You will love my Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines which are light with a tender crumb and the bright, tangy flavour of lemon. With their pleasantly curved shell shape, these classic French teacakes have an elegant appearance, yet are made from simple, everyday ingredients. They are ideal for morning or afternoon tea or served as dessert with our No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream.
Made these Madelines for a picnic and they were beautiful! so easy to make, very straight forward, no mucking about. Highly recommend if you're looking for a recipe that isn't complex, and need to get them done quickly.
- Nicolas
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Whilst some recipes for Madeleines are complex, my method for making them is simple and is suitable for an experienced cook or a beginner.
- This gluten-free version of a traditional, small, French cake is indistinguishable from the original wheat flour version. The little cakes are deliciously light with the always popular flavour of lemon.
- You will find so many ways to enjoy them. They are ideal served with a cup of tea or coffee, to take on picnics or to potlucks, perfect when entertaining such as for baby showers or Mother's Day. As well, they make beautiful gifts.
Recipe Inspiration: a recipe that my Mum would make when she ran her gluten-free catering company many years ago. It is still a favourite today.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Butter - I use unsalted butter in this recipe so I can control the salt content.
- Eggs - I use large free-range.
- Caster/superfine sugar - my preference in the Madeleines.
- Vanilla extract - use a good quality product which has been extracted from the vanilla bean and not synthetically flavoured.
- Gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour - we use a good quality commercial blend that contains xanthan gum. If your blend already contains it, there is no need to add any more.
- Baking powder - ensure that it is gluten-free.
- Salt - I use coarse kitchen sea salt, sometimes known as kosher salt. A small amount boosts flavour of baked goods.
- Lemon zest - avoid the white pith as it is bitter.
- Icing/powdered sugar - for dusting the Lemon Madeleines. This is optional. If you use icing mixture check that it is gluten-free.
Variations:
Orange zest - can be substituted for the lemon zest.
Regular flour - if you prefer to use regular flour, I recommend trying my Spiced Orange Madeleines, as the recipe uses a slightly different technique.
How To Make Gluten-Free Madeleines:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Prepare your Madeleine tin:
Prepare the baking trays by brushing each mould with melted butter and dusting with gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour. It is essential that this is done properly, so the madeleines are able to tip out of the tin easily without sticking.
2 - Add your ingredients to a food processor:
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor, and blend until they are thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the food processor if necessary. Do not over mix the batter.
3 - Add the batter to the tin and bake:
Divide the batter between the moulds. Bake in your preheated oven until they have risen, are golden brown and cooked through.
4 - Remove from tin:
Cool them in the tray for one minute. Set a clean tea towel on your bench and remove the Madeleines by sharply rapping an edge of the tray on the bench. They should easily fall out.
Serve whilst still warm or place them on a baking rack to finish cooling.
If desired, dust with icing/powdered sugar to serve.
Hint: don't leave the cooked madeleines in the tin for longer than one minute, or they may start to stick to the pan.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Ideally, they are best eaten on the day they are baked, fresh from the oven. However, they are still delicious up to day three.
Yes, you can freeze them. Wait until they are thoroughly cooled then wrap the little cakes in cling wrap and place them into the freezer in an airtight container. This is to prevent them drying out in the freezer. Store them for about 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature and reheat for just a few minutes.
It is important that the Madeleine tins be thoroughly prepared. The shell shapes require a coating of melted butter followed by a dusting of flour after which the excess is shaken off. The careful preparation of the tins means that the little cakes are easily removed.
Top Tip:
When baking, it is important to have your eggs and butter at room temperature. This helps the ingredients to emulsify and create a smooth batter.
If you have not thought to remove your eggs from the refrigerator, just put them in a bowl, cover with warm water and leave them to sit for a few minutes. Do not use hot water or you risk partially cooking the eggs.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find many ways to enjoy these elegant little Gluten-Free Madeleines. Some suggestions are:
- With a cup of tea or coffee for morning or afternoon tea.
- Enjoy them for any occasion or celebration, be it Mother's Day, a baby shower or engagement party. They are always popular.
- As a dessert alongside our Brandied Oranges or Caramelised Yoghurt Cream.
I hope you will love this easily made recipe. The fragrance of these little cakes as they are baking will fill your home. It is warm and alluring, attracting all within reach. But don't worry, they don't take long to cook, you will soon be able to enjoy some.
Please let me know in the comments below if you try them.
Alex xx
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Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines
Equipment
- 2 12-hole Madeleine baking trays
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For Preparing the Tins:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted See Note 1
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour See Note 2
For the Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines:
- 90 g unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs - at room temperature
- 115 g caster/superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 115 g gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder See Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest - finely grated
- pure icing/powdered sugar - for dusting, optional See Note 3
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees C (355 F).
- Prepare the baking trays. Use a pastry brush to generously paint the holes of the madeleine trays with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Dust the baking tins with the 1 tablespoon of flour and shake off any excess flour. (See Note 4.)
- Add all of your ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Blend all the ingredients together to combine them, scraping down the sides of the bowl once during processing.
- Evenly divide the batter between the moulds - you'll want roughly 3-4 teaspoon of mixture. The moulds will be about ½ full. It is not necessary to spread the mixture in the mould; it will spread as it cooks.
- Bake the madeleines for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, the mixture has risen a little in the middle and they are cooked. Cool them in the tray for one minute.
- Set a clean tea towel on your bench and then remove the madeleines by sharply rapping an edge of the tray on the bench. They should easily fall out. Serve warm, or place them on a baking rack to finish cooling. Dust with icing/powdered sugar prior to serving.
Video
Notes
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp.
- Flour: we use a good quality commercial gluten-free flour blend. The blend we use contains xanthan gum to stabilise and provide structure to the recipe. If your flour blend already contains xanthan gum, there is no need to add more.
- Baking powder/icing sugar: ensure it is gluten-free.
- Preparation of the tins: it is important to prepare the baking tins with melted butter and a dusting of flour. It ensures that the madeleines will be easily released from the tins.
- Serving: I like to serve the Gluten-Free Madeleines with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar. However, you may prefer to leave them plain, dip them into a simple icing or you could melt some chocolate of your choice and dip the tips of the madeleines into that.
- Storage: ideally, they are best eaten on the day they are baked, fresh from the oven. However, they are still delicious up to day three.
- Freezing: wait until they are thoroughly cooled then wrap the little cakes in cling wrap and place them into the freezer in an airtight container. This is to prevent them drying out in the freezer. Store them for about 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature and reheat for just a few minutes.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Lynn says
Just made these Madeleines. They are delicious I only had trays for mini Madeleines but adjusted the cooking time to 7 minutes which worked perfectly.
Hubby really, really likes them and they are disappearing rapidly.
I have one metal tray and one silicone tray, I'm definitely going to start to swap over the silicone baking trays.
I very much recommend these they are simple to make and taste delicious.
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Lynn,
Thank you so much for making! Mini madeleines are such a great idea 🙂
Really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Alex xo
Nicolas says
Made these Madelines for a picnic and they were beautiful! so easy to make, very straight forward, no mucking about.
Highly recommend if you're looking for a recipe that isn't complex, and need to get them done quickly.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Nicolas! 🙂
I am so happy you made this recipe and enjoyed it.
Alex xo
Cree Ann says
Thanks for sharing this recipe m! But I am absolutely stumped at PLIAN gluten free flour??? There are SO many brands, Cup4Cup, Bobs, King Arthur, Pamela etc, do you mean any of these? Or something else in particular!
Alexandra Cook says
Hello there 🙂
Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour is a good option! I am sure the others would work well too, but they're not readily available where I live in Australia.
But, I can confirm, that Bob's Red Mill is one I use regularly. Depending on where you're located, other brands that I have tested this recipe with are Orgran and Well Good. Just make sure the brand you use contains xanthan gum or you'll need to add this. (Bob's does contain it 🙂 )
Is there a brand that you have used in the past in gluten-free baking? If you have one you like, that's usually a good place to start.
Please let me know if you have any questions, and if you give the recipe a try!
Thanks, Alex
Angela says
Thank for this recipe!!!🙏 Very easy to make, foolproof, and very delicious.❤️
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Angela!
I am so pleased you enjoyed this recipe, and really appreciate you letting me know. Alex xo
AB says
perfect recipe that's very easy to follow
Alexandra Cook says
Thanks so much, AB 🙂
Wilma says
Would these work with with nuttelex or margarine for my dairy free daughter
Alexandra says
Hi Wilma, we haven't tried the Madeleines with a dairy-free substitute, but I think that Nuttelex would work. If you do try it, please let me know how it goes. 🙂
Joanna Bradshaw says
Definitely worked with Nutlex
Alexandra Cook says
Thanks for sharing, Joanna 🙂
Rashida Adenwala says
Moh. These were delicious!!! I used the King Arthur gluten free flour. They were so good that I freaked out and thought I accidentally used regular flour. Thank you, my 9 year son with Celiac disease is so very happy!
Alexandra says
Hi Rashida, thank you so much for your lovely comments on the GF Lemon Madeleines. I am so happy that you and your son enjoyed them. I do appreciate that you took the time to contact me. 🙂
Carolyn Anderson says
I couldn’t wait to try out my new madeleine pans. This recipe is fantastic! They are lovely lemon morsels….they are so good that my husband and I ate them all in one day! Yes, all 24 of them! So make these and you will not regret it.
Alexandra says
Hi Carolyn, I am delighted to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the GF Lemon Madeleines. Thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Michelle says
Thank you for this lovely and simple recipe 💕
Alexandra says
Hi Michelle, I am so pleased that you enjoy the GF Lemon Madeleines. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.:-)
Lena says
Can I use a silicone mold madeleine pan instead of the metal ones? Thanks!
Alexandra says
Hi Lena, I haven't tried using a silicone pan but I would think it would work well. Just follow the pan instructions as to whether they should be greased or not. I hope you enjoy the Madeleines. 🙂
Flor says
Amazing!
Alexandra says
Hi Flor, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the GF Lemon Madeleines. They are a favourite of mine also. 🙂
Zuzu says
Hi, Can you please share recipe for homemade gluten-free plain flour pls? Than you.
Alexandra says
Hi Zuzu, as yet we have not developed our own gluten-free flour blend but we are currently working on it and look forward to developing one soon. 🙂
For now, depending on your location, we may able to assist with a commercial blend, if that helps?
Please feel free to get back to me with any queries. Kind regards, Alex
Meg Routhorn says
Made these this afternoon with orange zest. They are light, fluffy and so delicious! I added 1 tsp of xanthan gum as my gf flour does not include it. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Alexandra says
Hello Meg, thank you so much for your lovely comments regarding the Madeleines. I do appreciate that you took the time to let me know. 🙂
Christie says
These are outstanding. My kids don't like lemon baked goods, so I added the scrapings from a vanilla bean and slightly increased the amount of vanilla and they were delicious. I blitzed the ingredients in a Ninja blender because I was too lazy to take out my food processor. Worked great.
Alexandra says
Hello Christie, I am so pleased that you enjoyed the Madeleines and were able to adapt the flavour to suit your taste. Vanilla is always delicious. 🙂
Samantha says
These are just wonderful - beautiful, light texture. Come out perfect every time.
Alexandra says
Thrilled to hear that, Sam - thank you!
Sany says
I have a question about if I can substitute almond flour with the regular flour? Thank you
Alexandra says
Hi Sany,
I have never tried that, I am sorry, so I couldn't say for sure. It may work with half almond and half regular, but I think a complete substitution would alter the texture and finished product too much.
If you give it a try, do let me know!
And if you are after some recipes that use almond meal, you can check out our completely collection here.
Kind regards, Alex
Katy says
These look wonderful! Have you ever tried making these in a standard kitchen mixer, like a kitchen aid? I have a small food processor but I don’t believe it would hold the recipe in its entirety.
Alexandra says
Hi Katy!
I had to make a batch for a friend, so I used my Kitchen Aid for a change - they worked absolutely fine. My only tip would be being very careful not to overbeat the mix as too much air can cause them to deflate 🙂
Let me know if you give them a try!
Rory Rosszell says
Using almond meal would make it closer to a financier (rather than a Madeleine).
Elvia says
Amazing! Absolutely amazing! I love this recipe, thank you! A couple of tweaks...I used coconut sugar instead of the sugar in this recipe because it's a lesser glycemic impact. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of lavender extract. Yum! They didn't last long 🙂
Alexandra says
Thank you, Elvia!
So pleased to know you had success with coconut sugar. The addition of lavender extract sounds great!