The best vegan Christmas cookies recipe loaded with nutty almonds, gluten free, without butter, eggs or oil and so easy to make. They only need 12 minutes in the oven then coated in powdered sugar for that festive snowball look. The perfect cookies!
Vegan Christmas Cookies
These traditional Italian Christmas cookies aka biscuits made with almond flour and aquafaba are without a doubt Santa’s favorite treats. Soft and chewy center, crispy crust, nothing fancy yet impressive, better for you without a need to ice or decorate them. They can be packed in a glass jar for cookie exchange and quite honestly gifted all year round.
If there’s only one cookie you are going to bake this holiday season, let this gluten free almond flour cookie be the one. The scent of the sliced almond coating toasting in the oven will fill your home with the season’s magic for hours.
Ingredients & Cookie Making Tips
- Almond flour – make sure you are using almond flour not almond meal. The flour is made from blanched almonds while the meal contains the skins which is going to yield a denser cookie.
- Aquafaba – the liquid from cooked chickpeas, a classic vegan substitute for egg whites is the base for our meringue style cookie dough.
- Jam – use a little bit of jam as the binder for the ultimate chewy but soft center.
- Chill the dough – make sure to refrigerate your dough for a good 20 minutes before baking. This will make it easier to shape your cookies and also help control the spread during baking. If desired the dough can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerate in a lidded container.
- Crinkle Variation – to turn these into crinkle cookies simply omit the slivered almond coating and toss each ball of cookie dough in powdered sugar before baking. Just like we do with these other favorite Nutty Cookies.
- Storage – the cookies can be stored at room temperature uncovered for a couple of days or in a lidded container for up to 10 days. Freeze any leftovers in containers up to 4 months, but let’s not kid ourselves: what leftovers?!
watch how to make vegan Christmas cookies
Vegan Christmas Cookies
The best vegan Christmas cookies recipe made with almond flour and loaded with nutty almonds. Gluten free, without butter, eggs or oil and so easy to make. The perfect cookies!
Servings 18 cookies
Calories 211kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (extra fine sugar)
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup aquafaba
- 2 Tbsp apricot jam (peach jam or orange marmelade)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.5 cups sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl combine the almond flour with the sugar and orange zest until incorporated. Set aside.2 cups almond flour, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 2 tsp orange zest
- In a separate bowl whisk the aquafaba with a small pinch of salt until frothy. Add the almond extract and the jam and combine.1/4 cup aquafaba, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 pinch salt, 2 Tbsp apricot jam
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mix. Use a spatula and fold until combined. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes or so until chilled.
- Once the dough is chilled use a tablespoon to scoop some out and shape into balls, they should look similar to golf balls. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl then roll each dough ball in them until covered. Us your hands to help press them into the dough. (Do not worry about the shape you are creating at all)1.5 cups sliced almonds
- Meanwhile preheat your ovum to 375”F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place each cookie on top without touching each other.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes and up to 14 minutes if you like the nuts extra toasty.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool before sprinkling them with some powder sugar or tossing to coat if a thicker coverage is desired.
- Store uncovered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Almond flour - make sure you are using almond flour not almond meal. The flour is made from blanched almonds while the meal contains the skins which is going to yield a denser cookie.
- Aquafaba - the liquid from cooked chickpeas, a classic vegan substitute for egg whites is the base for our meringue style dough.
- Jam - use a little bit of jam for the ultimate chewy but soft center.
- Chill the Dough - make sure to refrigerate your dough for a good 20 minutes before baking. This will make it easier to shape your cookies and also help control the spread during baking. If desired the dough can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerate in a lidded container.
- Crinkle Cookies Variation - to turn these into crinkle cookies just omit the almond coating and toss each cookie in powdered sugar before baking.
- Storage - the cookies can be stored at room temperature uncovered for a couple of days or in a lidded container for up to 10 days. Freeze any leftovers in containers up to 4 months, but let's not kid ourselves: what leftovers?!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg
Environmental Information
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OMG simply amazing Christmas cookies! I was looking for an easy and forgiving recipe and these turned out incredible. Make the cookies people!
How can I get Aquafaba without cooking chickpeas? From the can?
Yes the liquid from the can of chickpeas is perfect. I usually save it and freeze it in ice cube trays whenever i open a can of chickpeas so i have it for cookies all year long. Enjoy! ~ Florentina Xo’s
These cookies are divine. They look and taste like they came from a gourmet bakery. These will be added as a staple to my Christmas baking from now on. Did I mention that these are wonderful!
I’m so happy to hear this Deborah! We also truly love these Christmas cookies! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Is there any way to make these without the caster sugar…What can be used to replace it?
Hey Carol, you can just grind some granulated sugar for 5 seconds in the grinding machine and you have caster sugar. Powdered sugar is too fine and will make the cookies tougher, so you want a texture that’s just in between.