Lemon Poppy Linzer Cookies – Vegan & Gluten Free
Mar 01, 2018, Updated Dec 16, 2024
Ever wanted to explore Vegan Baking? These cookies pack flavor and crunch… and yes – a little zesty! Perfectly nutty, super tender and not too sweet. Dairy free too.

Baking is More of a Science Than an Art:
For Vegan desserts you have many ingredient options that are plant based.
The good news is there’s no need to give up your favorite treats. Vegan and Gluten Free bakeries are sprouting all over – being curious, I have tried many of these baked goods – and love creating my own interpretations in my kitchen.
These cookies have the texture of shortbread, the recipe does not contain eggs.
Ingredients:
Butter is what makes traditional baked goods so darn tasty—as well as helps keep it all together.
I do not care for Vegan Butter* – they contain “natural flavoring” – to achieve a fake “butter flavor.” These are chemicals…cheat flavors – I have written about this a lot!
So – I have used organic, virgin coconut oil and expeller pressed safflower oil. Produces a flavorful and crispy crumb.
* Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Salted Plant Milk Vegan Butter is approved by me! Although, the unsalted version contains “natural flavoring” a no-no in my opinion.
Baking with Gluten Free Flours:
Is quite simple, there are many good blends out there. Try a few to see which ones you like the best.
Recipes which work the best do not depend on too much of this flour – this is why this recipe works so well -ingredients include: lots of ground almonds, lemon rind for a zesty, assertive flavor, earthy poppy seeds and a dash of pure almond
How This Recipe Works:
The dough is easy to work with! Comes together in a shiny ball, then rolled to 1/4 inch thick in-between waxed paper sheets.
Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet. Create “dot” openings with the end of a pastry tip… or indent with your fingers. Fill holes with your favorite jam, and refrigerate the sheet until the cookies are cold – this insures they will hold their shape. Bake until crispy and enjoy!
Vegan Diet:
Considerably lower quantities of crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet, making the switch to veganism one of the easiest, most enjoyable and most effective ways to reduce our impact on the environment.
The production of meat and other animal products places a heavy burden on the environment – from crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork.
So, why not make your own? A few simple swaps will produce these delicious, crispy delightful cookies all can enjoy.
Yum!! ~ and easy to prepare. Terrific on your morning toast! Also wonderful as a base for savory glazes.
Enjoy these Vegan, Dairy Free and Gluten Free Cookies!
Karen
Lemon Poppy Linzer Cookies – Vegan & Gluten Free
Equipment
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, solid – organic, virgin
- ¼ cup neutral oil*, such as safflower oil
- 2 tablespoons organic pure cane sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, divided (check ingredients for gluten free – most are)
- ⅔ cups slivered almonds, to grind
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons raspberry jam** or your favorite jam
Instructions
How This Recipe Works, Overview:
- The dough is easy to work with! Comes together in a shiny ball, then rolled to 1/4 inch thick in-between waxed paper sheets. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet. Create "dot" openings with the end of a pastry tip… or indent with your fingers. Fill holes with your favorite jam, and refrigerate the sheet until the cookies are cold – this insures they will hold their shape. Bake until crispy and enjoy!
Linzer Dough:
- Measure confectioner's sugar in a 1/2 c. dry measuring cup. Take out 2T. of the confectioner's sugar and add with and almonds to a small food processor and run until finely ground (the sugar helps to keep it dry and not a paste.) Set aside.
- Place the solid coconut oil, neutral oil, cane sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the remaining confectioner’s sugar and blend using a moderate speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape sides with a rubber spatula.
- Add the almond extract, ground almonds, gluten free flour and poppy seeds. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Will be a little crumbly.
Rolling ,Chilling and Cutting the Dough:
- Tear a large sheet of waxed paper (about 18″ long) on your work surface. Gather the dough with your hands, and shape it into a ball on one side of the paper. Cover with the paper, roll to 1/4″ thick – about an 8′ x 9″ rectangle. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate 10 -15 minutes until just firm.
- Now, uncover the dough and cut 2 1/2 inch cookies with a cookie cutter. Oil a cookie sheet lightly and add the cookies 1″ apart.
Filling with Jam:
- Using the end of a pastry tip (about 1/2″ wide) , cut out 3 “holes.” Add back just a little dough with your fingers into each hole, so that the jam will fit in like a pocket (see picture # 5 in the blog.) Can also make indentations with your finger. Fill each hole with desired jam. Use a small spoon, or fill use a pastry bag with a small flat tip.
- Refrigerate the cookie sheet until very firm, about 20 minutes – this ensures the cookies keep their shape. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Baking:
- Bake until golden around the edges 15 – 18 minutes. Cool on the sheet a few minutes, then remove to cool fully on a baking rack.
- The dough is made in a stand mixer, although you can whisk the dough in the beginning, and fold in remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula.
Notes
I use raspberry and orange marmalade (recipe) This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.