Description
Enjoy these delightful Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies that are oil-free and perfect for cut-out shapes! Made with superfine oat, white rice, and almond flours, sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup, and bound with creamy raw cashew butter, these cookies offer a tender and crisp texture. They are easy to make, baked quickly, and come with a shiny, traditional maple-sweetened icing to decorate. Perfect for those seeking a gluten-free, vegan treat that’s both delicious and aesthetically pleasing.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) superfine oat flour
- 1/4 cup (40g) white rice flour
- 1/4 cup (28g) superfine almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (16g) tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (192g) RAW cashew butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 cups (248g) powdered sugar
- 8 teaspoons (40g) lite coconut milk or soy milk
- 4 teaspoons (28g) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear for whiter frosting)
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together superfine oat flour, white rice flour, superfine almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and fine salt until thoroughly combined with no lumps.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the pure maple syrup, raw cashew butter, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture forms a shaggy ball, pressing it together with the back of a spoon to help combine.
- Knead the Dough: Pick up the dough with your hands and knead it several times until it forms a smooth, cohesive ball with no visible flour. The dough should not be sticky and should be easy to work with. If too sticky, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Optional Dough Chilling: For easier rolling, wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is optional but recommended if the dough is too soft or sticky when rolling.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out evenly to 1/4 inch thickness. Use similar-sized cookie cutters to cut shapes closely together, then carefully peel away excess dough and transfer shaped cookies onto lined baking sheets.
- Repeat Dough Rolling: Gather leftover dough, reshape into a ball, and repeat rolling and cutting until all dough is used. Expect to make 20-24 cookies depending on cutter size.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time for 7 minutes (6 minutes if omitting almond flour). Cookies are done once bottoms turn golden brown and tips begin to slightly brown. Avoid overbaking to prevent dryness.
- Cool Cookies: Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Icing: Whisk powdered sugar, lite coconut or soy milk, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract together until smooth and the consistency of toothpaste. Adjust with more sugar if it’s too runny, or a teaspoon of milk if too thick for flooding.
- Decorate Cookies: Use the icing to outline and flood the cookies or drizzle as desired. Allow icing to dry and harden on wire racks for several hours or overnight for best results.
- Storage: Store iced cookies uncovered overnight to harden icing and keep cookies crisp. For cookies without icing, cover with foil or in a glass container to prevent softening.
Notes
- Almond Flour Substitution: Omit almond flour and increase white rice flour to 1/2 cup (80g). Bake for 6 minutes; cookies may dry faster but remain delicious when iced.
- Cashew Butter: Use only raw, additive-free cashew butter, preferably homemade. Roasted or store-bought roasted cashew butter will ruin the texture and flavor.
- Measuring: Use a kitchen scale for accuracy; the dough is sensitive to ingredient ratios. Weigh all ingredients per recipe for best results.
- Dough Handling: Avoid refrigerating dough for long periods as it dries out and breaks apart. Use fresh dough when baking.
- Icing Consistency: Icing should be thick enough to hold shape when piping. Adjust powdered sugar or milk to reach desired consistencies for outlining and flooding.
- Vegan Decoration: Use vegan sprinkles and food coloring as needed; recommended brands are available in the original post.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts are for the cookie without icing, as icing varies greatly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (without icing)
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 35mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
