These Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft, chewy, and delicious! With lots of lemon juice and zest, these cookies are full of bright flavor. Plus, they’re made using almond flour, so they’re gluten-free. If you love lemon desserts, these are definitely worth a try!

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 vegan lemon cookie recipe is for YOU. (Pssst…you should also try this Lemon Cake and these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!!) Plus, you already know I love my vegan and gluten-free cookie recipes! Since you’re here, I’m guessing you do too.

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. And you know I love my gluten-free almond flour cookies! I have plenty more gluten-free vegan cookie recipes in my top-selling cookbook as well!

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 because of the fruity extra something 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

How to make a flax egg for vegan baking: combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2.5 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Let it sit and gel for about 5 to 10 minutes, before stirring and adding to the recipe.

How to zest a lemon: Make sure you have a good zester. Hold the lemon in one hand and the zester in the other. Scrape the lemon against the blades of the zester, scraping along the rind as you rotate the lemon. Take care to get the lemon peel, but not the white pith underneath, which can be bitter.

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 vegan almond flour 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, add the flax eggs, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. 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 firm it up and make it 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 it 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.

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 for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

More cookies to make you hungry…

Bakerita | Rachel Conners

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies

5 from 8 reviews
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!
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 3 tablespoons (37g) light, fruity olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons (48g) creamy cashew butter, or other creamy nut butter
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1½ flax eggs, see Notes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1⅔ cups (160g) blanched almond flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Raw cane sugar, turbinado sugar, or coconut sugar

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, nut butter, and coconut sugar until fully combined.
    3 tablespoons (37g) light, fruity olive oil, 3 tablespoons (48g) creamy cashew butter, 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • Beat in the flax egg, then stir in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
    1½ flax eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the blanched almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until completely combined.
    1⅔ cups (160g) blanched almond flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before forming balls to make it easier to work with – you can leave the dough in the fridge (covered) for up to 48 hours.
  • When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Put the sugar in a small bowl to roll the cookies in.
    Raw cane sugar
  • Use a 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, or until they’ve puffed and cracked. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

To make flax eggs: whisk together 1½ tablespoons flax meal with 5 tablespoons water, whisk and let gel for 5 minutes before using.
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