These gluten free lemon ginger cookies are made with almond flour and topped with white chocolate. They're thin and crispy - perfect for making ahead and sharing at any holiday gathering. This lemon ginger cookie recipe is gluten free, paleo and vegan friendly.
I wanted to create a thin and crispy almond flour cookie, and by gosh I did it!
These gluten free lemon ginger cookies are absolutely amazing! They have a subtle ginger flavor (great for those who don't like too much ginger) and a zesty hint of lemon.
These cookies are crisp, crunchy and super easy to make.
I think I may have found my new favorite paleo cookie recipe!
Why You'll Love these Gluten Free Lemon Ginger Cookies
- gluten free and grain free - made with almond flour
- egg free - made without eggs
- dairy free - no butter or milk
- paleo and vegan friendly
- easy to make - a no chill dough that's scooped, flattened and then twice baked
- store well - these lemon ginger cookies maintain their crisp texture and vibrant flavor
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make these healthy lemon ginger cookies:
For the Cookies
- blanched almond flour
- tapioca starch
- gingersnap spice blend
- lemon zest
- salt
- maple syrup
- vanilla extract
Toppings
- white chocolate
- slivered almonds
- cinnamon
I used Primal Palate's gingersnap spice blend. If you don't have that on hand, then feel free to use ½ tsp ground ginger instead.
Most white chocolate is not paleo friendly. You can either make your own, use dark chocolate instead, or buy an Evolved white chocolate bar if you need this recipe to be strict paleo. If you're just looking for a dairy free white chocolate, I like Pascha's white chocolate chips. They're healthier than most white chocolate brands.
How to Make Lemon Ginger Cookies
The dough for these vegan lemon ginger cookies is made in one bowl, scooped onto a lined baking pan, flattened and then twice baked. Baking the cookies twice (kind of like a biscotti) makes them extra crispy!
Here are the step by step instructions...
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. This includes the almond flour, tapioca starch, gingersnap, lemon zest and salt.
Mix in the wet ingredients: maple syrup and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Scoop and Flatten Cookies
Scoop the cookies onto your lined baking sheet using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon in size). Flatten the cookies so that they are shaped like a disc, about 3 inches in diameter. I found the easiest way to do this is to cut a square piece of parchment paper, place it on top of the cookie dough, and then flatten the dough in a circular motion using a measuring cup (or some other object with a flat bottom).
You don't need to leave much room between the cookies, as they will not spread when baking.
Bake and Cool
Place the cookies in your preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
After baking, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, flip the cookies and place them back in the oven. Bake them another 5-8 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges.
Once done, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Add White Chocolate and Decorations
Lastly, decorate the cookies!
Melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the cookies, then top with slivered almonds and cinnamon.
Once decorated, pop the cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate.
Storage
These ginger lemon cookies are best stored in an airtight bag or storage container. You want to keep them dry so that they maintain their crispness.
These cookies can be kept at room temperature for a few days, in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer up to one month. My favorite way to store them is in the freezer. They keep crisp, but aren't so solid that they need to be defrosted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tigernut flour or ground sunflower seeds may work as a substitution for the almond flour, but I have not tested this myself.
Tapioca starch acts as a binder and helps with the crispness of these cookies. I don't recommend omitting it or substituting it with anything other than arrowroot starch.
Evolved makes a paleo white chocolate bar, other than that I'm not aware of any strict paleo white chocolate. For this recipe, I used Pascha white chocolate chips, which are dairy free but not strict paleo, as they uses cane sugar, rice syrup solids and rice maltodextrin.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes
PrintGluten Free Lemon Ginger Cookies (Paleo, Vegan)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 dozen cookies 1x
Description
Crispy, crunchy lemon ginger cookies made with almond flour. They're gluten free, dairy free, egg free, paleo and vegan friendly.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (138g) spooned & leveled
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch (15g)
- 1 tsp gingersnap spice blend*
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings (optional)
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- slivered almonds
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. This includes the almond flour, tapioca starch, gingersnap, lemon zest and salt.
- Mix in the wet ingredients: maple syrup and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop the cookies onto your lined baking sheet using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon in size). Flatten the cookies so that they are shaped like a disc, about 3 inches in diameter. I found the easiest way to do this is to cut a square piece of parchment paper, place it on top of the cookie dough, and then flatten the dough in a circular motion using a measuring cup (or some other object with a flat bottom). You don't need to leave much room between the cookies, as they will not spread when baking.
- Place the cookies in your preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
- After baking, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, flip the cookies and place them back in the oven. Bake them another 5-8 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges.
- Once done, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
- Lastly, decorate the cookies! Melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the cookies, then top with slivered almonds and cinnamon. Once decorated, pop the cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Store cookies in an airtight container or baggie a few days at room temperature, up to one week in the fridge, or one month in the freezer.
Notes
*or ½ tsp ground ginger
Katie
These cookies are super thin and crispy - one of my family's favorites for the holidays! Enjoy!