With this vegan recipe, you will be able to make the tastiest Vegan Lemon Cookies at home - super zesty and ultra chewy, simply a delight! The cookie dough is ready in just a few minutes and the cookies keep well in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
These lemon cookies are perfect as a summer cookie recipe, but honestly: they are great any time of the year! The zesty lemon flavor is wonderfully refreshing and these cookies are fantastic on their own, alongside an iced drink or with ice cream in between (ice cream sandwiches are always a good choice!).
If cookies are your thing, then definitely also try my Matcha Cookies - they are super chewy and come with sweet white chocolate chips! If you're more into chocolate, then my Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are definitely for you!
And if you love a good old coffee alongside or another delicious drink to dip your cookies into, try my Iced Vanilla Latte or Matcha Latte.
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Ingredients
This recipe is super simple and no complicated ingredients are needed, so check your kitchen cupboards for these ingredients:
- Vegan Butter - Make sure it's at room temperature for the best cookie texture!
- Sugar - For chewy cookies, I like to use light brown sugar! It gives the perfect gooey texture whilst creating a good bite. If you're looking for crunchy cookies, check the variations and substitutions below!
- Lemon - Fresh lemon works a treat for this recipe! For the full flavor, we use both zest and juice of fresh lemon, so make sure to get unwaxed lemon on your next grocery run.
- Flour - I use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. For gluten-free cookies, please read the substitutions below!
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda - gives the cookies a lift and ensures they have a subtle rise and soft texture!
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
If you don't have all of the ingredients to hand, here are a few notes on substitutions you could make:
- Sugar - instead of brown sugar, you can also use coconut sugar or caster sugar, however, it doesn't melt as well in the oven and results in crunchy cookies instead of chewy ones. If you like your cookies a little more on the crunchy side, I recommend going with half brown sugar, half coconut sugar or caster sugar instead.
- Gluten-Free - you can replace the flour used in this recipe with a gluten-free alternative to make gluten-free lemon cookies. I like to use the Dove's Farm flour mix for baking and it works out perfect with these cookies. If you're using a different flour mix, I recommend adding a tablespoon of chia seeds or a flax egg to the cookie dough to bind the cookies. Not all gluten-free flours might be great for cookies, so check the packaging to ensure the flour is intended for baking.
- Lemon - Fresh lemon juice and zest gives the best results for this cookie recipe. If you're out of fresh lemons, you can also use lemon extract. This is very potent, so only add a small amount at a time and taste test the cookie dough before adding more.
- Butter - Instead of butter, you can also make this recipe with melted coconut oil, however, I have found that the cookies are a little runnier in the oven and very soft. A little too soft for my personal liking, but feel free to make this substitution if you prefer your cookies super soft.
- Flour - you can make this recipe with oat flour as well, it results in firmer, crunchier cookies.
Equipment
Here is what you need for this recipe:
- large bowl or large mixing bowl
- parchment paper / baking sheet
- electric hand mixer
- ice cream scoop or a spoon for portioning the cookies, you can also use a cookie scooper
You won't need any cookie cutters for this vegan lemon cookie recipe as they're soft, chewy cookies and the cookie dough is simply rolled into a flat ball before baking.
Instructions (Step-by-Step)
Cream together the vegan butter and brown sugar using an electric hand mixer.
Stir in the lemon zest, vanilla and lemon juice.
Combine the salt, baking powder and flour in a separate bowl.
Slowly combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Portion into 6 cookies and place the cookie dough balls on a lined baking tray. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) [320°F (160°C) fan]. Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Let the cookies cool down completely before removing them from the tray.
Hint: Don't skip chilling the cookie dough in the fridge! It's what created the perfectly chewy cookie texture!
Variations
There are a few simple tweaks you can make in this cookie recipe to add some exciting additional flavors to the cookies
- Almond Flour - if you love nutty flavors, then replace 1-2 tablespoon of the flour with almond flour
- Coconut Flour - same as with the almond flour, you could also add a tasty note of coconut to the lemon cookies!
- Mini Cookies - this recipe is also perfect for mini cookies! In order to make mini cookies with this mix, you will have to reduce your baking time to ensure they don't burn or become super crunchy in the oven. I recommend checking your cookies every minute after 5 minutes of baking time and turn off the oven once the edges get golden.
- Crunchy Cookies - If you love your cookies crunchier, replace half of the brown sugar with caster sugar or granulated sugar
- Chocolate - chocolate and lemon can be a delicious combination! Fold some white or dark chocolate chips into the cookie dough using a spatula and enjoy the sweet and zesty combo!
- Crinkle Cookies - this vegan lemon cookie dough is perfect for crinkle cookies! When shaping your cookies, simply roll each cookie into a ball, then roll it in icing sugar (powdered sugar) before baking.
- Lemon Glaze - drizzle a tangy lemon glaze over your cookies, by mixing icing sugar (powdered sugar) with a little fresh lemon juice. Super zesty!
Storage
Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Top tip
To get perfectly round cookie shapes, use a large round cookie cutter and place it around each freshly baked cookie. Give it a firm but gentle wiggle around each cookie to round the edges, then let the cookies cool down. Do this right away when they come out of the oven.
Love fresh summer bakes? Definitely try making my No Bake Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake or my Vegan Strawberry Shortcake!
Related Recipes
If you love vegan cookies, then I recommend you try my Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate, or if you're into chocolate, definitely give my Double Chocolate Cookies or my Harry Potter cookies a go!
More vegan cookie recipes:
Looking for all things lemon instead? I got you! Try my Lemon Meringue Pie or Zesty Pistachio Loaf with Lemon & Cardamom - or simply create a batch of Vegan Lemon Curd to go with your favorite recipes.
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📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Lemon Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 baking tray
- 1 baking parchment / baking sheet
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegan butter (70 g) room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar (90 g)
- lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120 g)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature vegan butter and brown sugar using an electric hand mixer.
- Stir in the fresh lemon zest, vanilla and lemon juice - don't worry, it's normal for the mix to separate at this stage, it'll come back together in the next step!
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour. For best results, sift them into the bowl.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
- Place the lemon cookie dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to shape your cookies onto a lined baking tray. Place the tray into the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) [320°F (160°C) fan].
- Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are firm and golden. Remove the tray from the oven and allow for the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
Notes
- Storage - Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Lemon - Use fresh lemon for best results!
- Cooling time - do NOT skip the resting time for the cookies, if you want a perfectly chewy texture with a crisp exterior, it's vital!
- Resting - allow for the cookies to cool down completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
- Crunchy - If you love your cookies crunchier, replace half of the brown sugar with caster sugar
- Lemon Glaze - drizzle a tangy lemon glaze over your cookies, by mixing icing sugar (powdered sugar) with a little fresh lemon juice. Super zesty!
- Nutty - if you love nutty flavors, then replace 1-2 tablespoon of the flour with almond flour or coconut flour
- Make-ahead - you can store the pre-shaped cookie dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Crinkle Cookies - this vegan lemon cookie dough is perfect for crinkle cookies! When shaping your cookies, simply roll each cookie into a ball, then roll it in icing sugar (powdered sugar) before baking.
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