One-bowl vegan lemon poppyseed cookies are amazingly chewy and zesty! Made with almond flour, they are gluten-free and grain-free.
Table of Contents
These lemon poppyseed cookies are based on my other almond flour cookies. This cookie base turns out great every single time! No wonder I keep going back to that to make all sorts of cookies!. It uses just a little bit of maple syrup for sweetening, and no butter or sugar so no beating those up. Just add all the ingredients to a bowl, mix for 5 seconds and done! Scoop and bake. These are my 9 yr niece approved and she makes many of my almond flour cookies easily. Even with some measuring errors, they turn out fab.
You can bake the cookies it a bit longer for a crispier cookie or a minute or so less for chewier cookies. I often use lime zest in these cookies for the extra zing. You can use lemon or lime, and you can add poppyseeds or chia seeds or just omit them. You’ll want to double this recipe, because the cookies just disappear super quickly.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- These cookies need just 1 Bowl
- Maple syrup adds sweetness. No beating up butter and sugar for the perfect shortbread like crumb!
- tangy cookies are crunchy outside and chewy inside
- crunchy poppyseeds add amazing texture
- naturally gluten-free and grain-free
- makes a delicious dessert or snack
More Almond Flour Cookies
- Almond Joy Cookies
- Snickers Cookies
- Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Brookie (Pan Cookie)
Recipe Card
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cookies Gluten-free
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup (112 g) blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, powdered or cane, optional
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds or use chia seeds
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon solid coconut oil, melt before using
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- zest of half a lemon or lime
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- good pinch of turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add all of the dry ingredients — that's the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt, sugar and poppyseeds — and mix really well. Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon/lime juice, zest, and vanilla. Add a pinch of turmeric, if you want a more vibrant color cookie. Mix the wet ingredients together in the well, then mix them into the dry ingredients. Press and mix to make a soft dough. The dough might be slightly sticky, depending on how precisely you measured and the almond flour you used. If it is on the dryer side, add another tablespoon maple syrup.
- Chill the dough in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 335° F (168° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the freezer, then use a cookie scoop and scoop it onto the baking sheet (I use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop). Keep them pretty far apart, because they will spread during baking.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, depending on your oven and the texture of cookie that you want. For chewier cookies, check at 10 minutes. If they are starting to turn golden on the edges, then they're done. For crispier, let them bake for another minute or two.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. The cookies will be soft to touch, so let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then gently pull the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and let them cool for another 5 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
- almond flour – This is the base for your gluten-free cookie dough. To make these without almond flour, you can use other nut flours, like cashew flour or use a mix of seed flour, such as hemp and sunflower seed, and all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend. Many gluten free blends are very thirsty, so they will need more moisture. They also bake out a bit too dry, which is why I like to use almond flour to make gluten-free versions of cookies.h
- tapioca starch – Since almond flour contains no gluten, you need extra starch to help the cookies hold together. You can use cornstarch instead, if needed.
- baking soda – helps the dough rise and stay tender as the cookies bake.
- sugar – For sweetness.
- salt – to balance out the sweet
- Poppyseeds – For crunchy! Use chia seeds, instead, if you prefer, or omit the seeds.
- coconut oil – A little bit of fat adds moisture to the dough. Make sure you measure your tablespoon of coconut oil, then melt it.
- maple syrup – Adds sweetness and moisture.
- lemon juice and zest – Give these cookies a tangy, citrusy flavor. Use lime juice and zest for lime cookies.
- vanilla extract – Gives these cookies an amazing flavor!
Tips
- For crunchier cookies, bake for a minute or two longer. If you prefer your lemon poppyseed cookies to be softer and chewier, bake for a minute less than directed.
- Make sure you chill the dough! These cookies spread a lot during baking, and chilling keeps that under control, so you don’t end up with them all sticking together on the baking sheet.
- Space the cookies about two inches apart on the baking sheet, so they’ll have room to spread significantly.
- If you want your cookies to be a more vibrant color, add a pinch of turmeric to the dough.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
In a bowl, add all of the dry ingredients — that’s the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt, sugar and poppyseeds — and mix really well. Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon/lime juice, zest, and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients together in the well, then mix them really well into the dry ingredients. Press and mix to make a soft dough.
Add a pinch of turmeric to the wet before mixing, if you want a more vibrant color cookie.
The dough might be slightly sticky, depending on how precisely you measured and the almond flour you used.
Chill the dough in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 335° F (168° C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, remove the cookie dough from the freezer, then use a cookie scoop and scoop it onto the baking sheet (I use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop). Keep them pretty far apart, because they will spread thin during baking.
Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, depending on your oven and the texture of cookie that you want.
For chewier cookies, you want to check at 10 minutes. If they are starting to turn golden on the edges, then they’re done. For crispier, let them go for another minute or two.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. The cookies will be soft to touch, so let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then gently pull the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and let them cool for another 5 minutes before serving or storing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These vegan lemon poppyseed cookies double like a charm. You might need to add a tbsp or so more almond flour
Chia seeds work well in place of the poppyseeds in this recipe. You can also omit the seeds completely.
To make these without almond flour, you can use other nut flours, like cashew flour or use a mix of seed flour, such as hemp and sunflower seed, and all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend. Many gluten free blends are very thirsty, so they will need more moisture. They also bake out a bit too dry, which is why I like to use almond flour to make gluten-free versions of cookies. For a regular flour cookie, make my lemon chia cookies
Store your cookies on the counter in a closed container for up to four days. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Carol K
Delicious! I preferred the crisp version to the soft of the 2 batches I made. Super quick and easy with great results. Next time I will go with 1 T of sugar rather than 2. Thanks for another great recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome! Thank you for making it!
Amy
These were delicious and so easy!! Turned out perfect. Next time will definitely double the recipe 😊
Richa
Uay
Nancy K
Once again, an amazing recipe. I brought a batch for a co-worker’s birthday yesterday and they were devoured and raved about. (Heard across the office yesterday: “did you try those lemon cookies? OMG!!!!”) I am making a second batch just for me today!
Vegan Richa Support
yay!!
Karissa
I love these cookies! So easy and delicious.
Richa
Awesome! Thanks
Emily
Just made these. I am an experienced vegan baker. I have to ask, is there some liquid missing from the liquid ingredients? 3 cups of flour to only 4 tablespoons of liquid between the oil and maple syrup? Mine was pure dry crumbles, almost drier than an apple crumble topping. I added a few tablespoons of water even to get to the point where it would be a little bit sticky and meld together beyond crumbles. I used the 2 tablespoons scoop. You said that they would spread? When they were done baking, they were still a giant ball and had not budged. They did not spread, flatten out, or move. A giant cooked round dough ball. Yes, it was golden on the outside and still cake-like on the inside, but it did not turn into a Cookie whatsoever. You didn’t mention anything about flattening out the cookies. Either way, there must be some liquid missing from the recipe because this just can’t be right, and I’ve been doing vegan baking for several years now and I love most of your recipes. I can’t fathom how you got them to be round, flat cookies like in your photo based on how the recipe is written, and I followed the instructions exactly and used the exact ingredients without any swaps. Seems to me that needs to be at least a third a cup of liquid added somewhere to get a flat cookie. On the upnote, they did taste delicious and had a nice lemonade flavor, because I also added an extra teaspoon of lemon flavoring extract since it seemed too faint tasting the dough without it. I love the concept, but something doesn’t seem right with the dry to liquid ratio. Even in your picture, the maple syrup and coconut oil looks like there’s a lot more in your mise en place than there is described in the ingredient list.
Richa
Oh no. The recipe calls for 1 cup almond flour. With 3 cups you would need about 2/3 cup maple. Water will completely change the texture. And you would need to add 3 times the flavors etc as well. Not sure why you used 3 cups. The recipe had a gm error in weight for the flour which I corrected. It was showing 200 gm but should be 112 gm. But other than that the cup measures are correct and have been tested many times.
Melanie
I had the same issue, I scaled up to 20 servings using the calculator provided but my cookies didn’t spread out at all. Now I have 20 blobs instead, that admittedly taste delicious but just don’t look great 😀 I will add more coconut oil next time, maybe that fixes it.
Richa
Add a bit more moisture(oil and maple). The widget just multiplies everything for increased serving.
Emily
Another hit! I love these almond based cookies! They don’t give me a sugar high, satisfy my cookie craving and have amazing texture! Keep them coming! Love the almond joy ones and the snickers cookies.
Richa
Awesome
Ann
Terrific cookie! Another keeper from Richa’s kitchen. Thank you.
Richa
Yay!!!
Jane
I followed the recipe exactly and the dough did not spread at all and made thick cookies that didn’t cook through
Richa
Did you change anything?
Amy
These sound delicious and I am going to make some for my mom for Mother’s Day. Do you think a glaze on top of the cookies would work well? Was thinking powdered sugar/vegan milk/lemon juice? Thanks!
Richa
Yea definitely.
Jane Krupp
Followed recipe exactly
Richa
Try a bit more maple and coconut oil.
Richa
Maybe it was measuring error. Add abit more maple syrup and coconut oil.
PamelaB
Genius! I love poppy seed muffins. This idea is fabulousness waiting to happen. 🥰
Richa
❤️❤️
Tania
Hi, is it possible to use oat flour.
Thanks
Vegan Richa Support
yes
Pam
Can I use an oil other than coconut?
Richa
You can use any other oil. Chill the door for a bit longer.
Michelle
First off, I want to tell you that I love your recipes and have enjoyed all of the ones I’ve tried. For this recipe, your intro says, “just a little maple syrup for sweetening, and no butter or sugar so no beating those up.” I then was very interested, because I LOVE lemon poppyseed muffins and I am looking for dessert-type recipes with no sugar or no refined sugar. So I was disappointed to see that the recipe does, in fact, call for sugar. It’s not a lot, but it’s in there. 🙁
Richa
It’s optional. Forgot to add optional. Most of the almond flour cookies have the sugar is optional, but it doesn’t affect the structure of the cookie. It’s just for a range of sweetness based on personal preference.