Easy Vegan Lemon Cookies

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These vegan lemon cookies are the perfect combo of sugar cookie and lemon with a simple lemon glaze that pairs perfectly. These will make even the lemon haters fall in love, and the lemon lovers rejoice. 

I'm going to be honest, here, I'm not a lemon lover; there I said it.

It's not that I hate lemon, I enjoy it as an accent, but I do not care for all things lemon like lemon bars. The tangy lemon flavor goes a little too far for me on those.

But these taste like an amazing vegan lemon sugar cookie; the combo of lemon and sugar cookie feels like they were made for each other. 

The texture of these cookies is melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

You must use fresh lemon in order to get that fresh lemon flavor. But other than that, this is a super easy recipe that you only need a handful of ingredients for.

I shared this recipe with neighbors and friends, and my son was so upset I gave most of them away. He absolutely loved these.

But the truth is I needed them gone so that I wouldn't eat them all, self-control Courtney, self-control.

Recipe tips;

• Don't over-flour your dough. This means using the spoon and scoop method, so you don't get too much flour.
• If you make bigger or smaller cookies, you need to adjust the bake time; you don't want to overbake these. The softness makes them so delicious!
• Let the cookies cool completely before adding the icing. You want the icing to stick, not melt off. Feel free to sneak an uniced cookie; they are still tasty.
• Use fresh lemon only for the best flavor.

Vegan Lemon Cookies Recipe Q&A

Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?

I've never tried it. You probably could, but I think it will be more solid with the vegan butter and will likely be much thinner of a cookie. If you do, make sure it's soft but not melted.

Can I use lemon extract instead of fresh lemon?

You could, but I wouldn't. I think these have the perfect amount of lemon but are not overpowering. For best results, I would stick with the fresh lemon and don't leave out the lemon zest.

Can I make these gluten-free lemon cookies?

Yes, if you need them to be gluten-free, just use whatever your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flours are in a 1:1 ratio.

How long will these cookies last?

They will last up to 4-5 days on your counter in an airtight container but taste best within the first three days.

Do you need to take time to chill the cookie dough?

No, thankfully, these are good to go when you're done mixing them up, which makes for a quick, easy, and delicious cookie!

If you're opting to use coconut oil, you may want to chill the dough. 

Can I skip the lemon glaze?

You could, but I wouldn't. It adds a melt-in-your-mouth element, but it also adds more lemon pop to the flavor.

Can I add more lemon zest?

Yes, if you want more of a lemon pop, feel free to add some extra lemon zest or even add it to the glaze.

What ingredients do you need for this vegan lemon cookie recipe?

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

Lemon Cookie

• white granulated sugar
• vegan butter softened
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• flax eggs (Use golden flax meal 2 TB FLAXMEAL +4 TB WATER))
• vanilla extract
• fresh lemon juice (fresh lemons)
• fresh lemon zest

Tangy lemon glaze

• powdered sugar
• fresh lemon juice

How do you make these easy vegan lemon cookies?

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line a baking tray (baking sheet) with a Silpat, grease it or parchment paper, and set aside.

Take a small cup and make your flax egg and let sit a few minutes to gel.

Get your stand mixer with the provided mixing bowl or a large mixing bowl and hand electric mixer; add sugar and soft vegan butter; whip until light and fluffy.

Add your wet ingredients; vanilla extract, lemon juice, and flax egg, and stir to combine.

 Then add your lemon zest and baking powder until evenly combined. Add your last dry ingredient (flour), and stir until combined.

These are drop cookies, so take your cookie scoop and drop your vegan lemon cookie dough as evenly as you can on your prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes; do not overbake.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

While cooling, make the icing. Take a small bowl and combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice; use a whisk or fork to mix until smooth. 

Drizzle the lemon icing over the cooled cookies. 

How do you store vegan cookies?

Let the cookies come to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

You could store them in the fridge, but I feel like they dry out in the fridge and prefer a room-temperature cookie.

Can you freeze the baked cookies?

Yes, these freeze great. Let them come to room temperature, then place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Or you can freeze the balls of cookie dough and cook from frozen; the cooking time will vary. Then make fresh icing.

Want some other vegan cookie recipes?

• Classic Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies
• Vegan Smores Cookies

If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook. 

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