These Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies are delightfully salty-sweet, crisp, crunchy and filled with juicy dried cranberries! A pretty and elegant sweet treat!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword japanese cookies, matcha cookies, vegan matcha cookies
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).
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Notes
*You can alternatively use almond flour.**You MUST use brown rice flour - white rice flour won't create a crunchy shortbread-like texture
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.