These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft in texture, sweet, and tangy, thanks to the fresh lemon juice and zest. If you’re a lemon dessert lover, these are for you!
Are you a lemon dessert fan? It seems most of us fall one way or the other…and people who love lemon REALLY love lemon. If you’re one of those people, this recipe is for YOU. (Pssst…you should also try this Lemon Cake and these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!!)
These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies are a dream come true: they’re a perfect balance of soft and chewy, with bright, fresh lemon flavor and a light sugary coating that takes them to the next level.
Add in the nutritional benefits of the ingredients used, and you’ve got a powerhouse dessert. The lemon juice and zest add vitamin C, and almond flour is low-carb and packed with nutrients.
Ingredients you’ll need for Lemon Cookies
The *most* imperative thing here is fresh lemons. Don’t use bottled lemon juice – since lemon is our dominant flavor in these gluten-free vegan lemon cookies, you want to have the bright, fresh lemon flavor that only comes from fresh lemon juice and zest! In addition to the lemons, you’ll need:
- Olive Oil: I love using olive oil in this recipe for the fruity extra *something* that it adds! Make sure it’s a light, fruity-flavored olive oil.
- Cashew Butter: or another nut butter of choice, but cashew butter’s neutral flavor works particularly well here.
- Coconut Sugar: for sweetness!
- Fresh Lemons: for the juice and the zest! Fresh is best :)
- Flax Eggs: can also use 1 egg + 1 yolk instead of a flax egg here, if you don’t need to keep the recipe vegan.
- Vanilla Extract: for flavor!
- Almond Flour: makes for a wonderfully soft texture and slight nuttiness.
- Baking Soda + Salt: for puffiness and flavor
What you’ll need to make them:
Having the right tools makes baking cookies SO much easier! Here are my must-haves for the best cookies:
How to make Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies
These cookies are EASY to make and come together so quickly – we love that, right?! The faster, the better, in my opinion :) here’s how you’ll make them:
First, you’ll mix together the olive oil, nut butter, and coconut sugar until smooth and combined.
Then, you’ll add in the flax eggs, vanilla extract, and your fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir stir stir until fully combined.
Finally, mix together all of your dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, and salt) and then stir them into the wet ingredients until a dough forms.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it firmer and a little easier to work with. Then, using a cookie scoop, make your cookie dough balls.
I love rolling mine in sugar for a glistening sparkle on the outside. To do this, put some sugar into a bowl and roll each cookie dough ball in the sugar before placing on your lined baking sheet.
Press the dough balls down slightly and bake for about 10 minutes, until they’ve puffed up and are baked through. Let cool, and devour!
Tips & Tricks for the BEST lemon cookies:
I’ll say it again: make sure you use fresh lemons!! I would not recommend using something like bottled lemon juice or lemon extract here, as the flavor will not be the same as fresh lemon juice will give you.
To make the cookies ahead of time: you have choices. You can make the dough up to rolling it in the sugar, and after the cookie dough balls have been rolled, you can freeze them as is in a zip-bag. When you’re ready to bake, place them on the baking sheet, press down slightly, and let them bake – it may take an extra minute or two to bake based on how frozen they are.
To store baked cookies: I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cookies in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
More cookies to make you hungry…
- Lemon Macaroons with Lemon Glaze
- Snowball Cookies
- Chai Sugar Cookies
- Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies
Description
These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft in texture, sweet, and tangy, thanks to the fresh lemon juice and zest. If you’re a lemon dessert lover, these are for you!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoonsย (37g)ย light, fruity olive oil
- 3 tablespoonsย (48g)ย creamy cashew butter or other creamy nut butter
- โ cupย coconut sugar
- 1ยฝย flax eggs,ย see Notes
- 1 teaspoonย vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1โ cupsย (160g)ย blanchedย almond flour
- ยพย teaspoonย baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
-
Raw cane sugar, turbinado sugar, or coconut sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, nut butter, andย coconut sugarย until fully combined.
- Beat in the flax egg, then stir in theย vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the blanchedย almondย flour,ย bakingย soda, andย salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients andย stir together until completely combined.
- Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30ย minutes before forming balls to make it easier to work with โ you can leave the dough in the fridge (covered) for up to 48 hours.
- When youโre ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
- Put the sugar in a small bowl to roll the cookies in.
- Use aย cookie scoop to make cookie dough balls, roll into a ball with your hands, and then roll each dough ball in the sugar mixture. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and press down with your palm to flatten them slightly.
- Bake for about 9 to 11 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on the size of your cookies,ย or until theyโve puffed and cracked.ย Let cool completely onย the cookie sheet.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
To make flax eggs:ย whisk together 1ยฝ tablespoons flax meal with 5 tablespoons water, whisk and let gel for 5 minutes before using.
Comments
Lauren says
How do you think these would be with Meyer lemons?
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Lauren, I’m sure they’d be great, just a little less tangy since Meyer’s tend to be a little sweeter/less tart than regular lemons!
Vanessa Ferrari-Orefice says
These are delicious! Perfect texture and flavor! I couldn’t wait the full 30 minutes to chill the dough lol so I simply scooped them out with a cookie scooper onto the parchment pan and sprinkled the sugar on top! In my oven they baked an extra 4 minutes (I kept a watchful eye) and the puffy lemony deliciousness was AMAZING! Super easy and quick!
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
SO glad you’re loving them, Vanessa! Thanks for the tip for the impatient among us, as well :)
Kavits says
How to make flax eggs
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
See the Notes for how to make them! :)
Clare says
Hi, these looks great! Can I make them with maple syrup or honey in place of the coconut sugar?
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Clare, that would add a lot of extra moisture so I would never recommend replacing a granulated sweetener with a liquid one!!
Lara says
The best lemon cookies! I always trust Rachelโs recipes as she has always tested them so they are perfect – canโt recommend this recipe enough if you love lemons
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
You’re too sweet, Lara!! Thanks so much :D
Tina Hnatiuk says
These were amazing! Light and lovely and so lemony. It was hard not to eat all the cookie dough. Total keeper!
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
So happy to hear that you’re loving them, Tina! Thank you for the feedback.
Elizabeth Howard says
Legit soooo good my dad ate like half the batch in one go
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Soooo glad they’re a hit with you and the fam, Elizabeth!
Vanessa Shields says
Love these! One of my favorites now. Do you by chance have a lemon bread recipe? My parents have a tree full of lemons!
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Vanessa, not yet but I can put it on my list! I do have lemon poppyseed muffins that could be made in a loaf pan, though.
Sheri says
Could you use a different flour base, other than almond flour? Thanks! Love lemon recipes!! Looking forward to making them.
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Sheri, they’re only been tested with almond flour so I can’t guarantee any substitutions, but I’m sure something like cashew flour or oat flour would also work well here. Would not recommend using coconut flour, though.
Laurel says
Yes!!! No oatmeal in sight. Thankfully. I love a good lemon cookie and I have everything I need to make these. They look wonderful.
I’ve been following your site on and off for several years now, although mostly just to enjoy your artistry and inventiveness due to multiple food allergies. I did however buy your new book thinking I’d be able to enjoy most of the recipes until I came up against the ubiquitous oatmeal substitution that’s been haunting me seemingly forever. Sigh. Guess I’m stuck with lovely lemon cookies. hehe
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Laurel, sorry to hear you were having trouble with the oatmeal! Not too many of the book recipes have oats/oat flour, but if you send me an email, I’m happy to help you substitute it! My sister doesn’t eat oats, so I have some good options to replace with. I hope you love these cookies, though!!
Laurel says
Yes!