These Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of lemon flavor! Perfect crinkles and crackles to add to your cookie plate. Dairy-free, egg-free, vegan.
Lemon lovers will delight in this gluten-free lemon crinkle cookies recipe. If you love gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies, this lemon version is perfect for the holidays and every day.
Add them to a cookie plate with gluten-free ginger snaps and gluten-free peanut butter blossoms and they will be a hit with everyone!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Easy recipe
- Vegan and gluten-free cookie
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the main ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Tapioca starch - Also known as tapioca flour, combines with water to make our vegan egg replacer. The outcome is a soft and chewy lemon cookie.
Organic cane sugar - Less refined and vegan-friendly, this granulated sugar pairs well with the flavor of fresh lemons.
Almond flour - Gives our lemon crinkles a tender crumb. This is a great flour always to have stocked in the gluten-free pantry.
Maple syrup - This natural sweetener helps bind our cookies as well as create chewy cookies. Honey works well as a maple syrup substitute but is not vegan.
Coconut oil - If you don't want any hint of coconut, use refined coconut oil. Vegan butter works great as a coconut oil substitute.
Zest and juice of one lemon - Fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest are needed for the best flavor. Choose organic lemons to avoid pesticide residue.
Lemon extract and vanilla extract - In such a simple cookie, the quality of the extract that you use can make a difference in flavor.
Organic powdered sugar - Choose organic to keep this recipe vegan-friendly.
How to make gluten-free lemon crinkle cookies
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the tapioca starch and water in a small bowl, stir to combine, and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine organic cane sugar, maple syrup, lemon zest and juice, and tapioca starch slurry. Whisk in melted coconut oil, followed by vanilla and lemon extracts.
Step 2: Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Pour wet ingredients mixture into bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are completely incorporated.
Step 3: Place organic powdered sugar on a plate. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough, then roll it into a ball. Place the ball of dough on plate with powdered sugar, roll to coat, then place on prepared baking tray. Repeat until the remaining dough is gone. Press cookie dough balls halfway down with your hand.
Step 4: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are set on the outside and the tops will just start to turn golden brown. For best results, allow baked cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 4-5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Recipe tips
- The dough may be sticky, so dampen your hand with water or spray your hands with cooking spray.
- Allow these chewy crinkle cookies to cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container.
Storage
Let the lemon cookies cool completely on a wire rack before storing. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. They are best within 2-3 days of baking.
You can never have too many lemon recipes. These lemon sugar cookies are the ones to try. Even more gluten-free lemon desserts are below!
More gluten-free lemon desserts
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch + 3 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil melted and cooled
- ½ cup (116g) organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (one lemon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (240g) almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Rolling
- ¼ cup (30g) organic powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tapioca starch and water in a small bowl, stir to combine and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine organic cane sugar, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tapioca starch slurry. Whisk to combine. Whisk in melted coconut oil, followed by vanilla and lemon extracts.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Pour liquid mixture into bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are completely incorporated. If needed, use your hands to thoroughly combine ingredients into a cohesive cookie dough. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.
- Place organic powdered sugar on a plate. The dough may be sticky, so dampen your hand with water or spray hands with cooking spray. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough, then roll into a ball. Place ball on plate with powdered sugar, roll to coat, then place on prepared baking sheet. Space cookie dough balls about an 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat until cookie sheet is filled with even rows.
- Press down just slightly on each cookie dough ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are set on the outside. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Shannon Newlin
Can I use a different oil or vegan butter for these?
Tessa
Hi! Yes, you can use vegan butter here.
Stella
Can I leave out the tapioca starch and add more
Almond flour?
Tessa
Hi Stella! The tapioca starch plus the water act as the egg substitute and help create the "crinkle" effect. The best substitutes for that would be cornstarch or arrowroot starch (or even potato starch). If you replaced the tapioca starch with almond flour, you'd still want to add the water but the consistency and the texture of the cookie would be different.
Liz
These look delicious. I can’t wait to try them!
Brynne
I'm a sucker for anything lemon. These are great!
Tessa
Thanks! They are a bit addictive. :)