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Perfectly chewy, sweet, and packed with warm cinnamon. Only 6 ingredients and 15 minutes needed to make these quick and easy, gluten free Vegan Cinnamon Cookies cookies! Betcha can’t eat just one!
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Who doesn’t love sugar cookies? They’re sweet, crispy, chewy – pretty much the perfect treat any time of the year. And they’re even better with cinnamon!
These Vegan Cinnamon Cookies are the perfect cookie. A little crispy bite on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, just sweet enough with a little bit of spice…so yum! And despite tasting like sugar cookies, there is actually no refined sugar at all in this recipe!
With just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes, they’re sure to be your favorite cookie, too!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Almond flour ~Just like in my Edible Sugar Cookie Dough, the base of this vegan sugar cookie recipe is almond flour. It makes for a moist cookie and works with the other ingredients perfectly.
Almond flour is made from peeled blanched almonds. It is not the same as almond meal, which is made by grinding raw almonds with their skins on. Almond flour is finer than almond meal and is preferred here.
Do not sub for another flour! It will not work!
Maple syrup ~ Pure maple syrup, with notes of vanilla and caramel, stands in for traditional refined white sugar, bringing a nice depth of flavor. Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Agave may be substituted in equal amounts. Note that agave is not as flavorful as maple syrup and will create a less flavorful cookie.
Almond butter ~ Raw almond butter lends a bit of fat and moisture which, working with the almond flour, allows these cookies to be oil and butter free.
Almond butter is typically thinner than other nut butters and that’s exactly what you want for these cinnamon sugar cookies. I prefer Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter. You’ll need to mix the container well before using as the oils will separate to the top. Even after mixing, it has a nice runny consistency that works perfectly in this recipe.
If your almond butter seems a bit thick, pop it in the microwave (in a microwave safe bowl!) for 20 to 30 seconds to warm it up a bit.
Cinnamon ~ The cinnamon flavor is prominent in these cookies…they are Vegan Cinnamon Cookies, after all. If you find cinnamon to be a very strong flavor for your palate, start with just 1-2 teaspoons and add more after tasting the batter, if desired.
If you love cinnamon as much as I do, don’t miss these other vegan recipes featuring cinnamon:
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (1). Whisk well to combine (2).
Pour all of the wet ingredients into a separate mixing bowl (3) or large measuring cup and whisk well until smooth (4).
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (5) and stir well to combine (6). Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to fully incorporate and moisten all of the flour.
Form 1 heaping tablespoon of dough into a round ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches in between each one (7).
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and firm (8). Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Storage and freezing
These vegan cinnamon sugar cookies are best eaten fresh on the day they are made.
Counter: To store leftovers, store them loosely covered in foil or plastic wrap on the counter for 2 to 3 days.
Freezer: These cookies can be frozen! Place the baked and cooled cookies in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or large plate and place flat in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. Once the cookies are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. They should keep well for up to 3 months.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Gently scoop the almond flour and level off, but do not pack it down into the measuring cup or you’ll end up with too much flour.
~ Do not sub the almond flour for another flour – it will not work.
~ Any nut or seed butter will work in place of the almond butter, but make sure it’s very runny. If it’s too thick, the cookies won’t spread…you can heat the nut butter in the microwave (in a microwave safe bowl!) for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen it up. Please note that the flavor of the cookies will change depending on what you choose.
~ Agave can replace the maple syrup if desired at a 1:1 ratio.
~ If you don’t have ground cinnamon, you can grind cinnamon sticks in a small coffee or spice grinder. If you don’t like cinnamon (gasp!), you can leave it out. Or try a pinch of ground ginger or nutmeg instead.
~ Almond extract can be used instead of vanilla if you like that flavor. Please note that almond extract is very potent, so start with ¼ teaspoon and taste before adding more.
~ Mix the batter really well, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the flour gets full incorporated and moistened. Do not worry about over mixing.
~ The dough is quite sticky. Slightly dampen your hands when forming the cookies to prevent sticking.
~ For an extra pop of sweetness, try rolling the dough in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking.
~ Try baking 1 or 2 test cookies before forming the rest of the dough. If they don’t spread out when baking, when forming the rest of cookie dough gently press down on each one to flatten them a bit before baking. They will still be delicious!
FAQs
These vegan cinnamon cookies are secretly healthy. Well, ok, they aren’t exactly health food, but they are certainly healthier than standard cookies.
My version contains no oil, no butter, no dairy, no eggs, no gluten, and no refined sugar! That’s right! Sugar cookies with no refined sugar…or granulated sugar of any kind! But, trust me, they are every bit as mouthwatering!
If your nut butter is too thick, the cookies won’t spread much. Almond butter is generally much thinner than peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. If yours seems thick, try warming it for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave to thin it out.
This can also happen if you have used too much flour. Don’t pack the almond flour into the measuring cup, just scoop gently and level off.
The dough should be fairly sticky and glossy, not like traditional cookie dough that is more firm.
If your dough is thick and dry, gently press down on each cookie dough ball before baking. They will still be delicious!
There are two common types of cinnamon, Cassia and Ceylon.
Ceylon cinnamon is considered true cinnamon and is more expensive and possibly harder to find in grocery stores. It has a delicate, mildly sweet flavor and is of higher quality than cassia cinnamon.
If you can find it and can afford it, Ceylon is what I would recommend. Cassia cinnamon will work as well. Since it has a stronger, more bitter flavor, consider starting with less and add more as needed after tasting the dough.
Obviously, the answer here is…cinnamon! It’s a strong, slightly bitter warming spice that imparts a sweet taste in baked goods. The perfect complement to these vegan sugar cookies.
You could also try experimenting with different flavor extracts. In addition to or instead of the vanilla, try almond, lemon, or even mint! These extracts are generally quite strong in flavor. Start with just ¼ teaspoon and increase only after tasting.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Cinnamon Cookies
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour gently scoop and level off, do not pack down
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup raw creamy almond butter I like Trader Joe's brand; it's thin and runny
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a small mixing bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir well to thoroughly combine. The dough will be sticky, but this is what you want.
- Using your hands, roll the dough, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into a ball and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Dampen your hands slightly to make the dough easier to work with. Continue until all the dough has been used. Be sure to space the balls of dough out on the baking sheet with a few inches in between because they will spread out into perfectly round cookies.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are starting to firm up on the outside.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
terri
Did anyone else have cookies that were green in the center??
I followed the recipe using Sun butter and also added 2 T of white rice flour.
??
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Terri. This happens because the chlorophyll in sunflower seeds react with baking soda/powder. Although, it may look a bit strange, it’s completely natural and nothing to worry about. Enjoy!
Mary
Holy moly….can I give these a 10 star? Hands down my favorite cookies now. I’ve made 2 batches in 3 days and still want more. Thank you! This one is a keeper for sure. I’ve already forwarded it on to a few friends who asked for the recipe immediately after eating a cookie.
Jenn Sebestyen
I love this comment! I’m so glad you and your friends love them, Mary. Thank you so much for your feedback.
june judge
I made these cookies yesterday and couldn’t resist licking the dough off my fingers (they were that good even uncooked). I had to make a couple of adjustments only because I didn’t have enough almond butter so I used peanut butter; also ran out of almond flour (I had 2 cups and recipe calls for 2 -1/2) It worked out ok though as they are delicious. I ate 4 and 2 just out of oven. The others are in freezer since I would have eaten all of them.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you love them, June!! Happy to hear the adjustments worked out, too! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Chris
Just made these last night, they are awesome! I only used 1/2 cup maple syrup and they are still sweet enough! Next time I will use more cinnamon as I am a cinnamon nut!
Thanks Jenn! Happy New Year!
Jenn Sebestyen
Oh, me too! My favorite spice! So happy you love them. Thanks, Chris!
Katherine Aufiero
I used cake flour and regular butter. I added a half cup of homemade applesauce and a half cup of finely chopped pecans. I popped them in the freezer. They taste like high end ice cream. Ben and Jerry-call me…
Jenn Sebestyen
HaHa! Love this! Let me know if they call you! 🙂
Jess
Made these today, I used half maple syrup and have brown sugar as I didn’t have enough maple syrup and they turned out delicious!
Super soft and chewy and had a great flavour!! Will definitely be making these again 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen
Perfect! So happy you love them, Jess!
Savannah
These are delicious!! I used half smooth almond butter and half crunchy peanut butter because I didn’t have enough almond butter and they were wonderful! They taste like cinnamon snickerdoodle peanut butter cookies!
Jenn Sebestyen
Wonderful! So glad you are enjoying them, Savannah! Thank you!
Elpida
Could I sub almond flour for coconut flour or rice flour?
Jenn Sebestyen
No, all of those flours perform differently. You won’t be able to sub the almond flour without many tweaks to the rest of the ingredients.
Pow
I tried these, but used liquid stevia instead of maple syrup, and it still worked great! It tasted great, and the texture is awesome. Although mine also turned out as a dome, rather than flat cookies because my almond butter was quite thick. But i baked the second batch by flattening the dough down, and that fixed everything.
Thank you so much for this recipe, i recently went on an elimination diet that restricts a long list of stuff. So this few ingredients recipe worked out extremely well for my cravings and my gut!!!
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Glad to hear stevia works as well. Thanks for your comment!