These soft and cakey vegan lemon poppy seed cookies are bursting with fresh lemon flavour and the iconic crunch of bitter poppy seeds. These easy cookies are made completely dairy free and egg free and take just 20 minutes, making them the perfect morning or afternoon tea treat for lemon lovers!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ These turned out amazing! I took them out at 9 mins and they were perfect. – Holly
I’ve said it before but I absolutely love lemon desserts and so I have another one for you today! These lemon poppy seed cookies take that classic muffin flavour combination and use it to create the most delicious, soft and cakey cookies that are bursting with fresh citrus flavour.
These cookies are perfect for anytime of year, but they are a must make as we emerge from winter into the warmer days of spring.
I don’t like using artificial lemon extracts in my baking, so I needed to make sure these cookies had a big burst of lemon flavour. They deliver with the zest from 2 lemons going into the cookies along with some juice and then the cookies are finished with a zingy lemon glaze. You know I love a glaze and in this case I am going to say it’s not optional. The glaze really finishes off these cookies adding that extra sweet and tangy taste that makes these cookies so good.
This is also an EASY cookie recipe. It’s the kind of cookie recipe you don’t need a lot of time to make and you just need a few simple ingredients. There is no chilling of the dough needed, you just mix up your dough and you’re ready to bake.
Plus not only is this cookie recipe dairy free, it also doesn’t require any eggs, making it a great option if you have a food allergy or intolerance or just haven’t been to the shops.
If you love the classic flavours of lemon poppy seed then you have to try my vegan lemon poppy seed cake or these dairy free lemon poppy seed muffins.
Key Ingredients
These vegan lemon poppy seed cookies are a fantastic recipe using basic pantry staple ingredients making them a great option if you’re in need of a quick and easy egg free sweet treat for morning or afternoon tea.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lemons – for maximum lemon flavour in these cookies we are using both a good amount of zest and the juice.
- Poppy seeds – for that classic bitter crunch! You can leave them out if you just want lemon cookies.
- Dairy free butter – I always like to make sure I use a good quality vegan butter substitute to ensure the best flavour in my baked goods. I always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- White sugar – adding sweetness and also helping ensure the cookies spread when baked.
- Vanilla extract – adds flavour to the cookies.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Cornflour – also known as corn starch in the US, this helps keep the cookies soft and a little chewy while still being egg free.
- Bicarbonate of soda – also known as baking soda in the US, this helps give the cookies rise while baking and also reacts with the lemon to create a soft and cakey cookie.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these vegan lemon poppy seed cookies you’ll need a large baking tray, mixing bowls and an electric handheld mixer. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted if you prefer.
Start by adding the white sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Rub the lemon zest into the white sugar with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar is slightly moist. This step is key to ensuring we have super lemony cookies as the natural oils of the lemon zest will flavour the sugar.
Add the dairy-free butter and vanilla extract to the lemon-sugar mixture, and beat together with the electric mixer until creamy. Add in the lemon juice and mix again to combine.
In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, cornflour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, beating slowly until a soft dough forms. Finally, mix through the poppy seeds until evenly distributed into the dough.
Roll the dough into small balls (I use a tablespoon cookie scoop to make it easy) and place them evenly onto a baking tray, leaving a little space between each to allow them to spread in the oven.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. The exact time will depend on your oven, but you want the cookies to be still soft in the middle and slightly golden around the edges. The cookies will continue to cook as they cool and firm up on the tray. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.
Whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the lemon juice / icing sugar as needed to get a good drizzling consistency. Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the glaze over each cookie and allow the glaze to set before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Tip! For perfect looking cookies, as soon as the cookies have been removed from the oven, use a spoon or a large round cookie cutter that fits over the cookie, to gently shape the cookie back into a circle. This only works if the cookies are still soft so needs to be done immediately before they start to cool.
Recipe FAQs
While I haven’t tested it myself, a good quality 1-1 gluten free flour replacement should work well in this recipe. Ensure that the blend you use is suitable for baking and contains a binding agent like xanthan gum to help with texture, such as Bob’s Red Mill. Let me know in the comments if you try it!
Once the cookies have fully cooled and the glaze has set, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you’d like them to last longer, you can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.
Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar releases the natural oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with a more intense lemon flavour. This step makes the cookies even more fragrant and zesty.
Absolutely! I wanted these cookies to be more lemon with a subtle poppy seed crunch, but if you love the texture and taste of poppy seeds, feel free to increase the amount to 1 tablespoon or to your preference.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More lemon desserts:
Dairy Free Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Dairy Free Lemon Bars
Vegan Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake
Pistachio Cardamom and Lemon Loaf Cake
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest approx. 2 lemons
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice approx. 1 lemon
- 1 cup plain flour/all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
For the glaze:
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the white sugar with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar is slightly moist.
- Add the dairy-free butter and vanilla extract to the lemon-sugar mixture, and cream together using a handheld electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix through the lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, cornflour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, beating slowly until a soft dough forms. Add the poppy seeds and mix through to combine.
- Roll the dough into small balls (about a tablespoon each) and place them on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space between each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, prepare the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the glaze over each cookie. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Victoria says
This recipe is PERFECTION!!! They came out so good. Perfect flavor and texture
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed these cookies!
Holly says
These turned out amazing! I took them out at 9 mins and they were perfect.
Sally says
So happy to hear you enjoyed them Holly!