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    Home » Cookies » Vegan Lemon Cookies

    Vegan Lemon Cookies

    Published: Aug 24, 2021 · Modified: Nov 5, 2022 by Natalia · This post may contain affiliate links .

    480 shares
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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    TOP: Stack of cookies on a white surface and next to a halved lemon. BOTTOM: cookies on a parchment paper.
    Stack of four cookies, the one on top is halved.
    Cookies on a parchment paper over a cooling rack, surrounded by lemons, a dish towel and a wooden squeezer.
    Stack of cookies next to a halved lemon, placed on a parchment paper over a cooling rack.
    Cookies on a parchment paper over a cooling rack.
    TOP: Stack of cookies on a white surface and next to a halved lemon. BOTTOM: cookies on a parchment paper.

    These Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft, chewy, buttery and deliciously fragrant. They melt in your mouth! 1-bowl cookies, made with staple ingredients and ready in under 25 minutes! A quick and super easy recipe that leads to perfect cookies every time.

    Stack of cookies next to a halved lemon, placed on a parchment paper over a cooling rack.
    Jump to:
    • WHY MAKE THESE COOKIES
    • RECIPE INGREDIENTS
    • INGREDIENTS NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
    • STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
    • RECIPE FAQs
    • MORE COOKIES TO TRY
    • RECIPE
    • Don’t Miss a Recipe!

    WHY MAKE THESE COOKIES

    It requires only 1 bowl. One bowl, a whisk and a spatula is all you need to make this vegan lemon cookies. If you have an electric mixer, it will help you with the butter-sugar creaming, but it’s not indispensable for this recipe.

    Only 9 staple ingredients needed. This is an uncomplicated recipe that requires basic pantry staples for your ingredients. Check out the recipe card below.

    No chilling required. Refrigerating the cookie dough is not required, which means you can make the dough and have your first batch in the oven in no time.  

    Oh, if you like easy and fun recipes, check these out: Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookies and Vegan Linzer Cookies.

    Cookies on a parchment paper over a cooling rack, surrounded by lemons, a dish towel and a wooden squeezer.

    RECIPE INGREDIENTS

    Ingredients for Vegan Lemon Cookies: butter, sugar, applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt.

    INGREDIENTS NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

    Plant based butter. I normally use Earth Balance. Make these vegan lemon cookies with your favourite vegan butter, this is a thick dough so the cookies will keep their shape.

    Sugar. I’ve used organic cane sugar. Brown sugar or white granulated sugar works fine here too.

    Applesauce. It’s a great substitute for the eggs in vegan baking. It doesn’t add any lift, but it helps with binding. You can either use Homemade Applesauce or store-bought.

    Flour. Regular All-Purpose Flour is the one you need for this recipe.

    Lemon juice. This recipe calls for fresh ingredients, like lemon juice and lemon zest, but feel free to use bottled lemon juice.

    STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

    Step by step to make cookies: mix butter-sugar, add wet ingredients, sift in dry ingredients and mix.
    1. To make the cookies: preheat oven to 350ºF / 175ºC. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter and sugar into a mixing bowl.
    2. Beat until soft and creamy. 
    3. Add applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Mix until combined. 
    4. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt.
    Step by step to make cookies: mix everything, form dough balls, bake.
    1. Stir until the dough is well combined.
    2. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough. Place each cookie scoop onto the lined baking sheet. Leave one inch between each one.
    3. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 
    Stack of four cookies, the one on top is halved.

    RECIPE FAQs

    How long do these cookies last?

    These vegan lemon cookies can last for up to a week in an airtight container, at room temperature. Place them in layers separated by a sheet of parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.

    Can I use lemon extract instead of lemon juice?

    Sure! Lemon extract is much more concentrated so I would start using just ½ teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon lemon juice. If you’re also going to substitute the lemon zest, then add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the dough. 

    Is there any substitute for applesauce?

    There are several substitutes for applesauce in this recipe. Pureed apples, mashed bananas or vegan yogurt are some of the best alternatives. They have a similar consistency than applesauce. Substitute in a 1 to 1 ratio, except for the mashed bananas, in that case add ½ tablespoon of water or plant based milk to the dough. 

    Cookies on a parchment paper over a cooling rack.

    MORE COOKIES TO TRY

    • Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Funfetti Cookies
    • Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

    If you try this recipe don’t forget to rate it and let me know how it went in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    RECIPE

    Cookies on a parchment paper over a cooling rack, surrounded by lemons, a dish towel and a wooden squeezer.

    Vegan Lemon Cookies

    NATALIA @ SIMPLE GREEN RECIPES
    These Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft, chewy, buttery and deliciously fragrant. They melt in your mouth! 1-bowl cookies, made with staple ingredients and ready in under 25 minutes! A quick and super easy recipe that leads to perfect cookies every time. 
    5 from 69 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Text Ingredients to Phone
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 14 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 12 cookies 3-inch
    Calories 166 kcal

    Equipment

    • Hand mixer or stand mixer
    • Mixing bowl
    • Silicone spatula
    • Cookie scoop (scoop diameter: 1.5 inch/3.9 cm)
    • Baking sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup plant based butter, at room temperature
    • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
    • 2 tablespoons applesauce, homemade or store-bought
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350ºF / 175ºC, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer or beat it by hand.
    • Add the applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    • Then, add in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix until dough comes together, about 15 seconds.
    • Use a cookie scoop (ice cream scoop) to scoop the cookie dough out into balls, or roll de dough into 12 medium balls (2 tablespoons each). Place them on the lined cookie sheet, at least 1 inch apart from each other.
    • Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies look barely golden but still soft. DO NOT OVERBAKE. 
    • Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
    • Store in an airtight container for a week, at room temperature.

    Notes

    GLUTEN FREE OPTION. To make these vegan lemon cookies gluten-free, substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose regular flour at a ratio of 1:1.
    STORING THE COOKIES. These cookies can last for up to a week in an airtight container, at room temperature. Place them in layers separated by a sheet of parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
    FREEZING THE COOKIES. You can  freeze the vegan cookie dough for up to 3 months, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the freezer. To freeze the baked cookies, allow them to cool, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
    INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS. 
    Plant based butter. I normally use Earth Balance. Use your favourite butter here, the dough is quite thick and the lemon cookies will keep their shape.
    Sugar. I’ve used organic cane sugar. Brown sugar or white granulated sugar works fine too.
    Applesauce. You can either use Homemade Applesauce or store-bought.
    Lemon juice. This recipe calls for fresh ingredients, like lemon juice and lemon zest, but feel free to use bottled lemon juice.
    NUTRITION INFORMATION
    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. 
    See our full nutrition disclosure. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 138mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 338IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword glutenfreelemoncookies, lemoncookies, veganlemoncookies
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    Comments

    1. Jenny

      January 16, 2023 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      I love anything lemony for dessert and sometimes as a breakfast treat, especially cookies. Your recipe is terrific—extra points for being vegan. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:29 am

        That is great to hear Jenny! I am so glad that you love my recipe that much!

        Reply
    2. Amy Liu Dong

      January 16, 2023 at 5:31 am

      5 stars
      These cookies are so soft, chewy, and delicious!
      I am so excited to make this at home!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:30 am

        Yes, they are super soft and chewy Amy. Happy baking!

        Reply
    3. Amy Casey

      January 15, 2023 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      Love love love anything lemon! I made these for one of my vegan personal chef clients (and had 1 for myself). They were amazing!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:32 am

        Hi Brandi. thank you! I’m so glad that you guys loved the cookies! I make them all the time!

        Reply
    4. Ann

      January 15, 2023 at 1:23 pm

      5 stars
      I am still pretty new to the vegan world. Lemon cookies sound delicious! Excited to give these a try! Thanks for the recipe share!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:32 am

        Hi Ann, I’m sure you’ll love them. They’re made in no time!

        Reply
    5. Jamie

      January 15, 2023 at 9:28 am

      5 stars
      Oh my, these Vegan Lemon Cookies look amazingly delicious! Its chewy texture and fragrance make this so enticing and very appealing! It’s a super easy recipe for everyone to try and only needs 25 minutes to have this! Loved it already!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:33 am

        Thank you, Jamie, for your feedback and review! I’m really glad you love the cookies!

        Reply
    6. Veronika

      January 14, 2023 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      These are my new favorite cookies! It was so easy to make them and they taste amazing! I will definitely make this again.

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:35 am

        Thank you for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad you love the cookies!

        Reply
    7. Mikayla

      January 12, 2023 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      Vegan, really? Never would’ve guessed. Just the right amount of lemon flavor with hints of apple, Yum!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:36 am

        Hi, Mikayla! Thank you so much! I am beyond happy to read your positive review.

        Reply
    8. Elaine

      January 12, 2023 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      My cookie jar is almost empty, so this recipe is so timely! Fantastic instructions – super easy to follow 😉

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:37 am

        Hi Elaine, I know you will love these cookies! Let me know how they turned out for you!

        Reply
    9. Kathryn

      January 10, 2023 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      These cookies were so delicious and I love how they are vegan! I love lemon and these are perfect for snacking on!

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:38 am

        Hi Kathryn. I’m so glad you are loving these cookies! Thanks for sharing your review and comments!

        Reply
    10. Linda

      January 09, 2023 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      Anything lemon is my favorite and these were no exception. I did use regular butter and they came out deliciously soft and oh so lemony. I will def be making these again.

      Reply
      • Natalia

        February 05, 2023 at 9:40 am

        Hi Linda, thanks for the tip. I haven’t tried them with non-vegan butter, good to know it works too.

        Reply
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