These soft and chewy vegan lemon poppy seed cookies are filled with bright lemon flavor and dappled with poppy seeds. They're so easy to make and ready in just 20 minutes!
What better way to kick off spring than with a classic lemon poppy seed combination? I've been making these vegan lemon poppy seed cookies on repeat lately because they are just SO good.
These cookies are made with melted vegan butter, so you can make them as soon as the inspiration strikes instead of waiting for the butter to soften.
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Why this recipe works
- Soft texture: These cookies are super soft and slightly chewy with a crinkly texture.
- Bright lemon flavor: Bursting with lemon flavor from lemon zest AND lemon extract.
- Quick & easy: Lemon poppy seed cookies are ready in less than 30 minutes using 10 ingredients! This recipe uses melted vegan butter, so you don't even have to wait for the butter to come to room temperature.
- Dietary features: vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, soy-free optional (just use soy-free vegan butter)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level flour into a measuring cup for most accurate measuring. To do this, spoon flour into the measuring cup until overflowing. Use the back of a knife to wipe off excess flour. Don't shake or pat flour down.
- Lemon extract and vanilla extract: You can find both of these in the baking aisle. Lemon extract packs a powerful punch, so we only need ½ teaspoon of it.
- Lemon zest: Use a zester or the zesting side of a grater. One lemon usually makes about 1 tablespoon of zest. Lemon zest also goes well in these vegan strawberry lemon muffins.
- Poppyseeds: These can usually be found in the spice aisle. They add a slightly nutty flavor.
- Melted vegan butter: I usually use unsalted Flora plant butter or Earth Balance buttery sticks. I melt my butter in the microwave but you can do it in a small pot over medium heat if you don't have a microwave.
- Flax egg: This is made by combining ground flaxseed and water. You can also use an equal amount of chia seeds.
Step by step instructions
- Make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes before using.
- Combine butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted vegan butter, white sugar and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. I use a large wooden spoon here because we don't need to cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add remaining wet ingredients: Stir in the flax egg, lemon extract and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, lemon zest, and poppy seeds to the wet mixture. Stir until combined. You should be able to just use the spoon here, but you can use a mixer if you want.
Note: The dough should hold together easily and still be slightly wet/greasy to touch. It should be easy to roll the cookie dough into balls. If not, add an extra sprinkle of flour as needed.
- 5. Form into cookies: Form into 10 cookie dough balls. Flatten with the palm of your hand to form a hockey puck shape. Place each piece of dough 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (parchment paper is optional for easy clean up).
- 6. Bake the cookies: Bake at 350 degrees F on the middle rack for 8-10 minutes. You can tell the cookies are ready when the edges start to crinkle and become slightly more golden. The centers will still look soft when you remove them from the oven. Let the lemon poppy seed cookies rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
FAQ and tips
- Texture: This recipe makes really soft cookies because of the melted butter. They will firm up as they sit but will always be soft like a sugar cookie.
- To make large cookies: Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll into a ball then flatten into a puck shape. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes, or until the edge of the cookies is golden.
I have not tested this recipe with coconut oil but it should work. Measure out the coconut oil after it has been melted to ensure an accurate amount.
You can melt it in a glass measuring cup in the microwave in 30 seconds to 1 minute or in a sauce pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. You should be able to use an all purpose gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill. The texture may be slightly different but since it's a flat cookie it shouldn't alter it too much.
Storage tips
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Use wax paper to make layers between cookies if stacking. The cookie dough can be frozen as individual cookie dough pieces or all together. If freezing all of the dough together, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Individual frozen pieces of cookie dough can be transferred directly to a pre-heated oven, just add an additional 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time.
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Recipe
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Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed see note #1
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- ½ cup melted unsalted vegan butter 1 stick of butter, see note #2
- ½ cup organic white sugar
- ½ cup organic light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ cups all purpose flour see note #3
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- zest from one lemon ~1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes before using.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted vegan butter, white sugar and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. I use a large wooden spoon here because we don't need to cream the butter and sugar together.
- Stir in the flax egg, lemon extract and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this flour mixture along with the lemon zest and poppy seeds to the wet mixture. Stir until combined. You should be able to just use the spoon here. The dough will be wet/greasy and should hold together easily.
- Form into 10 cookie dough balls. Flatten with the palm of your hand to form a thick hockey puck shape. Place at least two inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for easy clean up (optional).
- Bake at 350 degrees F on the middle oven rack for 8-10 minutes.
- The cookies are ready when the edges start to crinkle and become slightly more golden. The center will still look soft when you remove them from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Flax egg: Use ground flaxseed- whole flax will not work. An equal amount of chia seeds should work in a pinch.
- Melted vegan butter: I usually use unsalted Flora plant butter or Earth Balance buttery sticks. I melt my butter in the microwave but you can do it in a small pot over medium heat if you don't have a microwave.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level flour into a measuring cup for most accurate measuring. To do this, spoon flour into the measuring cup until overflowing. Use the back of a knife to wipe off excess flour. Don't shake or pat flour down.
- To make large cookies: Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll into a ball then flatten into a puck shape. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes, or until the edge of the cookies is golden.
Ingrid says
Delish! I subbed coconut oil as suggested by Cassidy out of a lack of unsalted vegan butter and they came out great! I am a lemonhead so I love these!
Cassidy Reeser says
Glad you loved them!! Also thanks for confirming that the coconut oil swap works.
Lucy says
Could you use Almond flour as a substitute?
Cassidy Reeser says
The texture might turn out a little differently with almond flour, I'd recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead if you're trying to make a GF version.