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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)
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cookies Gluten-free
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup 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 heaping 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 should be slightly sticky, depending on how precisely you measured and the almond flour you used. If the mix is dryer or stiffer, 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Tried these cookies today. I had such confidence that they would taste amazing that I doubled the recipe. LOL. I used a smaller scoop to get smaller bite sized cookies. Although they did flatten out slightly, they are nowhere near as flat as in your illustration. Came to ask why and then found answer in previous comments before posting. Would eliminating the freezer step also help them flatten out or does the freezer step help the cookies stay together?
Skip freezing. Add a bit more moisture(more coconut oil and maple) so that the Dough is soft and somewhat sticky. And they should spread nicely.
Omg these are AMAZING!! I made them with chia- so easy to make and utterly delicious, and look beautiful. I doubled the recipe and made about 20. New favorite recipe and it’s awesome that they are vegan too! Hooray!!
Awesome!! So glad you liked them.
I made these this morning for a friend who is coeliac. They were really good, he ate 3 straight off. They were perfect for me too (I’m vegan), and the people with no specific dietary requirements polished off the rest. A really good recipe!
Yay
I love these cookies, however the last two times I made them they didn’t flatten out but stayed the original shape. Because of this the texture was different. Any suggestions?
It’s measuring issue. A bit less coconut oil or lemon juice and abit more almond flour or a brand of almond flour that absorbs more moisture. just add a teaspoon more coconut oil so that you have a very soft dough. Softer moister dough spreads more while stiffer dough tends to spread less and keep shape. Also flatten them a bit as well before baking.
I’ve made these several times and love them. My question is this. The first time they spread out during baking isn’t into a flat round shape. The last 2 times they stayed the round shape that they were when I put the dough on the pan. Taste good, just different. And ideas?
It’s the measuring differences. Sometimes almond flour is more packed , sometimes more or less coconut oil. If the dough is too soft then it spreads more.
So, should I lightly pack the almond flour? I ll try an extra tsp of coconut oil.
It’s hard to determine without being there, but next time you can try to lightly pack the almond flour and see what happens.
So yummy and so easy! Love the crunch the almond flour gave it when it browned. We will be making them again!
So happy to hear!
I love these leomon poppyseed/chia cookies. I made them today again and I know they would not last long😆. They are a hit with my family and friends.
Yay!
They taste delicious. I’ve met them twice and next time I’ll double the recipe. ( I had only 1 cup of almond flour). The first time I made them they didn’t spread like the photo. This time I pressed them down a bit. Either way they are usually eaten in a day or two. ( which is why I need to double it)
thank you!
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.
Awesome! Thank you for making it!
These were delicious and so easy!! Turned out perfect. Next time will definitely double the recipe 😊
Uay