Bright, refreshing vegan lemon cookies with a wonderfully tender and crumbly texture - that's what this recipe promises! Perfect for spring and summer, these tasty cookies burst with citrus flavor from fresh lemons. Plus, they're topped with powdered sugar for a final touch of sweetness.
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There's something so irresistible about lemon cookies and cakes. The sweet and sour citrus notes combine to create the perfect balance of flavors. Take this vegan lemon drizzle cake - with its moist lemon cake base and tangy glaze, it's no wonder it's one of my most popular recipes.
Now, capture some of that irresistible lemony magic in convenient cookie form with this easy vegan lemon cookie recipe. These cookies are 100% dairy-free and made with no eggs, so they're also perfect for allergy sufferers.
🛒Ingredients & Notes
- Flour: We'll just be using all-purpose flour for these cookies. If you to want to make gluten-free cookies, swap gluten-free flour for the wheat flour.
- Almond Flour: The almond flour adds a nutty flavor and contributes to a tender texture in the Vegan Lemon Cookies.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These are your leavening agents. In other words, they make your cookies rise.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch helps to bind the dough and enhance its texture, which means softer and more tender cookies!
- Salt: Salt enhances all the other flavors.
- Vegan Butter: Some popular vegan butter brands that work well for baking cookies are Earth Balance, Miyokos's Creamery and Country Crock Plant Butter., and Country Crock Plant Butter.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds depth and richness to baked goods. I highly recommend Madagascar vanilla. It's a bit more expensive than other vanilla extracts, but the depth of flavor it adds to cookies and cakes is exquisite.
- Lemons: We will be using the zest and the juice, because...well.. these are lemon cookies:) Please don't use bottled lemon juice.
Optional Additions
- Yellow Food Coloring: The food coloring is totally optional. I love the sunshine yellow color it gives these cookies. If you'd like a more natural alternative you can add a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- Powdered Sugar: A dusting of powdered sugar over the top of these cookies really makes them special. You could also mix the powdered sugar with water and a touch of lemon juice to make a glaze. Simply drizzle it over the cookies for extra lemon flavor.
👨🍳How To Make Vegan Lemon Cookies
- Step 1 - Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2 - Whisk Together Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Step 3 - Cream Butter & Sugar: In another bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Step 3 - Add Lemon Juice & Vanilla: Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until well combined.
- Step 4 - Mix Dry & Wet Ingredients Together: Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. If desired, add natural yellow food coloring or substitutes to achieve a vibrant yellow hue, adjusting the amount according to your preference. If the dough seems too sticky, you can add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a manageable consistency.
- Step 5 - Shape The Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie for spreading. Flatten each ball of dough slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Do not smash them down too much, or they'll come out flat. Just a small press on the cookie dough ball will do.
- Step 6 - Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown.
- Step 7 - Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 8 - Dust With Powdered Sugar (Optional): Once the cookies are completely cool, you can dust them with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness, if desired.
Top Tip
If you want an exaggerated crinkle cookie effect, chill your cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before baking them.
❄️Storage Instructions
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. Make sure the container is tightly sealed to prevent the cookies from becoming stale or absorbing any odors from the surroundings.
Refrigerator
Place the cookies in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag, separating layers with parchment paper or wax paper to prevent sticking. Stored this way, the cookies can last for up to a week.
Freezer
These cookies also freeze well. Once cooled completely, arrange the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for about an hour or until frozen solid. Then transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, placing parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Vegan lemon cookies should stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
The food coloring is optional. It just makes the cookies a beautiful lemon yellow shade, which I love for lemon cookies. But, if you don't have food coloring or you'd prefer not to use it - try adding a teaspoon of turmeric to the dry ingredients.
Absolutely! Simple substitute your favorite blend of gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour in the recipe.
To achieve an exaggerated crinkle effect, roll the dough balls generously in powdered sugar before flattening them. Additionally, chilling the dough for about 30 minutes to an hour before baking will help the cookies spread less during baking, resulting in a more pronounced crinkle effect. slightly underbaking the cookies can also enhance the crinkle effect. They will continue to spread and crackle as they cool on the baking sheet.
like lemon?
Vegan Lemon Polenta Cake
This vegan lemon polenta cake is delightfully tangy and moist with a subtle crunch from the polenta. A true Italian classic made dairy-free.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- ½ cup vegan butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon yellow food coloring (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add the lemon juice and the vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. If desired, add natural yellow food coloring or substitutes to achieve a vibrant yellow hue, adjusting the amount according to your preference.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie for spreading.
- Flatten each ball of dough slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, you can dust them with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness, if desired.
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