Vegan Lemon Cookies: Recipe and Baking Tips

For the lemon glaze:

• Lemon rind strips from 3 medium lemons
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the cookies:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup cane sugar
• 1 cup coconut oil, cold and solid
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Note: The total time does not include at least 3 hours and 30 minutes of inactive time.

Make the lemon glaze:

1. 1

   In a mixing bowl, toss the lemon rind strips with a ½ cup of sugar.

2. 2

   Using a pestle or wooden spoon, lightly crush the lemon rinds with the sugar. Add the lemon juice to the mixture and stir.

3. 3

   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Shake the mixture every 45 minutes for 3 hours.

4. 4

   Once 3 hours have passed, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer it to an airtight container such as a glass bottle with a stopper attachment. The leftover syrup will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

5. 5

   In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon syrup until a smooth glaze forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to glaze your cookies.

Make the cookie dough:

1. 1

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. 2

   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined, about 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Bake and assemble the cookies:

1. 1

   When you’re ready to bake the cookies, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. 2

   With a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough into rounded balls and place them on the cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each dough ball.

3. 3

   Bake the cookies in the oven until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

4. 4

   Remove the lemon glaze from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.

5. 5

   Place a piece of aluminum foil underneath the cooling rack to catch the excess glaze. Cover the cooled cookies in the glaze.

6. 6

   Serve the cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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