I have been craving desserts with lemon, mostly because it is in season, but also because Spring is just around the corner and I love lemon in the spring! It is such a bright sunny flavor! I have always loved lemon poppy seed muffins, ever since I was a kid, they are sweet but scented with lemon and the poppy seeds give a satisfying crunch! So I was thinking, why not make Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies? They were bound to be delicious after all!
So I whipped up a batch last weekend! These are so quick and easy to make, that is one of the things I love about them! For the flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour, but you could use regular all purpose flour if you prefer or have that on hand. Or even a gluten free all purpose baking flour (like Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have used with success) if you wanted to make them gluten free. Since these are sugar cookies, I used granulated sugar to give them a clean lemony flavor but if you prefer a less refined sugar like maple sugar you could use that also. Just keep in mind the color might be a little darker then.
I used apple sauce in these as an egg replacer, and it gives them a nice chewy texture. I added plenty of lemon in the form of zest, juice and extract. I love lemon and I really wanted to be able to taste it! I also added a hint of vanilla though for sweetness. These cookies smelled so heavenly while baking, and filled my kitchen with a wonderful aroma!
I could not wait to try them! I did have to try some warm, and they are so delicious! Soft and chewy, just the right amount of lemon and sweet vanilla and a pleasant crunch from the poppy seeds! If you love lemon desserts too, definitely give these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies a try!
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies
Makes 16
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup melted vegan butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, apple sauce, lemon juice and zest and vanilla extract until well blended.
- Mix in the poppy seeds, salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
- The dough will be slightly soft, so refrigerate about 30 minutes then stir again before scooping.
- Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
- Press the dough balls down slightly. Sprinkle each with granulated sugar.
- Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
