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!
3 comments are awaiting moderation!
I love my cookies, I’m just starting out on my paleo lifestyle. Can honey be sub for maple syrup? I have a blended “paleo” flour ill be using. Also is grams measurement used in all the recipes? Thank you.
You can use honey but you might need to bake these a little lower and for a few fewer minutes so that they don’t brown too quickly. I’m not sure if a paleo flour blend will work in this recipe, though. I’d recommend trying it as written first and then experimenting with your blend. :) I’m not sure what you mean by gram measurements used in all recipes. Do you mean do I use them in all my recipes? If so, yes I do. :) Hope you’ll enjoy the cookies!
I just made them over the weekend. My picky husband loves them and asks for more!!!
My dough came out dry at first, so I added 2 eggs last minute. Came out absolutely wonderful! Soft and moist cookies. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy that you and your picky husband enjoyed them! I’m puzzled as to how you could add two eggs and have them come out well. But it’s great that it worked. :) Did you make any subs or changes at all to the recipe (other than the eggs?) Thanks for your comment!
I just made these for the first time. Delicious and easy! Definitely double the recipe though. I used honey instead of syrup and I added finely chopped fresh mint. Perfect summer time cookie. ❤️
Oooh! Mint is an interesting idea. :) Sounds good! I’m so happy you liked the cookies. Thanks for the tip and for your comment!
hi! why does the coconut oil need to be melted? and would you measure it cold and then melt it?
Hi there! You can measure before or after melting because 1 tablespoon of firm or melted still equals 14 grams. If your coconut oil is soft enough to be combined easily into the batter, it doesn’t have to be melted.
Soooooo goooood! Made them just as instructed. My husband loved them and is requesting I make them again. So…winner!
Woohoo! Always a good thing when the husband requests them again. :) Thanks for your comment!
Love LOVE this recipe but it is difficult to keep it consistent for me. Any chance you have flour measurements by weight?!
So happy you like it! :) But I’m confused. Grams are already listed. Were you maybe looking at a different recipe?
Hey there! I’m making these as thank you favors for a friends baby shower. I did a test run and they were DELICIOUS and got good reviews from my friends. I added in almost a Tbsp of cardamom and some enjoy life chocolate chips. I was wondering how you would go about making them before an event? Would you freeze them, refrigerate them, or anything like that? They’ll be packaged in plastic wrap inside of a cute little glassine bag. Thanks for your input!
Hi! Oooh. Cardamom sounds like a delicious addition! These cookies stay good for quite a while at room temperature. How many days before the event do you want to make them?
I looove the cardamom addition! It’s such a wonderful lemon companion. I wish there were allergy free white chocolate chips!!! I was considering starting them today, so a week in advance. Let me know what you think!
Sorry for the slow reply! I think I’d refrigerate them just to be safe. I haven’t tried freezing them so I’m not sure about that. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you!
Hi Erin! So does this recipe only make 9 reasonably sized cookies?
I’m having a get together of about 15 people so I want to make sure I have enough. I’m assuming I should probably double the recipe. I’m making another cookie too so I assume doubling will be enough.
Hi Hima! Sorry for the slow reply. And you’re correct. I would definitely recommend doubling the recipe. :) I hope you and your guests will enjoy them!
Another delicious recipe. So easy, too! Definitely a keeper!
I’m happy to hear that you want to make them again! Thanks for your comment. :)
hi! can i sub all purpose gluten free flour for the almond flour?
Hi there! I wouldn’t recommend that sub (as GF AP flour is meant as a sub for wheat and not almond + coconut flours) but I believe some commenters have tried it. You can check out the reviews to see what they did. :)
Any idea on fat content. Im making these for a freind who cant have dairy, eggs or wheat also needs low fat due to gall bladder
I don’t but you could use this recipe analyzer if you’d like for that info. :) I do know that these aren’t low-fat, though.
AWESOME recipe!! Made these today and followed the recipe exactly (except doubled) and they were 100% perfect! Sightly chewy on the outside and soft on the inside and fantastic flavor. Thank you for the recipe- this one is a keeper.
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you think they’re a keeper and good to know that they double well. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment (and sorry for my slow reply!).
I was looking for something gluten-free and lemony and eggless – as I don’t have any eggs – and I found and made your recipe. I used butter and honey as they befriend lemons so well. I used 1/4 cup of honey and added lemon juice to bring it up to 1/3 cup. The cookies are beautiful and delicious. Thanks for a great easy recipe!
That’s great to know that butter and honey work well! I’m happy that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
I love these cookies. My grandchildren made them for me while I was working. They used all purpose gluten free flour. They’re so easy to make and I love the taste. The grandchildren liked them too.
That’s so nice that your grandchildren made you cookies and that you enjoyed them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
So did the use the gluten free flour in place of the almond and coconut flours??
I unfortunately don’t know (and don’t think she’ll see your comment unless she visits this page again). Sorry about that!
Did they use gluten free flour instead of both the almond and coconut flours?? Thanks
Can I use Tigernut flour instead of almond flour?
I’ve never tried it so I have no idea. I’ve only made a few recipes with tigernut flour and don’t have much experience with it. Sorry about that!
Alright guys… I am not a great baker and when I attempted to make these everything went to hell. I love the idea of these cookies! But alas, I only had white flour available and I added some coconut oil and lemon juice… and I’ll just say that my family did not love this cookie. Thank you for the recipe though!! I love vegan recipes! ☺️
By white flour, do you mean all-purpose flour? Like wheat flour? Unfortunately, all-purpose flour isn’t at all interchangeable with almond flour so that’s probably why your family didn’t enjoy the cookies. I hope you can try again with almond flour! The other reviewers have all seemed to love the cookies. :)
You didn’t follow the recipe, so maybe don’t share how you didn’t like it. Unfortunately flour can’t be subbed for almond/coconut flour. May want to look for a non vegan lemon sugar cookie recipe.
Thank you! But at least she didn’t rate it a 1? I try to see the positive with these comments. ;)
I just made these for the first time for a cookie exchange with family. I ground up unsalted sunflower seeds to form sunflower flour and used instead of almond flour. I use about 1/2 tsp extra lemon zest and fresh lemon juice instead of lemon extract. They are great! My family thought they were good too. I did discover that the inside turned green, I think because of the sunflower seeds. Just made them more festive for the Christmas season. :)
Haha. I like how you see the green cookies as just more festive for the holidays. :D I’m happy to hear that they came out well with sunflower seed flour! That’s a great tip for the nut-free people. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Thanks for the nut free tip.
I modified just because I didn’t have coconut flour on hand or lemon extract. So I used 2 tbsp of flour instead which I know makes it not paleo. But I was more after the vegan cookie so I’m ok with that. I also used agave instead because I’m out of maple syrup. I used the juice of half a lemon to replace the extract. AND I added some shredded coconut. It was to die for. These cookies are going into my regular rotation. And I love the simplicity of them. And that it’s a small batch. I might eat them all 😊
I’m so happy that the cookies came out well with your changes! Added coconut sounds delicious. :) Nothing wrong with eating them all. It IS a small batch. :D Thanks for your comment!
These are incredibly easy and SO delicious! This is one of my go-to recipes to make when I teach essential oil classes. I sub 8 drops of doTERRA lemon oil in place of the lemon extract. Always a hit!
Yum! That sounds delicious. I’ll have to try that! Thanks for your tip and your comment. :)
I’m somewhat late to the party but just wanted to as if you think they would work if I used Tigernut flour instead of almond and Cassava instead of coconut? I’m on the AIP diet and don’t tolerate coconut well :( These look so good that I’d love to try them!
I’m also on AIP (despite the recipes you see posted on my blog) and am sorry to say that those flours aren’t at all interchangeable. :( You’re much better off finding recipes that are already AIP. I believe there’s a coconut-free AIP recipe roundup somewhere! I know because I started reacting to coconut for a while and basically everything AIP calls for coconut. Sorry about that! Wish I could help more.
Thanks Erin – that saves me wasting expensive ingredients! I’ve never cooked with either before so will continue the search!
You’re welcome and good luck (with baking and AIP, in general!).