These Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies are crunchy, "buttery" and dotted with tart-sweet dried cranberries! They're fragrant and perfectly sweet with a hint of salt. They're easy to make, come together in one bowl and the dough doesn't require chilling. They're also refined sugar free, and make a pretty, colourful and elegant sweet treat perfect for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day or Easter. They also make excellent edible gifts!
To make crunchy shortbread cookies, you need to use brown rice flour, not white rice flour, which creates a soft cookie (like my Sugar Cookies) rather than a crunchy one.
If you can't find brown rice flour in your local supermarket, you'll be able to find it in local health stores or online.
Matcha is green tea powder.
I love using matcha in desserts, as it adds a beautiful colour and delicious earthy flavour.
You can buy matcha in most supermarkets (in the tea section), local health stores, online or in Asian supermarkets.
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Place the ground almonds, brown rice flour, matcha powder and salt in a glass mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add all the other ingredients and mix well again.
- Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until about 1 cm/1/2 inch thick.
- Use a circular cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up.
Tip: You can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one.
- Transfer the cookies onto a rectangular baking tray.
Tip: Line the baking tray with greased baking paper to make sure the cookies don't stick.
- Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
- Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.
How long do these keep for?
These Matcha Cookies taste best eaten within the day but keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days - they do become softer the longer you leave them, though.
Substitutions you can make
- You can replace the coconut oil with coconut butter.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
- The ground almonds (almond meal) can be substituted with ground walnuts.
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk.
- You can replace the dried cranberries with chopped pecan nuts, chopped macadamia nuts or vegan white chocolate chips!
Tip: The brown rice flour CANNOT be replaced with white rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for creating a crunchy shortbread texture.
More gluten-free vegan cookie recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Millionaire Shortbread
- Linzer Cookies
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make it
Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 150 g (1 cup) brown rice flour **
- 3 teaspoons matcha powder to taste
- Generous pinch salt to taste
- 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
- 10 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other similar sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 40 g (⅓ cup) dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Place the ground almonds, brown rice flour, matcha powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
- Place the coconut oil in a separate bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
- Add to the flour mixture along with the maple syrup, almond milk and dried cranberries - add an extra splash of milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
- Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter and roll out the dough until about 1cm or ½ inch thick.
- Use a circular cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up (you can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one).
- Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with greased baking paper.
- Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
- Best left to cool completely before eating as they crisp up as they cool.
- Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.
- Tastes best eaten within the day but keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days (they do become softer the longer you leave them).
Video
Notes
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk.
- You can replace the dried cranberries with chopped pecan nuts, chopped macadamia nuts or vegan white chocolate chips!
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Janet Paula
Thanks you so much for your quick reply..
Rhian Williams
No problem!
Marissa
can i sub a different oil in place of the coconut oil?
Rhian Williams
Yes!