Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 14 Comments

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TheseGluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies are soft and chewy, fluffy and studded with juicy blueberries. They're covered in a creamy, tangy lemon frosting, are refined sugar free, and taste like Blueberry Muffins! They're also super easy to make as they come together in one bowl and the dough doesn't require chilling.

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (1)

How to make the cookies

Scroll down to thebottom of the post for the full recipe.

Tip: If the dough looks too wet: place it in the fridge for an hour to help it firm up. If it looks too dry: add a splash of any type of plant-based milk.

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2)
  • Use your hands to shape the cookie dough into patties - you should be able to make 7 large cookies.

Tip: To make super fluffy cookies, I like to make sure the centre part of the cookie is slightly thicker than the rest, like in a dome shape. And don't worry, unlike traditional cookies, these ones won't spread as they bake.

Tip: Line the baking tray with greased baking paper to make sure the cookies don't stick.

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (3)
  • Bake in oven for around 15 minutes, until very lightly browned - be careful not to over-bake!
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (4)
  • They will be slightly soft when you remove them from the oven - leave to cool completely to let them harden before applying the frosting.
  • Don't worry about the cracks on top - I found it was impossible to make these vegan and gluten-free lemon blueberry cookies without the cracks forming on top. The cracks don't affect the taste or the texture at all, and the yummy frosting will completely cover them up!

How to make the frosting

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (5)
  • Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.
  • Taste and add extra lemon juice and/or maple syrup if necessary.
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (6)
  • Use a knife to spread a bit of frosting over each of the cookies.
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (7)

How long do these keep for?

These do taste best when fresh, but keepcovered in thefridge for up to afew days.

Substitutions you can make

  • You can replace thecoconut oilwithcoconut butter.
  • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
  • You can replace thegluten-free flourwith rice flour.
  • If you don't need the cookies to be gluten-free,you can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour.
  • The ground almonds can be replaced with ground walnuts.
  • For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and omit the frosting or make a different frosting.
  • You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
  • The blueberries can be replaced with raspberries, blackberries or cherries!

Tips for baking with lemons

  • For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
  • You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
  • For the cookies, I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
  • For the frosting, I would recommend tasting it as you're making it and adding extra lemon juice if necessary.
  • For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (8)

More gluten-free vegan cookie recipes

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Lemon Cookies
  • Snickerdoodles
  • Chocolate Cookies
  • Carrot Cake Cookies
  • Millionaire Shortbread
  • Orange Cookies
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
  • Pumpkin Cookies
  • Thumbprint Cookies
  • Linzer Cookies
  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (9)

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies

TheseGluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies are soft and chewy, fluffy and studded with juicy blueberries. They're covered in a creamy, tangy lemon frosting too!

4.32 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry cookies, gluten-free vegan cookies, vegan cookies

Servings: 7 large cookies

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 30 g ( cup) coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
  • 10 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other similar sweetener)
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (make sure lemons are unwaxed)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
  • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain flour if not gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • 100 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries

For the frosting:

  • 75 g (½ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

For the cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

  • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.

  • Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, and mix well.

  • Measure out the dry ingredients (ground almonds, gluten-free flour and baking powder)and mix well.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until you get a soft dough but one that’s firm enough to mould.

  • Carefully mix in the blueberries, making sure not to crush them, otherwise they will ‘bleed’ into the cookie dough.

  • If the dough looks too wet, placing it in the fridge for an hour will help it firm up. If it looks too dry, add a splash of any type of plant-based milk.

  • Use your hands to shape the cookie dough into patties – you should be able to make 7 large cookies. To make super fluffy cookies, I like to make sure the centre part of the cookie is slightly thicker than the rest. And don't worry, unlike traditional cookies, these ones won't spread as they bake
.

  • Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray/baking sheet lined with greased baking paper.

  • Bake in oven for around 15 minutes, until very lightly browned – be careful not to over-bake!

  • They will be slightly soft when you remove them from the oven – leave to cool completely to let them harden before applying the frosting.

For the frosting:

  • Drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and lemon juice.

  • Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.

  • Taste and add extra lemon juice and/or maple syrup if necessary.

  • Use a knife to spread a bit of frosting over each of the cookies.

  • Taste best when fresh, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

Don’t worry about the cracks on top – I found it was impossible to make these vegan and gluten-free lemon blueberry cookies without cracks forming on top. The cracks don’t affect the taste or the texture at all, and the yummy lemon frosting will completely cover them up!

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 411Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Sodium 6mg0%

Potassium 256mg7%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 30g33%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 8IU0%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 135mg14%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

More Baking & Dessert Recipes

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  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Cake
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Duha

    In love with your recipe. I made it twice, the second time I modified it a little and reduced vanilla to 1/2 tsp and added lavender. It was the bomb! Thank youuu ♥️

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

  2. Diane

    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (14)
    Delicious, but the frosting was way too thin. The only way I could think to thicken was powdered sugar. Other suggestions?

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Hello sorry to hear you had that experience! Did you blend the frosting for a long time until completely smooth and use a high-speed blender? The frosting can appear thing if not blended until completely smooth.

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Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from falling apart? ›

You need a binding agent in your gluten-free cookies recipe; otherwise, your cookies will fall apart. Some flour blends may already contain a binding agent, so double-check the list of ingredients. If it doesn't, you can add flaxseeds, xanthan gum, or guar gum.

Why did my gluten-free cookies not rise? ›

11- Make sure your baking soda and/or baking powder are fresh. These are the leavening agents in your cookie recipe and if they are no longer active, your cookies won't puff up and may spread more. Try a fresh container if they've been open longer than 3 months.

How do you thicken gluten-free cookies? ›

Chilling the dough for at least several hours results in cookies that are extra-thick and chonky because it allows the flours to absorb more moisture.

Why are my gluten-free cookies dry and crumbly? ›

One of the most common gluten-free baking tips is “let your batter rest”. Letting the batter rest gives the gluten-free flours and starches more time to absorb the moisture. In theory, it will turn your dry, crumbly cakes into delicious, moist masterpieces.

What happens when you use gluten-free flour in cookies? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Should I add xanthan gum to gluten-free cookies? ›

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

Which gluten-free flour is best for cookies? ›

Almond flour is a grain-free, protein-rich flour that lends well to cookies, cakes, and more! Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, meaning without skins (as opposed to almond meal, which is made from raw almonds with skins). This is why it has a fluffy, light texture and pale golden color.

What is the best flour for cookies? ›

All-purpose flour is the most commonly used flour in cookie recipes due to its moderate protein content (usually around 10-12%). This balanced protein level makes it versatile enough to produce both soft and chewy cookies as well as slightly crisp ones.

What does cornstarch do in gluten-free cookies? ›

Adding cornstarch thickens the dough, so that they expand as they bake. As they cool, the outside will solidify and become just a little bit crispy, while keeping them extra soft in the middle.

How do you improve the texture of gluten-free cookies? ›

Use a Binder. Binders like xanthan gum and guar gum provide structure in gluten-free baking to make up for the missing gluten. This prevents cookies from being too crumbly plus it also helps with freshness.

How do you add moisture to gluten-free cookie dough? ›

Honey and agave as a sugar substitute can enhance moisture as well, but be aware that you should cut down slightly on the other liquids you are using in the recipe, as honey and agave are not solid ingredients. Adding an extra egg or oil can also help, but use caution.

Why are my vegan cookies so crumbly? ›

If you think vegan baked goods are dry and crumbly, you probably haven't had one that's been made with the right fat (or the right amount of fat), according to Konya. Butter is what makes traditional baked goods so darn tasty—as well as helps keep it all together—so you can't merely eliminate it and hope for the best.

How do you make gluten-free baking less crumbly? ›

Add xanthan gum to gluten-free flour. It enhances elastic qualities that gluten-free flours lack, making it easier to work with and less likely to crumble. Add plenty of water to the gluten-free flour to prevent the pastry from becoming too dry when rolling out.

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from being grainy? ›

Chill the Dough

Adding too much sprinkling flour can result in a gritty taste to your finished cookies. Learn to keep the dough cold by working with one piece at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge.

How do you keep gluten free dough from falling apart? ›

To successfully make a gluten-free pie crust that won't fall apart, add one egg to your dry ingredients before adding any water. Fully combine the egg and then add only the amount of water you need to form the dough.

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