Soft, delicious almond lemon cookies with a bright lemon glaze! These healthy lemon almond cookies are the perfect simple recipe to brighten up your day. We’re making these lemon almond shortbread cookies with almond flour and maple syrup, so they’re vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and contain no refined sugars!
If you like these vegan almond flour lemon cookies, you’ll love my almond peanut butter cookies, you'll love my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, my Nutella Baked Oats, and my Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Banana and Cacao!
*This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.
Healthy Lemon Almond Cookies
These lemon flourless cookies are a great choice for a sweet treat! They're vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup, so there are no refined sugars! You can top them with a powdered sugar lemon glaze, or make a refined sugar-free glaze with maple syrup and lemon! These lemon almond shortbread cookies are a delicious treat you can feel good about! (Nutrition Disclaimer) And if you want more cookie ideas, check out my list of the 30+ BEST gluten free and dairy free cookies recipes!
What does almond flour do to cookies?
So what happens if you use almond flour in cookies? Well, the cookies usually end up with a denser, more chewy texture and have a bit more texture than cookies made with wheat flour. And because we're making these almond shortbread cookies without any additional leavening such as baking powder, they have soft, thick, buttery texture that you'll love!
What are almond cookies made of?
- almond flour - go with blanched, superfine almond flour for the best results.
- vegan butter - my favorites are Earth Balance Organic and Miyokos Vegan Butter.
- maple syrup - instead of using maple syrup you can also use another liquid sweetener like agave syrup, or use allulose to make these healthy lemon almond cookies keto friendly!
- salt - to bring out the lemon and almond flavors!
- pure almond extract - I love the way the almond flour and lemon complement each other, and a bit of almond extract brings that almond flavor out even more!
- lemon zest - gives these almond shortbread cookies a bright, bold lemon flavor!
Then we'll top these soft almond flour lemon cookies with a delicious lemon glaze!
- powdered sugar - I used powdered sugar to make my glaze, but if you're avoiding powdered sugar you can swap in more maple syrup and brush the glaze onto the warm cookies to soak in and add a boost of lemony sweetness. All the instructions are below!
- lemon zest - the boost of lemon flavor that is so perfect in this glaze!
- lemon juice - if using the powdered sugar version of this glaze, you can add a little extra juice to reach your desired consistency.
What is almond flour made of?
Almond flour contains ground and sifted almonds that have been blanched to remove their skins. Almond flour is typically finely milled to mimic the texture of wheat flour.
What do you use almond flour for?
It's delicious in these vegan almond flour lemon cookies! But almond flour also makes a delicious tart crust, like with this passionfruit tart, or in my gluten free blondies -- it has a soft, slightly chewy texture that is perfect for baked goods, and it's very fine so that it's great in recipes where you might otherwise use wheat flour.
Equipment Needed for Almond Lemon Cookies
If you've already got a bowl and a wooden spoon for this healthy lemon almond cookies recipe, you're most of the way there! Then you'll just want a zester to zest your lemon, and a lined cookie sheet and you're ready to bake!
Tips and F.A.Q.
I noted above that almond flour is made from blanched almonds -- that is, almonds that have been soaked in boiling water to remove their skins. It's also typically very finely ground and sifted. This process results in a very fine, powdery product with a milder flavor that works well in baked goods. Almond meal, on the other hand, is made with whole almonds, including their skins. This results in a coarser texture, a slightly darker color, and a slight difference in taste.
It's true that almond flour doesn't rise as easily as wheat flour, which is why it's important to use a recipe with the right ratio of almond flour to liquid so that your cookies don't end up flat. These soft almond flour lemon cookies are based on shortbread, so they're thicker and denser than many cookie recipes. So as long as you chill them as directed, you shouldn't have any issues with the cookies flattening out.
You may have removed them from the baking sheet too soon. Almond flour cookies need about 10-20 minutes to cool on the cookie sheet before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely -- that way they can firm up a bit. 
These cookies can be stored up to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, well wrapped.
You can make a maple-lemon glaze for these vegan lemon cookies by swapping in ⅓ cup of maple syrup for the powdered sugar. Whisk it all together with the lemon zest, and use a pastry brush to brush it onto your warm cookies!
It's easy! Just swap out the maple syrup with your favorite liquid keto sweetener like Allulose. Then when you make your glaze, you can use Confectioner's Swerve instead of powdered sugar! With these simple swaps, this recipe has only 2 grams net carbs per cookie!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Vegan Recipes You'll Love
- Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Pumpkin Nice Cream
- Vegan Couscous Salad with Charred Corn
- Vegan White Bean Dip with Lemon and Pistachios
- Peach Sorbet Recipe
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups superfine blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup vegan butter - melted
- 5 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon zest - packed
Lemon Glaze (optional)
- 2 cups powdered sugar - sifted - Or ⅓ cup maple syrup to skip the refined sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest - packed
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice - plus extra as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, melted vegan butter, maple syrup, salt, almond extract, and lemon zest. Stir until well combined.2 ½ cups superfine blanched almond flour, ¼ cup vegan butter, 5 tablespoon maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 1 ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Use a small cookie scoop (or rounded tablespoons) to scoop dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheet. Press down gently with hands or a spatula to flatten cookies slightly.
- Bake in preheated oven 12-14 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 10-20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, and powder sugar (or maple syrup) until smooth.2 cups powdered sugar - sifted, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- Spread over cooled cookies. If using maple syrup version, you may brush glaze over warm cookies with a pastry brush.
Video
Nutrition
PIN these vegan almond flour lemon cookies for later!
Last Updated on February 14, 2023 by Chenée Lewis
Nadja
Hi!
I am excited to try making these.
I have a couple of quick questions:
1) Can I use melted coconut oil in the same amount as the vegan butter (since I don't have vegan butter)? Or alternatively to coconut oil, melted regular butter? 1:1 ration coconut oil to butter?
2) If I don't have almond extract, is it still going to be delicious and lemony with a hint of almond (from almond flour) but just lacking the almond punch?
3) For the glaze I'd like to use maple syrup since I don't have powdered sugar. But won't it be too runny considering I'm using a liquid vs. powder.
Thank you so much!
Chenée Lewis
I haven't tried this recipe with coconut oil, but if you're not vegan you can feel free to use regular butter! Without almond extract there won't be as much almond flavor, but they'll still be deliciously lemony. And for the glaze, I wouldn't recommend using maple syrup, or if you do, then maybe just brush on a thin layer rather than pouring it on. Hope this helps! 🙂
Wendy
These turned out great! Thank you for creating a delicious cookie that is chewy, balanced in flavor, not too sweet, but not bland, the perfect bite size, and my insides feel fine afterward! Easy-to-follow recipe, simple common ingredients that I had on hand. I used butter since we are ok with it and it turned out wonderfully. A make again!
Chenée Lewis
So glad to hear it! I love these cookies! 🙂
Christian
Just made these and they are amazing!
Chenée Lewis
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you liked them! 🙂
Tamara Johnson
Wowsa! These cookies are AMAZING! I could barely take them out of the oven before they got eaten up!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! So glad they were a hit!
Jazz
I love how simple these cookies were to make. And they turned out great. We will be baking them again for our Christmas cookie swap boxes!
Chenée Lewis
What a great idea! Glad you liked them!
Jen
These almond cookies were mouth-watering! They had the perfect texture and sweetness. I’ll definitely make these again
Chenée Lewis
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed!
Lilly
These almond cookies are so delish! I love how easy they were to make! The almond extract really elevated the flavor of these cookies! 🙂
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much!
Jessica Lawson
Made these as a gift for a friend of mine who can't have dairy and they were SO GOOD. I can't believe that they're vegan! The thick, buttery texture is just melt in your mouth delicious.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! So glad they liked them!
Robin
These cookies are perfect because some of my family are vegan while others are gluten intolerant. Thank you for making sure everyone can enjoy sweets around the holidays!
Chenée Lewis
So glad this recipe works for your family!
Erique
You always come through with a bomb cookie recipe and this recipe is no different! These almond lemon cookies were a hit at the family holiday party. Can't wait to make them again.
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! They're always great for a crowd!
Kate
Baked mine yesterday, turned out so buttery, lemony and delicious!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! So glad you liked them!
W. Martin
You said, "Almond flour contains ground and sifted almonds that have been blanched to remove their skins. Almond flour is typically finely milled to mimic the texture of wheat flour."
But you also said under Tips, " Almond flour, on the other hand, is made with whole almonds, including their skins. This results in a coarser texture, a slightly darker color, and a slight difference in taste."
Houston, we have a problem.
Chenée Lewis
Haha thanks for the heads up! I meant to type almond meal in that second part. It should be correct now.
Stephanie
So soft and buttery. These cookies were such a delicious treat and the perfect Holiday cookies. Will definitely be making these again...and next time I might actually share them.
Chenée Lewis
Haha! I love these cookies too!!
Marta
No one believed me when I told them these almond lemon cookies were vegan. Hell, I didn't believe myself after tasting them. They legit taste like sweet summer pillows. So good!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you!! They're always a hit with vegans and non-vegans!
Jyoti Behrani
Great recipe! Made these almond lemon cookies and my family loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Chenée Lewis
So glad they were a hit!
kushigalu
Love the combination of flavors in this cookie recipe. So delicious
Chenée Lewis
Glad you liked them!!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats
Two of my favorite flavors in one cookie! So easy and delicious. Not just a holiday cookie!
Chenée Lewis
Definitely a versatile recipe! Thanks!
Tawnie Kroll
These were a perfect addition to our holiday tray for our Christmas party! Thank you, sooo yummy!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them!