Nutty Cookies – Vegan Gluten Free
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These nutty cookies with a chewy center and crisp crinkly top are also vegan gluten free and simply divine. One of the best cookie recipes you’ll ever make, egg free and dairy free, If you love nuts these are definitely for you! From what I hear they are also Santa’s favorite and that means something, right?!
Nutty Cookies
If you are going to bake one more batch of Christmas cookies this year, let these super nutty gluten free cookies be the ones. The recipe features ground walnuts or pecans bound into the perfect dough with a little jam, vanilla and nut flour. Quick, simple and delicious, the perfect Christmas cookie! Plus they double down as a great protein breakfast cookie with your morning cup of espresso or tea.
About the Nuts
You can use walnuts or pecans here, raw are best as they are going to get toasty in the oven anyways. Go wild and mix in some pistachios or almonds just to be a little extra if you’d like.
You get the sweet caramel-like rich flavor from brown sugar balanced by a little citrusy touch from lemon zest and a little tanginess from apricot jam. The addition of a splash of rum in lieu of water or milk sets these cookies apart from any other.
Recipe Tips + FAQ
- Crispness – To get a crispy bottom cookie let the cookies sit in the oven for an extra couple of minutes with the door slightly open after you turn it off.
- The Crinkle Effect – In order to get the crinkle effect make sure to coat the cookies in powdered sugar before baking.
- Binder – I love using apricot jam as a binder, you can use orange marmalade or any thick jam you happen to love. Sprinkle in some nut flour of your choice to make sure the cookie dough isn’t wet. The dough will be sticky but firm and will firm up even more a it chills.
- Do you have to chill the cookie dough? – Yes absolutely! This is a very important step. Once the dough is firm the cookies are easy to roll and shape, and even more important this will ensure your cookies won’t get flat during baking. So don’t forget to Chill the Cookie Dough!
- Why are my cookies flat? – There could be two reasons for this! Either the dough wasn’t chilled and set as the recipe requires, or the oven temperature wasn’t hot enough.
- Can I make them sugar free? – For a healthy cookie you can swap the brown sugar for Erythritol which bakes almost identical to sugar, however it is not quite as sweet so you might want to add a little bit more.
- Storage – Store uncovered at room temperature for a couple of days or in airtight jars/ containers for up to 10 days.
Plant Based Desserts
- Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Snowball Cookies
- Vegan Napoleon
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake.
how to make vegan gluten free cookies
Nutty Cookies (Vegan Gluten Free Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup almond or walnut flour
- 2 Tbsp apricot jam
- 3 Tbsp rum or water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- powder sugar for coating (enough to roll the cookies 1 cup or so)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor add the walnut pieces together with the brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Use the pulse button and process until the mixture resembles wet sand.3 cups raw nuts, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 pinch sea salt
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the apricot jam with the water and vanilla extract. Add the walnut mixture. Use a spatula and combine everything until a dough is formed. Sprinkle in the walnut or almond flour and combine again until incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 20 minutes.2 Tbsp apricot jam, 3 Tbsp rum or water, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup almond or walnut flour
- Preheat your oven to 375”F. Prepare a small bowl with the powder sugar and have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ready.
- Use a tablespoon and scoop out the cookie dough, shape into a round ball. Alternatively use your finger to help push the dough out of the spoon straight into the powder sugar bowl. Toss to coat lightly then transfer to the cookie sheet. (The powder sugar coating is optional but yields nice crinkle snowball cookies). Repeat with the remaining cookie dough and make sure to leave plenty of space between the cookies. You should end up with 21 cookies.powder sugar for coating
- Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, turn off the heat and allow cookies to sit in the oven for 2 extra minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool off completely. Store uncovered at room temperature for a couple of days or in airtight jars/ containers for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
- Crispness - To get a crispy bottom cookie let the cookies sit in the oven for an extra couple of minutes with the door slightly open after you turn it off.
- The Crinkle Effect - In order to get the crinkle effect make sure to coat the cookies in powdered sugar before baking.
- Do you have to chill the cookie dough? - Yes absolutely! This is a very important step. Once the dough is firm the cookies are easy to roll and shape, and even more important this will ensure your cookies won't get flat during baking. So don't forget to Chill the Cookie Dough!
- Can I make them sugar free? - For a healthy cookie you can swap the brown sugar for Erythritol which bakes almost identical to sugar, however it is not quite as sweet so you might want to add a little bit more.
Amazing cookies! If you love walnuts you will be in heaven, extra points for being so easy to make. Gave these a go as a last minute idea and wow, wish I had doubled the recipe because they are almost gone. Perfect gluten free cookies for us, thank you for sharing your recipe Florentina!