Vegan Christmas Cookies Recipe (2024)

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The best vegan Christmas cookies recipe packed with nutty almonds, gluten free, without butter, eggs or oil and so easy to make. They only need 12 minutes in the oven then coated in powdered sugar for that festive snowball look. The perfect cookies!

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Vegan Christmas Cookies

These traditional Italian Christmas cookies aka biscuits made with almond flour and aquafaba are without a doubt Santa’s favorite treats. Soft and chewy center, crispy crust, nothing fancy yet impressive, better for you without a need to ice or decorate them. They can be packed in a glass jar for cookie exchange and quite honestly gifted all year round.

If there’s only one cookie you are going to bake this holiday season, let this gluten free almond flour cookie be the one. The scent of the sliced almond coating toasting in the oven will fill your home with the season’s magic for hours.

Ingredients & Cookie Making Tips

  • Almond flour – make sure you are using almond flour not almond meal. The flour is made from blanched almonds while the meal contains the skins which is going to yield a denser cookie.
  • Aquafaba – the liquid from cooked chickpeas, a classic vegan substitute for egg whites is the base for our meringue style cookie dough.
  • Jam – use a little bit of jam as the binder for the ultimate chewy but soft center.
  • Chill the dough – make sure to refrigerate your dough for a good 20 minutes before baking. This will make it easier to shape your cookies and also help control the spread during baking. If desired the dough can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerate in a lidded container.
  • Crinkle Variation – to turn these into crinkle cookies simply omit the slivered almond coating and toss each ball of cookie dough in powdered sugar before baking. Just like we do with these other favorite Nutty Cookies.
  • Storage – the cookies can be stored at room temperature uncovered for a couple of days or in a lidded container for up to 10 days. Freeze any leftovers in containers up to 4 months, but let’s not kid ourselves: what leftovers?!

You’ll Also Love

  • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
  • Italian Snowball Cookies
  • Nutty Cookies
  • Vegan Shortbread Cookies
  • Vegan Napoleon
  • Vegan Ricotta Pie.

Watch How to Make Vegan Christmas Cookies

Vegan Christmas Cookies Recipe (6)

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Christmas Cookies

The best vegan Christmas cookies recipe made with almond flour and loaded with nutty almonds. Gluten free, without butter, eggs or oil and so easy to make. The perfect cookies!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:12 minutes mins

Chill dough:20 minutes mins

Total Time:42 minutes mins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium size bowl combine the almond flour with the sugar and orange zest until incorporated. Set aside.

    2 cups almond flour, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 2 tsp orange zest

  • In a separate bowl whisk the aquafaba with a small pinch of salt until frothy. Add the almond extract and the jam and combine.

    1/4 cup aquafaba, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 pinch salt, 2 Tbsp apricot jam

  • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mix. Use a spatula and fold until combined. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes or so until chilled.

  • Once the dough is chilled use a tablespoon to scoop some out and shape into balls, they should look similar to golf balls. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

  • Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl then roll each dough ball in them until covered. Us your hands to help press them into the dough. (Do not worry about the shape you are creating at all)

    1.5 cups sliced almonds

  • Meanwhile preheat your ovum to 375”F.

  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place each cookie on top without touching each other.

  • Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes and up to 14 minutes if you like the nuts extra toasty.

  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool before sprinkling them with some powder sugar or tossing to coat if a thicker coverage is desired.

  • Store uncovered at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

  • Almond flour - make sure you are using almond flour not almond meal. The flour is made from blanched almonds while the meal contains the skins which is going to yield a denser cookie.
  • Aquafaba - the liquid from cooked chickpeas, a classic vegan substitute for egg whites is the base for our meringue style dough.
  • Jam - use a little bit of jam for the ultimate chewy but soft center.
  • Chill the Dough - make sure to refrigerate your dough for a good 20 minutes before baking. This will make it easier to shape your cookies and also help control the spread during baking. If desired the dough can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerate in a lidded container.
  • Crinkle Cookies Variation - to turn these into crinkle cookies just omit the almond coating and toss each cookie in powdered sugar before baking.
  • Storage - the cookies can be stored at room temperature uncovered for a couple of days or in a lidded container for up to 10 days. Freeze any leftovers in containers up to 4 months, but let's not kid ourselves: what leftovers?!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Christmas cookies, vegan cookies

Servings: 18 cookies

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Florentina

Vegan Christmas Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What famous cookies are vegan? ›

Vegan Cookie Brands
  • Munk Pack Protein Cookies (Mail-order and retail distribution)
  • Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies (Amazon.com)
  • Lenny & Larry's (Amazon.com)
  • Ope's Cookies (Mail-order)
  • Uncle Eddie's (Mail-order and retail distribution)
  • Alternative Baking Company (Mail-order and retail distribution)

Why are vegan cookies dry? ›

If you think vegan baked goods are dry and crumbly, you probably haven't had one that's been made with the right fat (or the right amount of fat), according to Konya. Butter is what makes traditional baked goods so darn tasty—as well as helps keep it all together—so you can't merely eliminate it and hope for the best.

What's the difference between vegan cookies and regular cookies? ›

Vegan cookies adhere to the principles of veganism, avoiding ingredients derived from animals. This entails utilizing a range of replacements for traditional ingredients. This includes using flaxseeds or chia seeds as binding agents instead of eggs, and plant-based milks and oils instead of dairy products.

Are Girl Scout cookies really vegan? ›

Yes, some Girl Scout Cookies are made with vegan ingredients including our most popular cookie Thin Mints®. For more information, visit the Meet the Cookies page of our website. Are there Girl Scout Cookies that are certified gluten-free? Yes.

Are Nilla wafers vegan? ›

Q: Are Nilla Wafers Vegan? A: Store-bought Nilla wafers contain eggs and dairy products so they're not vegan.

What's the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

What is the most Googled Christmas cookie? ›

Italian Christmas Cookies grow as top cookie

Zoom in: Italian Christmas Cookies were the top cookie in 13 states, more than double the six states from 2022, Google Trends curator Katie Seaton told Axios. Seaton said the Italian cookies dominated the East Coast both this year and last year.

What is the number one holiday cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

What do vegan cookies not have? ›

Yes, cookies can indeed be vegan. Even though eggs and butter were listed above as key ingredients, eggs aren't essential and plant-based butter works perfectly. If you're buying your cookies from a shop or cafe, it's definitely worth checking the ingredients label or asking before you tuck in.

Why can't you eat vegan cookie dough? ›

You might think that because vegan cookie dough doesn't contain eggs, you're not at risk of contracting a foodborne illness. But this isn't entirely true. According to the Centers for Disease Control, consuming raw flour is also a salmonella risk. “Flour doesn't look like a raw food, but most flour is raw,” it notes.

Does vegan butter affect cookies? ›

Foods and baked goods that call for traditional butter can turn out great when you use plant-based butter instead,” he says. “We make everything from shortbread cookies to biscotti to omelets with plant-based butter and get the same kind of taste and texture that you expect.” Use a 1:1 ratio.

What is a vegan substitute for butter in cookies? ›

Coconut oil is a delicious vegan alternative to butter as it behaves similarly to butter compared to other oils. It solidifies when cool and melts at room temperature, making it very versatile. If you use unrefined coconut oil, you can expect a more distinctive taste, but refined coconut oil is basically flavourless.

What cookie brands are vegan? ›

The 9 Best Store-Bought Vegan Cookies
  • Emmy's Organics. Don't even get us started about these store-bought vegan cookies! ...
  • Maxine's Heavenly. Peep Super Soft-Baked Cookies along with Homemade-Style Crispy Cookies from this all-vegan brand. ...
  • Partake. ...
  • Alternative Baking Co. ...
  • Siete. ...
  • Catalina Crunch. ...
  • Back to Nature. ...
  • Tate's Bake Shop.

Are Oreos still vegan? ›

Many vegans refer to Oreos as “accidentally vegan,” meaning they don't contain animal products — but they weren't created to be a specifically vegan treat. Oreos do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived products, so they are technically vegan in that sense. Plant-based cookies and cream lovers rejoice!

Were Oreos ever vegan? ›

But Oreos weren't always vegan-friendly. Up until 1998, the Oreo filling contained lard. The move to swap the lard for a plant-based fat was partly due to a decades-long contention with the Hydrox cookie.

Are all Oreo cookies vegan? ›

In short, the vast majority of Oreos are vegan and do not contain any animal ingredients (not even milk!). These include: Classic Oreos, Golden Oreos, Double Stuff, and Chocolate Cream Oreos. The only Oreos which are not suitable for vegans are the Peanut Butter flavoured biscuits which contain milk.

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