These light and refreshing lemon blueberry cookies boast a sweet and lemony flavor paired with juicy blueberries for the ultimate springtime treat. Soft and chewy on the inside, they have the perfect texture that will keep you coming back to this recipe again and again. It's hard to believe they are naturally vegan and gluten-free!
When it comes to desserts, there are some pairings that seem like they were made for each other, such as chocolate-raspberry, apple-cinnamon and vanilla-almond. But one that has always stood out to me is the lemon blueberry flavor combination.
There is just something special about the contrast between tart, tangy lemon and sweet, juicy blueberries. It provides so much brightness and freshness in my lemon blueberry muffins and lemon blueberry smoothie, and it's no different when baked into a cookie!
Having a background in public health while also being a foodie, it's important to me to use whole ingredients in my recipes and make sure they taste delicious. You'll find this lemon blueberry cookie recipe fits the bill perfectly!
Why You'll Love these Cookies
- Soft and chewy texture (and slightly crispy edges)
- Fresh blueberry and lemon flavor
- Easy to make
- A healthier take on delicious cookies - no refined sugars
- Allergy-friendly - eggless, dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free
Ingredients
This recipe consists of a handful of simple ingredients. See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
- Almond flour - helps keep the cookies light and fluffy. I recommend using super fine almond flour, ideally made from blanched almonds.
- Oat flour - acts as a gluten-free binder and also provides a subtle sweet and nutty flavor. It is easy to make your own oat flour!
- Arrowroot powder - works as a thickening agent while keeping the cookies fluffy.
- Fine salt
- Baking soda
- Melted coconut oil - make sure it is melted into a liquid so it can be mixed in with the cookie dough batter easily. Melted vegan butter can be substituted as well.
- Maple syrup - sweetens the cookies while keeping them 100% refined sugar-free.
- Lemons - I use both lemon juice and lemon zest!
- Fresh blueberries - smaller berries (such as wild blueberries) work better because the larger ones contain more moisture, resulting in a more cake-like texture which we are trying to avoid. Frozen blueberries also work but does affect the outcome (more on this below).
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cookies
This lemon blueberry cookies recipe is actually very simple. Grab a bowl and let's get mixing!
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda.
3. Add in the wet ingredients (except the blueberries). Add the melted coconut oil (or melted butter), maple syrup, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract to the gluten-free flour mixture. Stir until well combined and no clumps remain. You can use a hand mixer if desired.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries. Be careful while mixing in the blueberries so that they don't burst.
5. Form the cookies. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and place the cookie dough balls on the parchment paper (about 12-14 cookies). Space them out as much as possible as the cookies will expand while baking. Optional: add 2-3 blueberries on top of each cookie for better presentation.
6. Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 8 minutes.
7. Allow cookies to cool. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to fully cool to room temperature before handling. I often place it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
8. Enjoy! Feel free to add vegan vanilla icing to the tops of the cookies (optional).
How to Make a Perfectly Round Cookie
Use the cookie scoot method. The cookies will spread into asymmetrical circles while baking. Immediately after removing them from the oven, surround each cookie with a cookie cutter (or any round object slightly larger than the cookies such as a small drinking glass) and gently "scoot" the cookie around in a circular motion so that the uneven edges smooth out into a perfectly round circle. It takes just seconds and is definitely the best way!
Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries
Either fresh or frozen blueberries works fine in this recipe. However, my preference is to use fresh ones solely due to its prettier presentation once baked.
Frozen blueberries will bleed into the batter while cooking, leaving you with a batch of cookies that look kind of marbled. However, the one benefit of using frozen berries is that they do contain less moisture and will reduce the likelihood of the cookies being too cake-like.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
They can be frozen for up to three months. If freezing, allow them to cool to room temperature to return back to soft cookies before serving.
More Vegan and Gluten-Free Lemon Desserts
Try any of these easy recipes for more fresh lemon flavor!
I hope you enjoy these blueberry lemon cookies. They are the perfect cookie for spring or summer but I actually enjoy making them year round! Please comment below or share pictures @eatingbyelaine so I can see these beautiful chewy cookies!
PrintSoft and Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These light and refreshing lemon blueberry cookies boast a sweet and lemony flavor paired with juicy blueberries for the ultimate springtime treat. Soft and chewy on the inside, they have the perfect texture that will keep you coming back to this recipe again and again. It's hard to believe they are naturally vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups super fine almond flour from blanched almonds
- ½ cup oat flour (store-bought or homemade)
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (or sub melted vegan butter)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 small lemons, zested
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from one small lemon)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 - 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- optional drizzle: vegan cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda.
- Add in the wet ingredients (except the blueberries). Add the melted coconut oil (or melted butter), maple syrup, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Stir until well combined and no clumps remain. You can use a hand mixer if desired.
- Gently fold in the blueberries. Be careful while mixing in the blueberries so that they don't burst.
- Form the cookies. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and place the cookie dough balls on the parchment paper (about 12-14 cookies). Space them out as much as possible as the cookies will expand while baking. Optional: add 2-3 blueberries on top of each cookie for better presentation.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to fully cool to room temperature before handling. I often place it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
- Enjoy! Feel free to add vegan vanilla icing or a drizzle of vegan cream cheese frosting to the tops of the cookies (optional).
Notes
Use the cookie scoot method to form a perfectly round cookie. The cookies will spread into asymmetrical circles while baking. Immediately after removing them from the oven, surround each cookie with a cookie cutter (or any round object slightly larger than the cookies such as a small drinking glass) and gently "scoot" the cookie around in a circular motion so that the uneven edges smooth out into a perfectly round circle.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
Heather says
These were SO good! Awesome texture and combination of flavors. However, I had to increase the temp to 350 and increase baking time to about 12 minutes for the cookies to be done.
Elaine Gordon says
Hi Heather: Thank you so much for the five star review! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it so much! Best, Elaine
Sara Welch says
Whipped up a batch of these for an afternoon treat, and they do not disappoint! Turned out moist, rich and delicious; the perfect treat for spring, indeed!
Elaine Gordon says
Thanks so much Sara!