These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are soft and fluffy, sweet and tangy, and a little nutty. They're covered in a rich, creamy lemon frosting too!
1teaspoonbaking powder(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
For the frosting:
75g(½cup)cashew nutssoaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
5tablespoonsmaple syrup(or sub any other sweetener)
3tablespoonslemon juice
Instructions
For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave
Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, and mix well
Measure out the dry ingredients (ground almonds, poppy seeds, gluten-free flour and baking powder) and mix well
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until you get a soft dough but one that’s firm enough to mould
If the dough looks too wet, placing it in the fridge for an hour will help it firm up. If it looks too dry, add a splash of any type of plant-based milk
Use your hands to shape the cookie dough into patties – you should be able to make 7 large cookies. To make super fluffy cookies, I like to make sure the centre part of the cookie is slightly thicker than the rest. And don't worry, unlike traditional cookies, these ones won't spread as they bake
Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray/baking sheet lined with greased baking paper
Bake in oven for around 10-12 minutes, until very lightly browned – be careful not to over-bake!
They will be slightly soft when you remove them from the oven – leave to cool completely to let them harden before applying the frosting
For the frosting:
Drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and lemon juice
Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary
Taste and add extra lemon juice and/or maple syrup if necessary
Use a knife to spread a bit of frosting over each of the cookies
Decorate with extra poppy seeds and lemon zest, if desired
Taste best when fresh, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days
Notes
*You can alternatively use almond flourDon’t worry about the cracks on top – I found it was impossible to make these vegan and gluten-free lemon cookies without cracks forming on top. The cracks don’t affect the taste or the texture at all, and the yummy lemon frosting will completely cover them up!
Tips for baking with lemons
For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
For the cookies, I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
For the frosting, I would recommend tasting it as you're making it and adding extra lemon juice if necessary.
For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.