Anna Jones’ recipes for gluten-free millionaire’s shortbread and buckwheat crepes | Gluten-free (2024)

This millionaire’s shortbread is testament to this: it’s both vegan and gluten-free, with a date caramel that would rival any traditional one and a crisp shortbread with a snap any Bake Off contestant would be proud of. The crepes are a gluten-free classic, made with buckwheat flour and brown butter, to which I am completely addicted. Hats off to whoever first burned their butter and decided to use it anyway. As they say, imitation is the mother of creativity.

Vegan millionaire’s shortbread (pictured above)

I find normal millionaire’s shortbread too cloying and sweet. This version, which uses the sweetness of dates and has seeds and nuts for added crunch, is much more my thing. I use Doves Farm gluten-free flour, which gives the best texture for most gluten-free baking – and I have tried them all.

Prep 30 min
Cook 40 min
Set 2 hr
Makes 16 squares

For the caramel
350g medjool dates, pitted
125ml almond milk
150g coconut oil
1 pinch salt

For the topping
250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
30g dried sour cherries or dried cranberries
50g roughly chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Flaky sea salt

Put the dates, milk and oil in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for a few minutes, until the dates start to soften, then cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Once cooled, add to the same food processor (no need to wash) and blitz to a thick caramel. Add a pinch of salt.

Put the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally and take off the heat just before it melts – the chocolate will finish melting in the residual heat. Stir in the sour cherries/cranberries and nuts, reserving a few for the top.

Next, dollop the caramel on to the cooled shortbread: one in the middle and four around the edges. Using a knife, spread into an even layer, then pour over the nutty chocolate, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the top with the remaining nuts, sesame seeds and some flaky sea salt, then put in the fridge for a couple of hours until set, then cut into squares.

• This recipe was amended on 4 January 2020 to specify that the oats used should be gluten-free and to remove oat milk as an alternative ingredient to almond milk in a gluten-free context.

Brown butter and orange buckwheat crepes

Prep 15 min, plus resting
Cook 15 min
Makes 6

To serve
100g natural yoghurt
50ml honey or maple syrup
50g toasted almonds, roughly chopped

Put the butter in a small saucepan, and melt on a medium heat for three to four minutes, until foamy, golden brown and smelling sweet. Pour into a bowl to stop it browning further, then leave to cool slightly.

Sift the flours into a bowl or jug, add the orange zest, then add the milk, little by little, until you have a smooth, thick batter. Now add 150ml cold water and whisk until everything is mixed, then leave to rest for 10-15 minutes, or even overnight, if you want to make them the next morning. Once you’re ready to make the crepes, add the cooled browned butter and combine.

Serve warm with a dollop of natural yoghurt, a drizzle of honey or syrup, some chopped nuts and sliced orange.