Description
Delicious and delicate Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies that are oil-free and made with superfine oat, rice, and almond flours, sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup, and finished with a silky vegan icing. These cut-out cookies offer a perfect balance of crisp edges and tender centers, ideal for festive decorating or simple enjoyment. Perfect for those seeking a gluten-free, vegan treat with no refined sugars or added oils.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) superfine oat flour
- 1/4 cup (40g) white rice flour (do not use brown rice flour)
- 1/4 cup (28g) superfine almond flour (see notes for substitution)
- 2 tablespoons (16g) tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (192g) RAW cashew butter (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing Ingredients
- 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 vanilla extract for whiter icing)
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients—oat flour, white rice flour, almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt—until evenly combined and free of lumps.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the pure maple syrup, raw cashew butter, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Stir vigorously until the ingredients start to come together into a shaggy dough ball. Press down with the back of a spoon to consolidate.
- Knead the Dough: Using your hands, knead, press, and mold the dough several times until it forms a smooth, cohesive ball with no visible flour. The dough should be easy to handle and non-sticky. If it feels too sticky, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
- Optional Chilling: If time permits, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chilling slightly firms the dough making it easier to roll and cut but is not mandatory if your dough is manageable.
- Roll Out Dough and Cut Shapes: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out evenly from the center, maintaining a thickness of 1/4 inch (6mm). Use cookie cutters of similar sizes to stamp out shapes. Remove excess dough carefully, gather scraps, and reform into a ball to continue cutting until all dough is used.
- Arrange Cookies on Sheet: Transfer cookie shapes gently onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them closely but not touching. This recipe yields approximately 20 to 24 standard-size cookies depending on the cutters used.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or 6 minutes if omitting almond flour. Cookies are done when bottoms start turning golden and edges begin lightly browning. Avoid overbaking to prevent dry, brittle cookies.
- Cool Completely: Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully before decorating.
- Prepare Icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, lite coconut or soy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and the consistency of toothpaste. Adjust thickness with additional sugar or milk to suit outlining or flooding needs.
- Ice the Cookies: Use the icing to outline cookies first so it sets and prevents bleeding. Flood or drizzle as desired. Let the decorated cookies harden on wire racks for several hours or overnight uncovered for a crisp finish.
- Storage: If not icing, sprinkle with sugar before baking and store cooled cookies covered with foil or in a glass container to retain crispness. Avoid plastic containers which cause softening.
Notes
- Almond Flour Substitution: Omit almond flour and increase white rice flour to 1/2 cup (80g). Bake for 6 minutes only as these cookies dry out faster.
- Cashew Butter: Use raw cashew butter with no additives; store-bought roasted varieties are not suitable. Homemade cashew butter is recommended to achieve the correct texture and flavor essential to the recipe.
- Measuring Accuracy: Use a kitchen scale for best results; precise weighing is critical for dough consistency and cookie texture.
- Icing Consistency: Icing thickness can be adjusted with more powdered sugar or milk. Clear vanilla extract can make the icing whiter if desired.
- Vegan Sprinkles and Coloring: Use vegan-certified sprinkles and food coloring for decorating to keep the recipe fully vegan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (without icing)
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
