These maple-sweetened, vegan walnut cookies have crispy edges, chewy centers, and the right balance of sweet and salty flavors. They’re Paleo diet friendly, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and refined sugar free. Give them a try if you’re looking for walnut recipes, like these simple chocolate covered walnuts, which are another delicious option.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
You can use either raw walnuts or toasted walnuts in these cookies. Walnuts add richness, a satisfying crunch, and a slightly tannic flavor that balances the sweetness of these cookies.
Maple syrup adds a delicious flavor to these refined sugar-free, vegan cookies. Maple syrup and walnuts are a classic combination. The astringency of the walnuts and the complex sweetness of the maple syrup make these two ingredients the perfect pair.
I didn’t want these cookies to be overly sweet. I think the maple flavor and sweetness is perfect, but if you have a particularly sweet tooth you can increase the amount of maple syrup to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup and increase the baking time by one minute in that case.
These paleo walnut cookies are made with coconut flour. I haven’t tried any substitutions yet, so I recommend sticking with coconut flour for optimal results.
Almond butter is the fat in this recipe. I opted for almond butter because it has a relatively neutral flavor that allows the maple syrup and walnuts to really shine. You could substitute peanut butter, tahini, or any other unsweetened nut or seed butter you prefer.
Vanilla extract complements the other flavors in this vegan walnut cookie recipe. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract as opposed to artificial vanilla flavor if possible because you can definitely taste the difference.
How to Make Vegan Walnut Cookies
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Next you’ll stir the wet ingredients together with the salt, then stir in the coconut flour. Once the coconut flour is thoroughly incorporated into the wet ingredients, you can stir in the walnuts.
Next you’ll form the dough into cookies. The trick to making uniform looking cookies is to roll the dough into balls in your hands, then press them down into flatter cookie shapes. Start by scooping out a heaping teaspoon of dough, then use your hands to roll it into a ball before placing it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Then press the dough ball down into a flat, cookie like shape. You can use your fingers to do this. Repeat that process with the rest of the dough (you should have enough dough for 11 cookies, but go ahead and double the recipe if you need more).
The last step is to bake the cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Be sure to let them cool off for at least twenty minutes before removing from the baking sheet and serving.
Vegan Walnut Cookies Recipe (Gluten Free and Paleo)
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a mixing bowl, then mix well.
- Add the coconut flour and mix well.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts.
- Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of dough into your hands, then roll it into a ball shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Use your fingers to flatten the dough ball into a round cookie shape.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool off for at least 20 minutes before removing from the baking sheet and serving.
Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or freeze them for up to three months.
Nutrition
More Vegan Cookie Recipes to Try
- These mouth-watering vegan coconut oil cookies are quick and easy to make.
- These vegan chickpea flour cookies are soft and chewy.