Healthy Lemon Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Get ready for your new favorite sweet treat: Healthy Lemon Cookies. These vegan, gluten-free goodies make wonderful mid-day or late night snacks. Made with almond flour, maple syrup, and lemon zest, they’re absolutely heavenly!

A delicious lemon cookie recipe

Every once in a while I find myself in the mood for a fruity, sugary treat. When these cravings strike, it’s usually citrusy fruits that are on my mind! Last week, I found myself in the mood for a lemon something, and I decided to try my hand at creating a healthy lemon cookie recipe.

I searched the internet only to find that pretty much all lemon cookie recipes contain butter and granulated sugar… and more butter and granulated sugar. Seeing as I’m not a huge fan of using these ingredients and love to go the healthy, all-natural route, I knew I had a challenge on my hands!

I got to work and blended a combination of almond and coconut flour, baking soda, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. I added a bit of lemon juice and zest, and after a few trial and error attempts, I found myself with healthy lemon cookies that are absolutely out of this world!

These are the perfect treat to serve up this spring. Since they’re gluten-free and vegan-friendly, they’re great for taking to gatherings or girl’s nights! You’re going to love these delicious gluten-free lemon cookies.

Ingredients for making gluten-free cookies

We will be using all vegan ingredients to create our lemon zest cookies. Almond and coconut flour help to create the batter, in addition to coconut oil, maple syrup, and baking soda. We’ll also be using lemons, of course! When the cookies are finished baking, we will be topping them with a delicious 3-ingredient glaze.

Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

Cookies:

• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Melted coconut oil
• Maple syrup
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Vanilla

Glaze:

• Powdered sugar
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest

What you’ll need to make this lemon cookie recipe

To make this lemon dessert, there are a number of kitchen tools that you’ll need to have ready.

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Two mixing bowls
• Stirring spatula
• Whisk
• Knife or spatula for glazing

How to make healthy lemon cookies

Gluten-free lemon cookies are made by baking dough into round, flat disc shapes and topping with a tangy glaze. These are the perfect snack to serve this spring! Take them into work for a vegan treat that everyone will love.

To start making healthy cookies, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Next, in a large bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk the coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well combined.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, roll the dough into individual balls and flatten slightly on a baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Once the cookies have completely cooled, top them with the glaze.

Finally, serve and enjoy!

Tips and tricks for making healthy lemon cookies

Want to make the perfect lemony cookies? Here are some tips that will help you do so!

Can I use lemon extract instead?
Though I haven’t tried this method, I imagine that it would work just fine in this recipe. Since extract is stronger and more concentrated than fruit juice, you shouldn’t need as much extract as you would juice. Try starting with a teaspoon or two, and add more as needed.

Don’t use too much or too little flour
Cookie ingredients are carefully measured to ensure that the cookies bake properly. Too much flour can make for hard, dense cookies. For this reason, it’s important to follow the instructed measurements to a tee!

Do not measure flour by scooping your cup directly into the bag. Instead, use a fork to gently fluff the flour prior to measuring it out. Then, take a spoon and lightly drop the flour into your measuring cup. Do not pat it down. Once the cup is full, level off the top. Now you have the perfect amount of flour!

How to store lemon cookies
These treats can be kept on the counter, or they can be refrigerated. Either way, be sure to keep them in a tightly sealed container so that they remain fresh for as long as possible. Eat within 5-6 days.

How to make and freeze cookies ahead of time
These cookies can be made ahead of time and frozen for enjoying at a later date. If you choose to go this route, simply store completed cookies in an airtight container and remove 2-3 hours prior to eating, ensuring that they’re fully thawed. Eat frozen cookies within 2 months.

Are these cookies diet friendly?

I don’t know about all lemon cookies, but these certainly are! When making these cookies, I used a handful of ingredients with higher levels of nutrients than their commonly used counterparts. The result? Wholesome, lemony cookies that are just as nutritious as they are delicious!

Here are some of the ingredients that help these cookies fit into a healthy lifestyle:

• Almond flour: Almond flour is my go-to baking flour because it’s filled with protein and fiber. A serving of this flour provides over 30% of the needed daily amount of vitamin E and manganese, making it a great source!
• Coconut flour: Similarly, coconut flour is also a great source of protein and fiber. It’s known to aide in healthy digestion and blood sugar, and it’s also gluten-free!
• Coconut oil: I like to use coconut oil in place of regular oils such as avocado, almond, canola, or olive. Plus, it’s great for cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and more!
• Maple syrup: As I mention in pretty much all of my baking recipes, maple syrup is my BFF for using as an all-natural sweetener. It makes my baked goodies taste perfectly sweet and delicious while eliminating the need to use granulated sugar!

These cookies do not include commonly used lemon cookie ingredients such as all-purpose flour, butter, granulated sugar, or eggs. In fact, these are actually 100% vegan lemon cookies!

Try these lemon treats too!

Are you a lemon lover? If so, we’ve certainly got some yummy recipe ideas for you! Have these lemon-filled snacks on hand for delicious and easy treats throughout the day. In my experience, they make great, healthy late night snacks too! They’re perfect for when hunger hits during late Netflix binges.

P.S. I threw in a lemon hummus recipe because why not?!

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• Healthy Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free)
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• Paleo Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Lemon Garlic Hummus