine. Simply add together the weight amounts (blend + corn starch) and sub as your chosen flour blend.
What’s the best sugar for making gluten free Jammie Dodgers?
I made my Jammie Dodgers using UK white caster sugar. I specifically used white caster sugar as traditionally, these biscuits are quite pale in colour.
If in the US, superfine sugar is what you need… Although I understand your granulated sugar is quite fine anyway, so should still work well.
And while I haven’t tried it myself, icing sugar (powdered/confectioner’s sugar) may also be an option.
Raspberry jam and alternative fillings…
Although the original (traditional) Jammie Dodgers are filled with sticky raspberry jam, this is not a ‘requirement’. There are many options for sandwiching the biscuits together…. ANY flavour of jam works… Or for something a little tangier, go down the curd route. You could even venture into the world of Chocolate Dodgers with Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. Here are a few more suggestions for flavouring up…
- Bakewell Jammy Dodgers – Biscuits flavoured with almond extract and sandwiched with cherry jam.
- Lemon or orange sandwich biscuits – flavoured with lemon/orange extract/zest and sandwiched with lemon or Citrus Curd.
- Rhubarb and Custard Dodgers – Vanilla cookies sandwiched with Rhubarb Curd or Rhubarb Strawberry Jam. You could even add a layer of buttercream too.
- Sub the raspberry jam for strawberry, blackberry or apricot Jam. You can even try my recipe for Low Sugar Strawberry Jam without Pectin, if you’re feeling adventurous.
- Sandwich with chocolate spread, Nutella or caramel.
- Honey and Lemon Dodgers – Lemon cookies sandwiched with thick (non-runny) honey.
Top Tips for making the BEST Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers…
While my gluten free Jammie Dodgers really are super-simple to make, it’s always helpful to have a few tips to get the best out of any recipe…
- Mix the butter and sugar together by hand… Hand-creaming (with a spoon) avoids too much air being added to the batter. And that means that the cookies are more likely to hold the best shape.
- Use softened butter… brought to room temperature. This will enable the quickest, smoothest mixing.
- The fridge is your friend… If the dough feels too sticky to handle, chilling will firm it up. Equally, chilling the cut dough cookies before they hit the oven will help ensure they hold their shape and any patterns to perfection.
- Roll the dough in smaller pieces to avoid overworking it and to prevent drying out.
- Use an embossed rolling pin for extra prettiness. Mine was from Pastry Made. Or for a traditional design, get yourself some British Biscuit Cutters (also perfect for making Custard Creams and Bourbon Biscuits).
- Roll on flour-dusted baking paper… to avoid the dough sticking.
- If using a piping tip to cut out circles, wrap a piece of sellotape around it. It’s too slippy to grip and pick up otherwise.
- Use a wide palette knife to transfer the dough biscuits to the baking trays. It’s way easier than picking them up by hand!
- Watch the baking… If the cookies are browning too quickly, turn the oven down a notch. (Baking times are approximate).
How to fill your sandwich biscuits
Whatever you use to sandwich your Jammy Dodgers together, bear in mind that when the biscuits are pushed together, the filling will ‘squish’ and spread. To avoid the jam squelching out of the sides, don’t overfill (about ⅔ tsp is plenty enough). And don’t spread it all the way to the edge (so that there’s room for it to squish).
Ready to make Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers?
I hope you love my Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers (whether you make them with butter or vegan). We think they’re fabulous, so let me know if you agree! The full two recipes are below. If there’s anything that doesn’t make sense or questions you have, feel free to get in touch. You can do this via a comment at the bottom. Or you can email or message me on social media… (Instagram,FacebookorPinterest(@glutenfreealchemist)).
For all our gluten free biscuit and cookie recipes, head over to our dedicated . And for everything else, the main Gluten Free Recipe Index is the place to start your gluten free kitchen journey…
All shared with my love
A few more Gluten Free Cookies to tempt you…
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5 from 2 votes
Jammie Dodgers (gluten free and egg free with butter)
AMAZING easy-to-make Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers that will take you straight back to childhood. This versatile Coeliac-friendly recipe is also egg free… But no one would ever know!
Prep Time35 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
dough chilling time20 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Bake Sale, Biscuits & Cookies
Cuisine: British, Gluten Free
Keyword: biscuits, cookies, jam
Servings: 20 approx
Calories per serving: 107.8kcal
Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse
Key equipment
fridge
cookie cutter(s)
Oven
Ingredients
- 170 g plain gluten free flour blend I use GFA blend A –See NOTES
- 30 g corn starch UK 'cornflour'
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum (leave out if the flour blend already contains xanthan gum)
- pinch fine sea salt (leave out if using salted butter)
- 65 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 120 g unsalted butter (softened) – See separate recipe for dairy free/vegan version
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon extract for lemon curd 'dodgers')
Jam filling
- 150 g seedless raspberry or strawberry jam (approx weight) or lemon curd
Instructions
Line two to three large baking trays with baking paper.
Weigh and mix together the flours, xanthan gum and salt until evenly combined with no lumps (Tip: weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously) – Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, light and creamy. While this can be done with a hand mixer, it is not necessary and is best blended using a firm wooden/silicone spoon.
Add the vanilla and dry ingredients and mix well together BY HAND with a wooden/silicone spoon until it becomes an even, smooth dough.
Bring the dough together into a ball and divide in half to make rolling easier (and to prevent the dough drying too much during the rolling process).
The dough should be naturally firm enough to work, but if it is too sticky, wrap in cling film or baking paper and chill for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen up.
Roll it out (using a rolling pin) on a lightly floured sheet of baking paper/work surface to a thickness of about 4 to 5 mm. Very lightly dust the top of the dough to prevent the pin sticking and lift the dough occasionally to prevent it sticking underneath.
Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes (approx 5 cm in diameter/across).
Using either a small heart cutter or the round end of a small piping nozzle, cut holes out of the centre of HALF of the cookies. Using a palette knife transfer the cookie dough shapes to the baking trays as they are cut, leaving a gap of a couple of centimetres between each. Count to ensure you have equal pairs for each shape made.
Bring together, re-roll and shape the off-cuts and remaining dough by the same process until all the dough has been used. If the dough becomes too sticky at any point, pop it in the fridge to chill.
Place the trays with the cut dough cookies in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes before baking.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 170 C (325 F).
Bake the biscuits for about 10 to 14 minutes until they are becoming golden at the edges, but not brown. Trays placed at the bottom of the oven may need a couple of minutes longer.
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave on the baking trays for 10 to 15 minutes to cool, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the biscuits are completely cold, beat the jam (using a spoon) in a small bowl to loosen it. (This is not necessary for curd)
Then spread about ⅔ teaspoon of jam onto each of the base (no hole) biscuits (keeping it fairly central as it will spread when sandwiched). Top each jammy base with a biscuit that has a hole cut out.
Place the Jammie Dodgers on the wire rack for about an hour to allow the jam to 'set' a little, before storing in an airtight container.
They should stay fresh for 3 to 4 days, after which they will start to soften a little, although will still be good to eat for 1 to 2 weeks.
Notes
* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.
Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend A can be found on the Page. If using an alternative flour blend, the texture may be slightly different.
Nutrition
Calories: 107.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 5.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12.9mg | Sodium: 4.3mg | Potassium: 7.7mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 7.2g | Vitamin A: 149.9IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist
© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 1 vote
Jammie Dodgers (gluten free and vegan)
Amazing, easy-to-make Gluten Free Jammie Dodgers that will take you straight back to childhood. This versatile Coeliac-friendly recipe is also egg free and Vegan… But no one would ever know!
Prep Time35 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
dough chilling time20 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Bake Sale, Biscuits & Cookies
Cuisine: British, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword: biscuits, cookies, jam
Servings: 21 approx
Calories per serving: 111.8kcal
Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse
Key equipment
fridge
cookie cutter(s)
Oven
Ingredients
- 180 g plain gluten free flour blend I use GFA blend A –See NOTES
- 20 g corn starch UK 'cornflour'
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum (leave out if the flour blend already contains xanthan gum)
- pinch fine sea salt (leave out if using salted 'butter')
- 80 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 140 g unsalted dairy free BLOCK 'butter' eg Flora or Stork Vegan Blocks- See separate recipe for all-butter version
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon extract for lemon curd 'dodgers')
Jam filling
- 150 g seedless raspberry or strawberry jam (approx weight) or lemon curd
Instructions
Line two to three large baking trays with baking paper.
Weigh and mix together the flours, xanthan gum and salt until evenly combined with no lumps (Tip: weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously) – Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, light and creamy. While this can be done with a hand mixer, it is not necessary and is best blended using a firm wooden/silicone spoon.
Add the vanilla and dry ingredients and mix well together BY HAND with a wooden/silicone spoon until it becomes an even, smooth dough.
Bring the dough together into a ball and divide in half to make rolling easier (and to prevent the dough drying too much during the rolling process).
The dough should be naturally firm enough to work, but if it is too sticky, wrap in cling film or baking paper and chill for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen up.
Roll it out (using a rolling pin) on a lightly floured sheet of baking paper/work surface to a thickness of about 4 to 5 mm. Very lightly dust the top of the dough to prevent the pin sticking and lift the dough occasionally to prevent it sticking underneath.
Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes (approx 5 cm in diameter/across).
Using either a small heart cutter or the round end of a small piping nozzle, cut holes out of the centre of HALF of the cookies. Using a palette knife transfer the cookie dough shapes to the baking trays as they are cut, leaving a gap of a couple of centimetres between each. Count to ensure you have equal pairs for each shape made.
Bring together, re-roll and shape the off-cuts and remaining dough by the same process until all the dough has been used. If the dough becomes too sticky at any point, pop it in the fridge to chill.
Place the trays with the cut dough cookies in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes before baking.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 170 C (325 F).
Bake the biscuits for about 10 to 14 minutes until they are becoming golden at the edges, but not brown. Trays placed at the bottom of the oven may need a couple of minutes longer.
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave on the baking trays for 10 to 15 minutes to cool, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the biscuits are completely cold, beat the jam (using a spoon) in a small bowl to loosen it. (This is not necessary for curd)
Then spread about ⅔ teaspoon of jam onto each of the base (no hole) biscuits (keeping it fairly central as it will spread when sandwiched). Top each jammy base with a biscuit that has a hole cut out.
Place the Jammie Dodgers on the wire rack for about an hour to allow the jam to 'set' a little, before storing in an airtight container.
They should stay fresh for 3 to 4 days, after which they will start to soften a little, although will still be good to eat for 1 to 2 weeks.
Notes
* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.
Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend A can be found on the Page. If using an alternative flour blend, the texture may be slightly different.
Nutrition
Calories: 111.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.2g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 47.1mg | Potassium: 7.2mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 7.5g | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 6.7mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist
© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
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