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Easy Vegan Coconut Oil Shortbread Cookies with Pumpkin Pie Spice. These Vegan Shortbread Cookies use coconut oil and non dairy yogurt. No palm oil! Add dried fruits of choice or nuts of choice. Use other shapes!. Holiday Cookie Makes 22 to 24 cookies
Holidays are just around the corner and so are the plans to whip up cookies! Though one doesn’t need the holiday season to bake some and enjoy right.
These are simple shortbread cookies with a few ingredients and spiced with fall spices. I used coconut oil and non dairy yogurt in these. I used refined coconut oil to keep them neutral tasting. Use virgin or refined to preference or use vegan butter. You can also use thick cashew cream or thick aquafaba instead of yogurt. I haven’t tried these, let me know how it works out if you do.
I added candied papaya that Mom brought along when she was visiting. Dad loves those candied bits in cakes, cookies and yeasted bread buns. Mom and Dad drink itsy bitsy cups of chai throughout the day (6-7 times!). Breads, cookies, nuts and savory Indian trail mix are their choice of snack with the tea. I am hoping Mom sees this post and whips up a batch. These are just like the bakery biscuits from the neighborhood bakery!
Use any other candied fruit like mango, or dried fruit like apricot or cranberries or nuts like cashews or hazelnuts in these Vegan Shortbread Cookies. For a gluten-free version try my Gluten free Shortbread Cookies from the blog. Its fall so these are Pumpkin Pie Spice Shortbread Cookies. Use other spices and blends like chai spice or cinnamon or no spice for variations.
More Holiday Cookies from the blog
- Pistachio Apricot Thumbprint Cookies
- Almond Butter Snickerdoodles
- Gluten free Shortbread Cookies
- Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies – Almond Pulp Cookies
- Giant Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies
Watch this video for a smile today.
Steps:
Make the cookie dough. The dough should be soft enough to stick into a ball which you can roll into a log. Not crumbly and not too sticky. Fold in the dried fruit and nuts if using. Roll the dough into a log and freeze for half an hour. Slice the log into 1/4 inch slices.
Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Cool completely, stack, take a picture and post it on IG! mmmm Pumpkin Pie Spice Shortbread Cookies!
Vegan Coconut Oil Shortbread Cookies with Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, I used refined, semi solid, warm if too solid before using
- 2.5 tbsp non dairy yogurt
- 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or 1/2 tsp cinnamon,1/4 tsp ginger, and generous pinch of ground nutmeg and cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt
- a generous pinch of baking soda
- 1/2 cup Spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup white unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup candied papaya, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, candied ginger or other dried fruit of choice.
Instructions
- In a bowl cream the coconut oil, sugar and non dairy yogurt until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and spices if using. Mix well.
- Mix the baking soda and salt into 1/2 cup spelt flour and add to the bowl. Mix in.
- Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and combine well into a soft dough. If too dry, add a spray of water and mix in. If too sticky, add a tbsp or so more flour. Add the dried or candied fruit of choice. Mix into the dough.
- Shape the dough into a 1 to 1.5 inch width log. Fold a parchment sheet over the log and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F / 160ºc. Remove the log from the freezer. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on parchment lined sheet.
- Bake for 19 to 20 minutes or till the edges just start to change color. Cool completely and store.
- If your oven runs hot, bake for less time. The cookies get crunchy when over baked.
- Or bake as one shortbread pastry by pressing into brownie pan. Bake at 315 degrees F / 160ºc 30 minutes or longer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe looks great! I’m glad I came across your blog. I want to make this recipe but can’t find vegan yogurt . How can I substitute it?
Thanks! use thick cashew cream.
Those little pieces of candid papaya are so pretty – it’s like they’re glowing!
These look amazing! What type/flavour of yoghurt did you use?
Thanks!
plain – sweetened or unsweetened both will work. or you can use vanilla and skip the extract.
Hi Richa, I have been following your blog since last few months and I love how you have recreated all of the Indian recipes. Amazing!! I was wondering if we can replace the spelt flour with any other gluten free flour instead of wheat flour?
Thanks! try these gluten-free shortbread cookies instead. https://fettabbau-trim.today/2015/03/vegan-gluten-free-shortbread-cookies.html%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
yum these look delicious! Is there something you would recommend to substitute the powdered sugar for?
I am not sure what you are looking for. You can powder any sugar you have by blending it in a blender so that it is fine texture to use in the recipe. or you can use sugar subs like xylitol.
Can’t wait to make these. I love shortbread cookies. I was wondering if I could use all whole wheat pastry flour instead of the unbleached white flour? Thank you!!
I havent tried these with all wheat flour. Try half ww flour and half white flour to see if the texture and flavor works out ok. You will need a bit less flour total as whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than white flour.
That looks absolutely spectacular! Sounds just as great. Definitely trying these out.
Awesome!
Hi Richa,
Your website is amazing and I cannot believe you have recreated Indian desserts without ghee!! I plan to try them soon. Can I request you add more photos to each recipe, such as it is very important to see the consistency of the cookie batter or even for cakes as it will help novices like me who are just trying their hand in baking. This shortbread looks delicious and I plan to try this over the weekend!
great! the dough comes together like the log you see in the steps picture. soft enough to form a log. it shouldnt be crumbly and difficult to stick together or too wet and sticky on your hands. then after freezing it sets and hardens so it is easily slice-able.
I’ve never heard of candied papaya, but it sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
its like any fruit candied in sugar syrup. i love candied papaya and mango. they are like super sweet dried fruit and fun in cookies and cakes if one doesnt want chocolate.