There was a time when dairy-free cookies were either too tough or way too dry, or worse, both. Thank goodness for new and improved recipes that make baking cookies a breeze! These cookies are surprisingly moist and chewy with crisp edges, just like what any cookie should be. Naturally, I included a bunch of classics here, such as chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. But if you’re looking for more creative flavor combinations, this round-up is loaded with those, too. I’m talking wine cookies, tahini and honey cookies, and a lot more. Whether you’re lactose-intolerant or trying to stay away from dairy, these 25 dairy-free cookies are the perfect dessert for you.
1. Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies are a well-loved classic – and for good reason. They might not have the same level of popularity as chocolate chip cookies, but when it comes to all-time greatest cookie flavors, they definitely rank high. In case you’re vegan but craving the deliciousness of an oatmeal cookie, this recipe has you covered. Flavored with cinnamon and studded with raisins, these cookies have all the beautiful flavors and textures you love in a classic oatmeal cookie.
2. Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Looking for a festive Christmas cookie to serve to your vegan friends, look no further. These peppermint meringue cookies are the winner. Crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, these cookies’ textures are spot on. Spiced with peppermint, these cookies are wonderfully sweet with a hint of mintiness. Delicious! They look so complicated to make but are actually super easy. With a simple egg white base, anyone can pull it off.
3. Paleo Gingersnaps
Flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, these gingersnap cookies are ideal for your Thanksgiving and other fall festivities. The molasses and coconut oil ensure that while the cookies are crunchy on the outside, they’re still ridiculously chewy on the inside. Best of all, these cookies aren’t just dairy-free, but also paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and ridiculously delicious. They’re for everyone to enjoy!
4. Coconut Macaroons
I’m such a sucker for coconut macaroons. This Filipino delicacy is one of my absolute favorite exotic cookies. If you’ve never tried them before – do so now! They’re insanely chewy and moist, and bursting with sweetness and a refreshing coconut flavor. The coconut flakes give the cookies a lovely crunch, to boot. Just because they’re exotic doesn’t mean the ingredients are hard to come by. All you’ll need for this recipe are egg whites, honey, and coconut flakes.
5. Classic Italian Pignoli Cookies
Pignoli cookies are an Italian delicacy that you’ll see at any Italian bakery. Here, though, they’re a rare find. Good thing they’re not that hard to make! Pignoli are soft and chewy almond cookies with a crunchy coating of toasted pine nuts. The dough is a mixture of almond paste, egg whites, and sugar, giving the cookies a sweet aroma, a nutty flavor, and a chewy center.
6. Vegan Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican wedding cookies are some of the most addictive cookies known to man. They’re also called Russian tea cakes, snowballs, sand tarts, and more. All I know is they’re divine. They’re so soft and buttery they almost melt in your mouth. The dough is filled with pecans and walnuts, giving the cookies a lovely nutty flavor. The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar, not just to give them an exquisite look, but also to provide an extra layer of melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
7. Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Are you a fan of the mint and chocolate flavor combination? If so, these cookies are calling out your name. These cookies are thick, chunky, and fudgy as can be. Drizzled with mint green white chocolate on top, these treats have the perfect combination of chocolatey and minty. By looking at them, it’s hard to believe how something so decadent is also dairy-free and vegan, but they are. Plus, they can be made Celiac-friendly, to boot.
8. Maple Walnut Sugar Cookies
While chocolate chip cookies are the reigning champs of the cookie world, I think these maple cookies deserve the spotlight just as much. These maple cookies are moist and chewy. The combination of maple and almonds gives them such an appetizing, addictive flavor. You’ll also get crunchy walnuts in every bite, which provide a nice textural contrast to the chewiness of the cookies. The cookies alone are already decadent, but the maple glaze finish makes them over-the-top amazing.
9. Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
These cranberry oatmeal cookies are the stuff of cookie legends. They’ll be Cookie Monster-approved, for sure. Just judging by the outside – a colorful combination of oats, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds – you can already tell they’re scrumptious. Inside, you’ll get wonderful flavors from ripe bananas, applesauce, maple syrup, and cinnamon. They’re sweet, moist, chewy, and crunchy, all at the same time! You can enjoy them for dessert, but they’re perfect for breakfast, too.
10. Tahini & Honey Cookies
Looking for new flavor combinations? I can’t think of a recipe that fits the bill more perfectly than this! These tahini and honey cookies are wildly tasty. Soft and chewy on the inside, with a wonderful crunchy sesame seed exterior. If you’re not familiar, tahini is a condiment from the Middle East that’s made from toasted ground sesame. It’s usually used in savory dishes such as hummus, but it works so well in this recipe, too! In fact, it gives the cookies a uniquely nutty flavor and a creamy texture.
11. Vegan & Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies with Almond Flour
These thumbprint cookies are insanely buttery, which is surprising, considering they don’t contain butter. I don’t know how this is possible, but I’ve tried them, and it’s true! Somehow, the combination of almond flour, golden brown sugar, and coconut oil creates such sweet and crisp cookies. These Swedish cookies are good on their own, but the jam in the center seals the deal. This recipe uses apricot jam, but feel free to use your favorite.
12. Dried Cranberries and Pistachios Biscotti
I never liked biscotti growing up because I always found them too tough to eat. I had no idea you were supposed to dunk them in coffee! Finally learning how to eat them the right way many years later marked the beginning of a beautiful love story. Since then, I’ve always made it a point to get biscotti whenever I see one. I also try to bake biscotti whenever I have the chance, or whenever a particular recipe intrigues me. This one definitely piqued my interest. I’m so happy I gave it a try! With the wonderful combination of pistachios and dried cranberries, these biscuits are the bomb.
13. Italian Anise Cookies
How charming are these cookies, am I right? They’re almost too pretty to eat! They don’t just look good, though. They taste terrific, too. They’re super soft and moist, and wonderfully flavored with anise. With a sweet aroma and a strong, licorice-like flavor, anise isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of coffee. But if you’re fond of its distinct flavor, these delights are definitely worth a try.
14. Vegan Orange Cardamom Sugar Cookies
Here’s another unique yet flavorful cookie combination: orange and cardamom. These are sugar cookies with an orange glaze, and they’re pretty epic. They’re crispy, moist, and buttery. They’re sweet and citrusy with a hint of spicy and aromatic cardamom. Together, they’ll create a lovely balance of sweet, tart, and spiced flavors. I love how despite their undeniable moistness, these cookies are absolutely eggless and dairy-free.
15. Grain-free Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Here’s another biscotti recipe for all my fellow biscotti fans, out there. These delectable biscuits are yet another proof that chocolate and hazelnut are a match made in heaven. The almond meal, coconut flour, and dark chocolate biscuit base gives this Italian classic such a bright flavor combination. Chunks of hazelnut provide an added layer of crunch. Ahh… I can already imagine myself having this for Christmas morning. I can’t wait!
16. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Here’s a Mexican take on the classic chocolate cookies. It probably doesn’t make sense how cookies can taste like hot chocolate, but once you take a bite, everything becomes clear. These cookies are insanely chewy and ooey-gooey. They’re definitely chocolatey, but the blend of cinnamon, cayenne, and chili powder gives them a nice hint of warmth and spice. So yeah, they really do taste like hot chocolate! Mini-marshmallows aren’t required, but I highly recommend them. They’ll make the cookies extra sweet, moist, and gooey!
17. Vegan Sweet Potato Cookies with Maple, Cinnamon, and Brown Sugar
These are spiced cookies made vegan with sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Can you believe it – vegetables in cookies? This must be a mistake! It’s very unusual, for sure, but my goodness, do they taste heavenly. With a beautiful blend of sugar and spices, these cookies are as delicious as any spiced cookie. The combination of sweet potato puree, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup makes these cookies unbelievably moist. They’re so light and tender, they’re almost cake-like.
18. Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread cookies are always welcome in my household. In fact, serve these to my family, and they’ll disappear in a snap. There’s just something about these buttery and melt-in-your-mouth cookies that’s impossible to resist! This version of my favorite classic uses almond flour. Not only does it make the cookies vegan, but also gives them a wonderful, nutty flavor.
19. Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies
As intimidating as these cookies sound, don’t let it stop you from giving them a try. Trust me, they’re worth it. Ciambelline al vino are Italian cookies speckled with wine-soaked anise seeds. They’re soft and crumbly, with distinct flavors and aroma coming from lemon zest and anise. Also, they’re as delicious as they are pretty. Those twists give them such a nice, rustic flair.
20. Gluten-Free Banana Bread Cookies
These banana bread cookies are simply sensational. If you’re a sucker for banana bread, these cookies are for you. They’re light, tender, moist, and almost cake-like in texture. The banana flavor is also very much on point. The cinnamon and nutmeg give them just that right amount of spice to balance out the sweetness. Oh, and these cookies are studded with chocolate chips, to boot. I couldn’t ask for more.
21. Paleo Pumpkin Cookies With Molasses
Trust the combination of pumpkin puree and molasses to make seriously moist and chewy cookies. These goodies won’t last long! Besides the unbelievably addictive textures, the flavors are also spot on. They’re sweet from the molasses and pumpkin puree, which is balanced out perfectly by the warming spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg.
22. Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
If you can’t pick between strawberry cheesecake and cookies, this is the perfect solution. My gosh, the thought of eating bite-sized pieces of strawberry cheesecake is already making me drool! These cookies are exactly like what you’d imagine them to be: soft, creamy, buttery, cheesy, and bursting with actual strawberries. The cookies themselves are already decadent, but they’re made even more scrumptious by the cream cheese filling waiting for you inside.
23. Dairy-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve never had pumpkin and chocolate before, well, what are you waiting for? These cookies are the perfect way to give the mouthwatering flavor combination a try. These cookies are made super-moist and flavorful with pumpkin puree. Every bite is bursting with chocolate chips, too. They may be dairy-free, but I actually think they’re better than the classic chocolate chip cookie. Don’t take my word for it, though. Try it and see for yourself.
24. Lemon Butter Cookies
This recipe had me at lemon and butter. Whenever these two ingredients are involved, you already know it’s a hit. They might look plain and simple, but don’t be fooled. These cookies are crispy on the outside, and wildly soft, buttery, and chewy on the inside. The combination of lemon and butter will blow your tastebuds away.
25. Cinnamon Apple Cookies
In the mood for a slice of apple pie, but don’t want to go through all the trouble of baking one from scratch? These cookies are exactly what you’ll need. Flavored with cinnamon and bursting with diced apples, they taste exactly like an apple pie, only, in cookie form. How can anyone say no? Click on a star to rate it!
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