Gluten-free lemon cookies that are also vegan, paleo, easy to make and have a delicious frosting!
In January and February, I’m always in the mood for lemon. Winters are so grey here and citrus cheers me up.
Unlike some of my other cookie recipes, you can tell that these aren’t made with all-purpose flour (but don’t run away just yet!).
Those other cookies (especially these vegan peanut butter cookies, paleo vegan coconut flour cookies and paleo oatmeal cookies) have nut butters in them doing all kinds of magical things to the texture but I didn’t want to add anything to detract from the lemon flavor in these cookies.
But that doesn’t mean that these paleo lemon cookies aren’t delicious! They’re totally maple sweetened and surprisingly (and thankfully!) don’t taste a thing like maple syrup. I absolutely love the taste of maple – but not in my lemon goodies.
I want that lemon taste to shine through everything else. I used the lightest Grade A maple syrup in these cookies and recommend you do the same if you don’t want any maple flavor. Maple also worked great in this paleo lemon fudge!
With no eggs or gluten, I have no idea how these lemon cookies hold together so well but I’m not complaining!
This healthy lemon cookies recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of coconut flour but you can’t just omit it and there’s no substitute for it. Just saying since someone always asks!
Some people have said in other posts of mine that oat flour works as a coconut flour sub (for a non-paleo version), but I’ve never tried it myself. If you try it out, please let us know in the comments!
I first posted this vegan lemon cookies recipe 4 years ago and am reposting them because I wanted to reshare them with the frosting recipe. It makes them so much more delicious!
They’re still great without but… make them with the frosting! :D
If you try these gluten-free lemon cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! And should you want to try another citrusy treat, try this tangerine posset.
Substitution questions about these gluten-free lemon cookies?
- Can I use something instead of coconut oil in the cookie dough?
I think butter or ghee would work (for a dairy-containing version ) as well as vegan butter (for a non-paleo version).
- Can I use something instead of maple syrup?
Honey would probably work if you don’t mind a bit of honey taste (for a non-vegan version). Honey + lemon is delicious together! If you want to use honey, bake them at 325 degrees F (162 degree C) instead of 350. Honey bakes quicker than maple syrup. But if you want just lemon taste, go with maple. Agave syrup would probably work, too.
If anyone tries a keto version, I’d love to hear how you did it and how they came out! - Does it have to be blanched almond flour?
You can use almond meal if you don’t mind the little bits of almond skin in your cookies. Hazelnut meal would also probably work but I think that’s a weird flavor combination with the lemon.
- Can I use something instead of coconut flour?
Unfortunately not. There’s not a good sub for coconut flour as it absorbs so much more liquid than other flours. I’ve heard of people using oat flour (if you can have grains) but I have absolutely no idea how much you’d need to use or if it’d be as tasty.
- Can I use something instead of coconut butter in the frosting?
Nope! Like I said in my post on how to make coconut butter, there’s no sub for it.
Gluten-free Lemon Cookies (paleo, vegan)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 9 cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) refined coconut oil, melted1
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) maple syrup (I used the lightest Grade A syrup, which results in no maple taste in the cookies)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 1/3 cups (133 grams) blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (17 grams) coconut flour, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (63 grams) coconut butter (NOT coconut oil!), softened but not melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) refined coconut oil, softened but not melted
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (or more) lemon zest
- 1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (the amount will depend on your brand of extract and how lemony you want them)
- pinch of salt
For the cookies:
For the frosting:
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest and lemon extract. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. The mixture might be thin and wet and much more like batter than dough. It might not be. Do not add any additional flour! Chilling will firm it up. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes and then place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the dough is firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Roll into nine 35-gram balls. Place 3" apart on the prepared baking sheet and press the balls down slightly with your palm.
- Bake the smaller cookies for 10-12 minutes and the larger cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies have lightly browned (not just the edges but also the middle of the cookies). The cookies may crackle a little.
- The cookies will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven. Let them cool on the pan completely.
- Prepare the frosting. Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend for about 20 seconds at medium or until totally smooth. Don't blend too long or it'll melt. You can also mix this by hand if your coconut butter and oil are soft enough. Spread a heaping tablespoon over each cookie.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
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345 comments on “Gluten-free Lemon Cookies (vegan, paleo)” — Add one!
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I made these cookies a few days ago and they were soooooo good. I’m dairy free but thought why not try them even though they are gluten free also. YUM! I followed your recipe exactly as is. The only problem I found, the batch didn’t make enough but an easy fix! LOL I will definitely make these again, probably in a few days but triple the batter so I’ll have cookies for a few more days!!!
Haha. I’m sorry the yield was so small! I hope that your triple batch will come out well and that it’ll be enough to satisfy your cooking craving. :D Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Oh man, these look incredible. I’m not a big lemon fan but I did love those lemon cooler cookies growing up. I’m wondering if anyone tried sprinkling powder sugar on top.
Thanks! I haven’t tried it but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. Hope you’ll enjoy them if you give them a try! :)
Can’t wait to try the recipe. Can you use fresh lemon juice instead of lemon extract?
I haven’t tried it but some of the commenters have with success. They just won’t be as lemony!
Finally made theses cookies! So yummy and delicious and moist. Followed the recipe exactly, except I was confused by the unblanched flour so they don’t look like the photo. Just a little darker. I used butter instead of coconut oil and honey In place of the maple syrup. Super fab cookie. I was going to bring them to a party but I might be a little greedy with them now. Ha.
Haha. Nothing wrong with keeping them for yourself! I also have that “bake for a party but don’t want to share” problem. :D I’m so happy you liked the cookies! Thanks for your comment.
My sister has celiacs disease so I’m going to freeze them and share with her. I know she’ll appreciate them more than anyone else. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!
That’s so nice of you to make something your sister can eat, too! And I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies, too. :) Thanks for your comment and I hope you’ll like the other recipes!
This is a great recipe I used sunflower seed flour because my husband is allergic to almonds and it tasted great, but I had to laugh at the beautiful green color on the inside! After baking the cookie and waiting for them to cool we broke the cookie in half and got the surprise of our baking lives :) They were a lovely/scary shade of green! I had heard there would be green specks inside due to the sunflower/soda reaction, but wasn’t expecting a completely green center. We are new the Paleo/gluten free cooking arena and I am hoping that finding an aluminum free baking soda will remedy the color issue. Thanks for the recipe.
Aluminum free baking powder wont alter the chemical reaction turning baked goods green. I make my own baking powder (baking soda and cream of tarter) and it still looks like I am celebrating St Patrick’s Day. It tastes good and is a great substitute with allergies, however!
That’s good to know! Thanks for the tip. :)
I am so very sorry I missed your comment, Barbara! I somehow missed it until someone else replied to it (I think because we were moving to another city on this day!). I’m so happy to hear that you all enjoyed the cookies despite their funny color! By the way, all baking soda is aluminum-free. I know some brands market their baking soda as aluminum-free, which makes people think that other brands aren’t. It’s baking powder (which isn’t paleo due to it having cornstarch) which isn’t always aluminum-free. Thanks for your nice comment and sorry again for my super slow reply!
P E R F E C T !!
And for the Stevia funs, it worked fine! I used liquid one!
thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you enjoyed them and that they worked out well with Stevia. Thanks for the tip and your comment!
Would you happen to recall how much liquid Stevia you used??
Delicious! Thanks for this amazing recipe. I made it for myself since I was craving lemon cookies and had planned to eat it ALL….but our 13 year old son on an unrestricted diet tried one and just said, “WOW…wow…wow!” quickly followed by, “Where did you get this recipe?” and “You need to make more from her site, then!” One minor thing I did- I used 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of the 1/3 and it was plenty sweet for me and our son. I’ve tried your chickpea cookies,too- absolutely too delicious! I will be trying a bunch more now!!! Thank you, Erin!
Haha. I love your son’s reaction! That’s great that he liked them, too. Sorry that you have to share now. ;) Good to know that less maple works! And I’m happy to hear that you liked the chickpea cookies. Thanks a bunch for your comment! I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes just as much.
My son LOVED these he is 5 and is fresh to SCD with a diagnosis of Chron’s disease. Trying to keep up with baking and recipes and so far these are the best we have made. Thank you!
Also substituted oil for butter and maple syrup for honey
Good to know that those subs work! Thanks again. :)
I’m so happy to hear that you both enjoyed the cookies! Thanks for your comment. :)
What can i replace to maple syrup??
You could try agave or honey. If you use honey, you may want to lower the temperature a bit as it makes things brown more quickly.
These are sooooo amazing! I only made 2 minor changes and they still turned out super delicious. I didn’t have any refined coconut oil, so I used regular. I was also out of maple syrup, so I used 1/3 cup honey. You could definitely taste a hint of honey, but honey and lemon are a classic combo! I couldn’t even tell that coconut oil was used, so I would say don’t worry if it’s refine or not. Excellent recipe, Erin! I will definitely be making these again and doubling the recipe. 😉
It’s great to know that honey works well! I love lemon + honey together. :) And awesome that you’ll be making them again! I’m happy to hear that. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
What’s the calorie count on this?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
Hi! These look and sound delicious! I was wondering if you thought maple syrup could be substituted with honey?
Hi! Thanks. :) I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it’d work. They might brown a little quicker so keep an eye on them!
They turned out GREAT! I’ll definitely be making them again, thank you!
Awesome! I’m happy to hear that. Thanks for your feedback!
Girl I just made these – wow! SO TASTY! And sooo easy. I melted all the liquid ingredients on the stove and it became a wonderful carmely lemony goodness, just wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration! :) So glad I discovered your blog!
I’m happy you discovered it, too! And awesome that you enjoyed the cookies. :) I’ll have to try melting everything together next time! Thanks a ton for your comment!
Just made these! They were perfect! This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Awesome! So happy that they’re a keeper. :) Thanks for your comment!
I made these the other day and they are AMAZING! And perfect for my diabetic sweet toothed husband ;-)
Have you ever tried baking this as a loaf cake? Do you think it would work?
That’s an interesting question! I don’t think it’d work. Maybe a cookie cake? But I’m almost positive putting it in a loaf pan wouldn’t work. I’m so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the cookies! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Erin thank you for sharing awesome recipes! I made them with oat flour, and instead of getting a dry dough (because of the oat flour absorbing properties), it was very wet, even after being half an hour in the fridge. The flavour was not bad but it resulted in one huge chewy cookie – I loved how soft they are-. However, I won’t give up and I’ll keep trying! Greetings from Chile!
That sounds interesting! My dough was also quite wet (though other people didn’t have that issue). Thanks for your feedback and good luck with your next round! If you figure out an oat flour version that works, I’d love to hear about it. :)
These cookies are spot on! I love all things lemon, and these cookies are sure to satisfy my lemon cravings. The edges were a little crispy, and the inside soft and chewy. Perfect!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the cookies and that they satisfied your cravings. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
I am making these this morning. I made the dough last night. My dough wasn’t runny but I used room temp coconut oil. I also substituted agave for the syrup.
By my calculations, the entire batch of cookies is 1702 calories (I just added up the calories in each ingredient. Again this is with agave which is 60 calories per tablespoon.) I made 13 small ones so mine are around 131 per cookie.
I am excited to try the cookies. Goodness knows I ate some of the batter already!
The room temp coconut oil probably made a difference! I hope they came out correctly. :) When I use melted coconut oil in one of my cookie recipes that calls for firm coconut oil, they come out a mess. Hopefully it’s not the same when it’s the other way around! I hope you enjoyed the cookies. Thanks for your comment!
Hi,
I do not have almond flour, can I still make these cookies with coconut flour only?
Hi! Coconut flour is unfortunately not interchangeable with any other flour as it absorbs so much more liquid. Sorry about that! You could try hazelnut or cashew meal in place of the almond flour.
Hazelnut flour worked out great!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know. :)
Thank you for posting! I cannot wait to try your recipe. I have a friend who is GF/DF and she loves all things lemon. I’m making these cookies to take to her house for a small get-together she is hosting this weekend. I think they’re going to be perfect!
That’s so nice of you to make her a cookie recipe that’ll fit her diet! I hope you’ll both enjoy the cookies. I’d love to hear how they come out! Thanks for your comment. :)
I made these tonight. I wouldn’t normally be a person to go for a lemon cookie but a friend of mine’s birthday is tomorrow and I thought I would make them for him. The only thing different I did is that I don’t have any lemons or lemon juice. But I do have these packets of true lemon and one packet is equal to one wedge of lemon. I have used them before and they work well. The only ingredients in them are lemon oil, powdered lemon juice and citric acid. I don’t know how many packets I put in…probably 8 or 9 and they are really good cookies.
I wonder though if you can turn these into a non-paleo version. I think my son would like them but he is allergic to almonds.
By the way, I doubled the recipe…so I put those 8 or 9 packets of True Lemon in a doubled recipe…not in a single recipe.
Oooh! That’s interesting. I’ve never heard of those packets but they sound like a great sub. Thanks for the tip! It’s pretty much impossible to convert almond / coconut flour recipes to be made with wheat. :/ I’ve tried. This recipe for whole wheat sugar cookies looks really good, though! Thank you for your comment. :)