Vegan Coconut Almond Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

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These super simple vegan coconut almond butter cookies are chewy, sweet, absolutely delicious and they happen to be gluten-free! Taking just a half hour to make, they are the perfect cookie to dunk in milk or enjoy with afternoon tea, or they are great to serve at a party!

Hey Internet, I've got an AWESOME cookie recipe for you today, and they're super easy -- no rolling or chilling, just drop these cookies on a tray biscuit-style and bake. So leave the rolling pin in its drawer (or for me, the cabinet above the fridge since my kitchen is like an episode of Tiny House for a Mouse).

These vegan coconut almond butter cookies are the perfect blend of soft and chewy, and have an optional crisp edge (bake for 2 minutes longer). I already raved about how easy they were to make, but I need to also rave about the taste!!

These cookies are made with gluten-free flour, but regular flour will also work. I’m not avoiding gluten, but I have friends who do, so it’s tough to find cookies we can both enjoy since I don’t eat animal products or oil.

I was determined to create a delicious cookie recipe that didn’t fall apart after bitten into.

These cookies are:

• Sweet
• Nutty
• Cozy
• Soft
• Chewy

and have been described as the best cookie a person ever tasted (and that was coming from a non-vegan! ;)

They take just 5 minutes to throw together and 20 minutes to bake, so you can have fresh, warm, gooey cookies in just a half hour.

Alright, let's get into it!

What You'll Need

Obviously you'll need some almond butter for this recipe. I personally love Costco's Kirkland Almond Butter (this post is not sponsored, I'm just a fan!).

No one believes me that I joined Costco for this almond butter. I may enjoy some of their other things (4-packs of firm tofu, jarred mango, maple syrup), but this almond butter is the star.

It's incredibly creamy. All you have to do is tip it to pour or drizzle it onto whatever you're eating. No melting it in the microwave to make it spread.

I don't refrigerate it and I only need to stir it once when I first open it. I love dipping dates or apple slices into it as a treat.

So when I used it in this recipe, I guess I was worried that the cookies wouldn't even set because they were too moist, so I used arrowroot powder as a thickener (see substitution section below). It worked perfectly--and corn starch / arrowroot powder also make for a softer cookie.

If your almond butter is thick, try microwaving it a bit, or you may need a little more nondairy milk in your batter.

I used a blend of coconut sugar and organic cane sugar for this recipe. The coconut sugar acts as brown sugar, and the cane sugar helps the cookie spread but hold up (see below section for substitutions).

Of course I also used baking soda (baking powder should also work, though the result may vary slightly), a little salt for flavor, and some unsweetened nondairy milk (any will work, I used almond milk).

I added finely shredded coconut (I used Bob’s Red Mill Finely Shredded Coconut) to the batter of these cookies, and while it is optional, it’s highly recommended. When you bite into the cookie and chew it, you’ll experience the slightest crunchy sensation and it’s wonderful.

I also used vanilla extract and coconut extract, which work really well together. The coconut flavor is mild enough, so, that does not outshine the real star of this recipe: the almond butter.

What Substitutions Can I Make?

Almond Butter

You can substitute peanut butter or another type of nut butter in this recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, sunflower seed butter would work great here.

I'm not sure tahini would work because it's much more runny. You may have to add more flour, as the batter is thick for these cookies (like, it won't fall off the spatula thick).

Flour

I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe to make it gluten-free. You can use regular all purpose flour if you're not avoiding gluten.

If you have an allergy or you’re just not a fan of coconut, feel free to leave them out. I also have not tested this recipe with almond or oat flour yet, but if you do, please let me know the result in the comments below!

Arrowroot Powder

To thicken the batter but produce a soft cookie, I used about a tablespoon of arrowroot powder. Corn starch would work just the same.

If you don't have either of those, sub another tablespoon of flour.

Coconut Sugar

If you don’t have coconut sugar you can absolutely use brown sugar, but the coconut sugar really adds a warmth to this recipe that I really loved, so that’s why I also added the coconut extract and the shredded coconut.

Organic Cane Sugar

I used organic cane sugar (because non-organic may be non-vegan as some sugars are filtered with animal bone char) to help the cookies spread and hold up. You can definitely use all coconut sugar, even reduce the amount if you like, but with a slightly different result.

How to Make Vegan Coconut Almond Butter Cookies

Alright, I promised you cookies, now all you have to do is follow this simple recipe and bake them!

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (or 165 degrees Celsius) and prepping two half-sheet baking trays (or a whole sheet if your oven can accommodate).

I like to line my trays with silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper. I find that it makes the texture of the cookie bottom better, and it saves money too since they're reusable.

Start by mixing all the wet ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Mix well, then add the dry ingredients by sprinkling them over the top.

Use your spatula to mix by running the edge of it around the batter in the bowl, folding in the dry before mixing. I find this technique helps me to not over mix (which can cause flat cookies).

Using a tablespoon or a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the batter onto your lined baking trays, leaving at least 2 inches of room around each cookie as they will spread a bit. I can fit about 12 cookies per half-sheet baking tray.

If the edges of the unbaked cookies are not uniform, gently swirl a finger around the edges of each cookie to make it a more uniform circle.

Place your trays in the oven at the same time and bake 18-22 minutes. I find that 20 minutes is the sweet spot (hah) for me. 22 minutes results in a somewhat crispy edge, which you can do if you prefer.

The cookies may appear to be not done at this point. You're looking for somewhat of a stiff edge. (Don't poke the center of the cookie, just lightly touch the outer edge.)

They will stabilize as they cool. Use a cookie spatula to easily get them off the tray--I spent less than $10 on mine and it's one of my favorite tools!

You can enjoy the cookies while still warm (but not hot) once they've set, or let them cool completely.

Store remaining cookies in an airtight container for up to a week--they stay soft and chewy!

Other Gluten-Free Desserts You May Enjoy!

Like I said above, I'm not personally gluten-free so not ALL of my recipes are gluten-free, but I try to make most of them that way to appeal to more people.

Here's a few of my most popular gluten-free dessert recipes!

Toasted Coconut Nice Cream (would go AMAZING with these cookies!)

Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Cake

GF Vegan Banana Bread

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do because cookies are one of my faves! These vegan coconut almond butter cookies are simply delicious and satisfying.

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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