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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.
If you are in the fruity mood like me, you should make my Easy Apple Galette next.
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?!
- Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Healthy Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free)
- Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Paleo Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Garlic Hummus
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!
Ingredients
Cookie:
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, roll into balls and flatten slightly onto baking sheet. They won’t spread much so form into desired shape.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients. Once cookies have completely cooled, top with glaze.
- Enjoy! Store on counter or in refrigerator.
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Lindsay says
Hi Erin,
Thank you so much for the beautiful recipe! Just a note on the “no sugar” language (I’m paraphrasing :)) – many people don’t spend the time or years you (or I!) do to know that confectioner’s sugar is the same as or even more processed than white sugar, but your language repeatedly points to this not having processed sugar in it. For those of us who have to stay away from that but who might have read a little faster than I did or just don’t know, could you reword the recipe to call that out? I’m reducing agave, myself, as a substitute, and that is working nicely too since every fully evap sugar is too much for my neurology, but lots of people newer to their nutritional journey will not know, given how many times you’ve said this is a pure recipe (again, paraphrasing), that confectioner’s sugar is still verrrrrry processed, nevermind its corn product mix-ins that folks may have a lot of sensitivity to. Plus they could get sick if they think this is non-insuling-activating and it isn’t. Thanks for considering! I’m a chef and a writer too, so I understand we churn these out sometimes excited and it helps to have another set of eyeballs or two to see what impressions and inferences people make. Thanks for your work!
Kristen Noel says
Great summer dessert recipe for a cookout! These were a huge hit, and no one knew they were “healthy” cookies!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kristen, so glad you loved them! 🙂
Natalie says
These are a new favorite! I don’t have a huge sweet tooth so I feel like these were not overly sweet, while still satisfying the dessert craving with that glaze! My husband is the same way and really doesn’t enjoy much sweets and LOVED these.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Natalie, so glad you both liked them!!
kendra says
You would never know these are as healthy as they are because they are so tasty. The perfect balance of tart and sweet and super soft.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kendra, so happy you loved them!!
Eva says
These are so easy and absolutely amazing! Perfect amount of sweet and tart. Also the best dessert for the summer and even better with coffee in the morning! Will definitely be making more. I made them exactly as is, no substitutions.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Eva, so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
Whittney says
So good! Didn’t have enough lemon juice and zest for the glaze, so I used a lime. Absolutely yummy!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Whittney, so glad you enjoyed it and made it your own!!
Alexandra Lawson says
These cookies were fantastic! Easy to make and the perfect light dessert for spring and summer get togethers. They are now my go-to dessert any time I’m asked to bring a dish.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alexandra, so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Lindsay West says
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. These little lemon cookies are so soft and delicate, and even though I’m not a huge lemon fan, I’m now a convert. I’ve made these cookies several times and they satisfy my craving for something sweet but without the guilt of the typical dessert recipes out there. Love love love!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Lindsay, ah so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for sharing!!
Annie says
These are AMAZING! I made them for my mom who has Celiacs and she absolutely loved them. Plus, they are quite healthy! Looking forward to making them again.
Erin says
Hi Annie, I am so glad you both loved them!!
Danielle says
These cookies are delicious and kid approved! Definitely a new go to cookie recipe!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Danielle, so glad you loved them!!
J Daniel says
I made this recipe and edited it for my taste to limit sugar consumption so there was no glaze. Instead of coconut flour, I used my coffee grinder to make a red lentil flour(1/4 cup); its fiber content was equal to or greater than the coconut flour I’m sure. I replaced coconut oil with melted butter(1/3 cup). I used lemon extract instead of vanilla. I needed about an extra tsp of the lemon juice. Instead of the maple syrup, I used an 1/8 of a cup of packed light brown sugar and 1/8 cup of Morena pure can sugar. Then I made an addition of 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds. I refrigerated my dough. I used a small scoop which made about 20 or so Oreo-sized cookies. I flattened cookies with a oil sprayed meat press. I added either a whole almond or pecan to each cookie. I had several people taste my cookies which I called Lemon-Chia’s…they were noted to have a light sugar flavor with a balanced lemon flavor. They had a crumb similar to a shortbread cookie. Your recipe was an excellent roadmap…thank you!
Erin says
Hi! I am so happy you enjoyed them and made them your own! Thank you for sharing!
Bailey says
These are perfect. The texture is amazing. The lemon flavor is on point, and the sweetness is just right.
I realized a little too late that I was out of powdered sugar, so I used coconut sugar instead for the glaze (a little less than a cup, added a touch more lemon juice and heated lightly to dissolve). The glaze obviously turns out caramel colored instead of the classic white – but still YUMMY! The cookies are amazing without it as well 🙂 You don’t miss, Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Bailey, I am so happy you loved the cookies so much and made them work with what you had!
Abby S says
These are very good! As time passes they definitely get softer. After a couple days it almost tastes like lemon pound cake (which I love).
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Abby, so glad you enjoyed them!!
Mary says
Honestly, these are fantastic for a super healthy cookie. I eta them straight out of the freezer and they are still nice and soft.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mary, I am so happy you loved them!!
Mary Beth says
I make these all of the time. Delicious and easy … I have to make myself not eat 10 of them in a sitting. So good!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mary Beth, so happy you loved them!!
Gina says
We LOVED these! A great bite of no-guilt dessert and so easy to make. My husband has already asked me to make them again.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Gina, I am so happy you loved these!!
Kelsey says
I made these 4 times within a month of trying them, so clearly they deserve 5 stars! They were a little crumbly, so one day when I’m not feeling lazy I’ll try sifting the flour, but taste was spot on. Also surprisingly hearty / filling for a cookie, though that didn’t stop me from eating too many 😅
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kelsey, ah so glad you love them so much!! Thanks for sharing!!
Erin Guarnieri says
With tons of allergies, finding sweet treats that make me feel good are far and few in between. Erin’s recipes are incredible, but this one is my favorite! The lemon is tart and the icing is the perfect balance of sweetness. Every time I make these, they get gobbled up immediately!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Erin, I am so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing!
Peyton says
These are delicious and have the perfect amount of lemon. I love that they come out as perfect little circles. Don’t skip the glaze!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Peyton, so glad you loved them!!
Ally says
These were amazing! Made for NYE and they were a hit.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Ally, so glad everyone enjoyed them!