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These Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies are crunchy, "buttery" and dotted with tart-sweet dried cranberries! They're fragrant and perfectly sweet with a hint of salt. They're easy to make, come together in one bowl and the dough doesn't require chilling. They're also refined sugar free, and make a pretty, colourful and elegant sweet treat perfect for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day or Easter. They also make excellent edible gifts!
To make crunchy shortbread cookies, you need to use brown rice flour, not white rice flour, which creates a soft cookie (like my Sugar Cookies) rather than a crunchy one.
Where can you buy brown rice flour?
If you can't find brown rice flour in your local supermarket, you'll be able to find it in local health stores or online.
What is matcha?
Matcha isgreen tea powder.
I love using matcha in desserts, as it adds a beautiful colour and delicious earthy flavour.
Where can you buy matcha?
You can buy matcha in most supermarkets (in the tea section), local health stores, online or in Asian supermarkets.
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to thebottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Place the ground almonds, brown rice flour, matcha powder and salt in a glass mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add all the other ingredients and mix well again.
- Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter.
- Use arolling pintoroll out the dough until about 1 cm/1/2 inch thick.
- Use a circularcookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up.
Tip:You can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one.
- Transfer the cookies onto arectangular baking tray.
Tip: Line the baking tray with greased baking paper to make sure the cookies don't stick.
- Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
- Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.
How long do these keep for?
These Matcha Cookies taste best eaten within the day but keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days- they do become softer the longer you leave them, though.
Substitutions you can make
- You can replace thecoconut oilwithcoconut butter.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
- The ground almonds (almond meal) can be substituted with ground walnuts.
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk.
- You can replace the dried cranberries with chopped pecan nuts, chopped macadamia nuts or vegan white chocolate chips!
Tip:The brown rice flour CANNOT be replacedwithwhite rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for creating a crunchy shortbread texture.
More gluten-free vegan cookie recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Millionaire Shortbread
- Linzer Cookies
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make it
Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
These Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies are delightfully salty-sweet, crisp, crunchy and filled with juicy dried cranberries! A pretty and elegant sweet treat!
4.45 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: japanese cookies, matcha cookies, vegan matcha cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 168kcal
Author: Rhian Williams
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 150 g (1 cup) brown rice flour **
- 3 teaspoons matcha powder to taste
- Generous pinch salt to taste
- 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
- 10 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other similar sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 40 g (⅓ cup) dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the ground almonds, brown rice flour, matcha powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
Place the coconut oil in a separate bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
Add to the flour mixture along with the maple syrup, almond milk and dried cranberries - add an extra splash of milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
Lay out a sheet of greaseproof baking paper on a counter and roll out the dough until about 1cm or ½ inch thick.
Use a circular cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough - you will probably have to roll the dough a few times until you use it all up (you can use any other shape if you don't want to use a circular one).
Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with greased baking paper.
Bake in oven for around 20 minutes until firm to the touch (bearing in mind that they will firm up more once cooled and out of the oven).
Best left to cool completely before eating as they crisp up as they cool.
Leave to cool completely before putting away to store.
Tastes best eaten within the day but keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days (they do become softer the longer you leave them).
Video
Notes
*You can alternatively use almond flour.
**You MUST use brown rice flour - white rice flour won't create a crunchy shortbread-like texture
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk.
- You can replace the dried cranberries with chopped pecan nuts, chopped macadamia nuts or vegan white chocolate chips!
Tip:The brown rice flour CANNOT be replacedwithwhite rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for creating a crunchy shortbread texture.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 63mg2%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 43IU1%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Janet Paula
Thanks you so much for your quick reply..
Reply
Rhian Williams
No problem!
Marissa
can i sub a different oil in place of the coconut oil?
Reply
Rhian Williams
Yes!
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