Vegan Lemon Poppy Sugar Cookies (Print Version)

Soft, zesty cookies with bright lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds—completely plant-based and ready in 27 minutes.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
06 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - ½ cup neutral oil (sunflower or canola)
08 - ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk (almond or soy)
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ For Rolling

12 - ¼ cup granulated sugar

# Step-by-step Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oil, plant milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—do not overmix. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
05 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and coat each ball in the reserved granulated sugar.
06 - Place sugar-coated balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each ball with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft.
08 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of bright lemon and tiny poppy seed crunches creates the most sophisticated texture in the simplest cookie possible
  • These come together in under 30 minutes with ingredients you already have in your pantry
  • Nobody will ever guess they are completely dairy-free until you tell them
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough will make your cookies tough instead of tender, so stop as soon as the flour streaks disappear
  • The centers might look slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but they will continue cooking on the hot baking sheet
  • Rolling the dough balls in sugar is not optional, it creates the crispy exterior that makes these cookies so special
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly, so pull your plant milk out of the fridge before starting
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest to get those tiny, aromatic pieces without the bitter white pith

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