Now that we’re officially in December, I can only think of one thing: cookies.
Cookies and convincing John that he should buy a real tree for Christmas this year. The fake tree is looking very sad.
You might remember that I made gluten-free vegan cookies the previous year. With another year under my recipe development belt, I have learned a great deal since then. I’ve also tried out new techniques and flour blends that are gluten-free. The result? The result?
Yes, they are big claims. But quite true.
This recipe is easy to make, requiring only one bowl as well as less than 45 minutes from start to finish. Are you ready to see how this works? Onward.
These cookies are made with vegan butter, organic sugar, and vanilla extract. I used Aquafaba as an egg substitute. This liquid is leftover from a can of cooked chickpeas, and it whips like egg whites. It’s magic, I know.
Stay tuned for an article on aquafaba, as I receive a lot of questions and requests about it. If you follow the instructions below, you should be fine.
While the oven is heating up, you can prepare your frosting. If you prefer to keep it simple, these little guys are delicious, even plain.
These cookies are unmistakably gluten-free and vegan, and they are eerily similar to Lofthouse sugar cookies. Yes, I do. Exciting stuff. Try them out, and let me know how they go.
Ingredients
COOKIES
- Half cup vegan butter* (1/2 cup is one stick of dairy butter if you are not vegan).
- Cane sugar organic, 1/3 cup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp Aquafaba
- 1/4 tsp of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 2/3 cups gluten-free flour blend*
- Almond flour, not almond meal (the texture and taste are different).
- Use 1/3 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1 Tbsp almond milk without sugar
FROSTING Optional
- Half a cup of vegan butter (softened) = one stick
- Organic powdered sugar, sifted to 1 1/2 – 2 cups (to make it vegan-friendly).
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Unsweetened almond milk 1-2 Tbsp
- Natural food dyes are available in Watkins, Color Kitchen, and my DIY version (or optional).
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (184 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- Beat or whisk the vegan butter until it is creamy and smooth. This should take about a minute.
- Add sugar and mix at medium speed for about a minute. Add chickpea brine or other egg substitute* and vanilla, and mix again. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Mix baking powder with sea salt. Add the gluten-free blend of flour, almond flour, and cornstarch, and continue to mix until all ingredients are combined. I switched to a wooden spatula towards the end. Add almond milk and stir again.
- At this stage, the dough should be thick and moldable. It should also be a bit difficult to mix (see photo). If the dough is too soft, add a mixture consisting of almond flour, cornstarch, and gluten-free blend flour until you have a thick, moldable paste. If the dough is too thick, add a little more almond milk.
- Transfer the dough to the fridge and let it chill for 15 mins*. Use a cookie scooper or a Tablespoon (I prefer the one) to measure 1 1/2 tbsp of dough. Gently roll it into balls. The dough is still soft, so be gentle. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 1 inch between them. Use your palm to smash the dough gently.
- Alternately, you can roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and then dip the cookie cutters into gluten-free atta before pressing them into the dough. Use a lightly floured spatula for scooping onto baking sheets. This recipe is great for both traditional circles and cutouts!
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they appear fluffy and the edges begin to dry out slightly. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a plate.
- Add softened vegan butter into a bowl of mixing and whisk until fluffy. This should take about 1 minute. Sift powdered sugar into a small amount and mix. Add the vanilla around the 1-cup mark and whisk. Continue adding powdered icing sugar until the frosting is spreadable (I used 2 cups of powdered icing sugar // quantity as written in the original recipe // adjust for batch size). Add a small amount of almond milk if you want a thin frosting. Add more powdered sweetener if it gets too thin. Add more almond milk if it becomes too thick. Optional: Add natural food color at this point.
- Leave cookies plain or frost them! I used some naturally-dyed sprinkles like these. As a base, using organic cane sugar should make the recipe vegan-friendly.
- Store leftover cookies at room temperature, covered for up to 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for up to one month.