Vegan lemon cookies are bright, zesty, and full of fresh lemon flavor. These soft, tender cookies are egg-free, dairy-free, and can even be made without refined sugar. Easy to make and even easier to eat, they might just become your new favorite snack.
Looking for more delicious vegan cookies? My peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies are always a favorite.
A fresh batch of these vegan lemon cookies has quickly become one of my favorite treats to bake. They're soft, made with simple ingredients, and taste similar to a zesty lemon wafer cookie.
If you love cookies with a bold lemon flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture, this cookie recipe is sure to become your go-to dessert any time of the year.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Cookies
These cookies are quick and simple to make in just a few easy steps.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and oil. Then mix in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, place on the baking sheet, and slightly flatten with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes.
Tip: The trick to achieving melt-in-your-mouth lemon poppy seed cookies is to bake them for only 8 minutes. The shorter baking time keeps the cookies soft and tender.
To Store Your Cookies
Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for up to 4 days.
In the Refrigerator: Keep cookies in an airtight container or zip-lock bag in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying.
In the Freezer: Freeze cookies or cookie dough in a single layer on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours. Then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for baked cookies. For frozen dough, bake from the freezer, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
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Recipe
Vegan Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- A pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil, softened/melted
- ½ cup coconut sugar, or granulated sugar (see note #1)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon, or 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt.
- In a separate, larger bowl, cream together the sugar and oil. Then mix in the remaining wet ingredients: lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
- Add half of the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough and place each scoop onto the baking sheet. If you don't have a scoop, measure about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball, and set it on the baking sheet.
- Gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a cup. Cookies should still be slightly thick (a little over ¼-inch).
- Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 min. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Coconut Sugar: Some coconut sugars leave dark sugar spots in the cookies. To avoid this, blend the coconut sugar in a blender until it becomes a fine powder. The powdered coconut sugar will even out the color of the cookies. Measure the sugar after blending.
- Storage: Transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container or zip-lock bag. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
More Vegan Cookies
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Claudia
Made 5 batches in 2 days! These are really good. I save few cookie balls unbaked in the freezer for next time
Daniella Jones
Super yummy! My mom and I love anything lemon poppy seed and these were delicious and super easy to make. I'll definitely be making them again.
Marlena Luna
That's great to hear! I'm glad you both loved the cookies, Daniella! :)
Lanie
Will these work well with almond flour?
Marlena Luna
I have not tried them with almond flour, so I cannot say for sure. However, I have made them with a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour blend without any problems. So, I would suggest using a blend.
Anna
Hi! Can I use brown or just regular white sugar? And thank you for the recipe :)
Marlena Luna
Yes, you can replace with equal amounts of either brown or white sugar. Enjoy Anna! :)
Andrea
I just made these as instructed (minus the poppy seeds, which I was out of). I served them to my family with tea and they are all gone! Very soft and lemony, perfect with green tea. However, my dough was crumbly and I added a few tablespoons cashew milk (ran out of lemon juice) so the dough was workable. Also I baked for 11 minutes. Maybe it's my mile-high altitude and dry climate. I would make them again, and probably will tomorrow.
Marlena Luna
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed them, Andrea! Yes, depending on altitude and weather the dough can get crumbly. I do exactly what you did and add a bit more liquid (lemon juice or non-dairy milk). :)
Ivy
Yum! These were easy and came out delicious.! My batch isn't going to last 36 hours either. You mention salt in the body of the recipe, but I didn't see an amount in the ingredient list. I guessed and added 1/2 a teaspoon and it worked fine :) Found your site from Sam Turnbull's (It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken) posting about Easter recipes. Excited to try some of your other recipes!
Marlena Luna
Thank you for pointing that out, Ivy. It’s actually an error in the instructions. I normally make the cookies without the salt, but next time I’ll have to try them with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Who knows, maybe the recipe needs an update! Either way I’m glad you enjoyed them! :) PS I love Sam’s blog! One of my new favorite recipes of hers are the baked apple fritters. YUM!