These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies are the perfect soft and chewy cookies for fall. They're full of pure maple flavors, easy to make, and super healthy! This recipe is guaranteed to be a hit amongst all!
One of my favorite food combinations is pure maple syrup and pecans. They just complement each other so well. These maple cookies are the perfect soft and chewy cookies (versus my Maple Candied Pecan Cookies which are a mix of crunchy and chewy texture) for any holiday party.
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Jump to:
- Ingredients For These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
- How To Make These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
- Substitutions:
- āMaple Pecan Cookie Variations:
- What You Will Need To Make These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
- How To Store These Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies:
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Related Healthy Vegan Cookie Recipes:
- Healthy Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies
- More Recipes That Use Maple Crystals:
Ingredients For These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
āThis is the perfect easy recipe for fall because it uses simple ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery store and its packed full of delicious maple flavor.
Dry Ingredients:
- Gluten-Free Flour - Any 1:1 gluten-free flour blend will work for this recipe. However, it's extra important to look at the label. Many gluten-free flour blends are made with various highly processed and bleached flours that lack any significant nutritional value. However, there are some (like the one I linked) that are made with real plant-based ingredients. I love this one because it works exactly like all-purpose flour.
- Maple Crystals - If you've never used maple crystals in baking, oh boy are you missing out! Maple crystals are my absolute favorite natural sweetener because they are a 1:1 sugar substitute, have a low glycemic index, are unrefined, and taste incredible. I always get mine in bulk from Wilderness Poets (my code: "NATURALVEGAN" gets you $10 off your purchase too!).
- Ground Flax Seed - You will need ground flax seed to create the vegan flax egg.
- Baking Soda - No cookie recipe is complete without baking soda! Baking soda helps the cookies to spread and bake evenly.
- Pecans -Ā I recommend using chopped pecans. I like to buy whole pecans and then roughly chop them myself so that there is a variety of pecan sizes in the mix.
Wet Ingredients:
- Pure Maple Syrup - Of course, these Maple Pecan Cookies had to feature pure maple syrup! Although it is usually not best practice to use liquid sweeteners in cookies, maple syrup comes in handy to add sweetness, moisture, and flavor to these cookies.
- Coconut Butter - It is especially important that you use the proper type of coconut butter for these cookies. Coconut butter can be a bit tricky because the texture changes with the temperature. For the perfect cookies, you want to make sure that the coconut butter is runny and not dry. If the coconut butter is too dry (aka a solid and not a liquid when warm), you'll want to add about 1-2 tablespoons of cold-pressed coconut oil to the coconut butter jar and mix it until it's smooth. Once it is smooth and runny, measure out the proper amount of coconut butter for these cookies.
- Vanilla Extract - Nothing ties flavors together as well vanilla extract. I always recommend using Mexican Vanilla, because it has a much deeper and stronger flavor.
- Water - You will need water to mix with the flax seed to create the flax egg.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
This Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies recipe is one of my favorite cookies to make for the holiday season because they are so easy to make.
1. Begin by making the flax egg. Combine the ground flax seed and water together in a small bowl, mix, and set aside for about 10 minutes, or until a thick egg-like texture has formed.
2. Add the dry ingredients together and mix until combined in a large bowl. You can use an electric mixer like a stand mixer or hand mixer, or you can do it by hand.
3. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add the vanilla extract, coconut butter, flax eggs, and maple syrup to the large bowl. Mix until a cookie dough has formed. Add the pecans and continue to mix. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
4. While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350. Once done chilling, use a cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Once done place the cookies on a wire rack and allow them to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Substitutions:
There are a handful of easy substitutions that can be made to these maple pecan cookies if needed. Here are some common ones.
- Sugar - The maple crystals can be replaced with coconut sugar or dark brown sugar if needed. Keep in mind this will affect the color of the cookies as well as the maple flavor.
- Coconut Butter - You can replace coconut butter with vegan unsalted butter. If you are planning to do this only use half the amount.
- Flour - The gluten-free flour used in these maple pecan cookies can be substituted 1:1 with all-purpose flour.
āMaple Pecan Cookie Variations:
There are a couple of fun variations that can be made to these gluten-free maple pecan cookies. These are great ways to mix up this easy cookie recipe.
- Candied Pecan Cookies - You can use my Healthy Maple Candied Pecans instead of the raw pecans in this recipe for a nice crunch. I love baking with these pecans because they turn into extra crunchy pecans.
- Maple Pecan Frosting - Mix a fourth of a cup of coconut butter with 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup to make the perfect maple glaze for these cookies.Ā
Make sure to check out my Vegan Maple Candied Pecan Cookies for a similar variation to this recipe. These are the perfect chewy maple pecan cookies.
What You Will Need To Make These Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies:
These vegan pecan cookies are the perfect cookie because they don't require any crazy equipment, and they're super easy to make and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
- Mixing Bowls - You will need a small bowl and a large mixing bowl.
- Electric Mixer - You can either use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. A whisk will also work but will be significantly more work.
- Large Baking Sheet - You will need a baking sheet or cookie sheet to make these cookies. If it is not a non-stick baking sheet, I recommend lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Wire Rack - You will need a cooling rack of some sort. I recommend a wire rack for the best results.
As always you can find all my go-to equipment on myĀ Amazon storefrontĀ or myĀ affiliate page.
How To Store These Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies:
There are a couple of ways to store these cookies.
The best way to store the cooked cookies is in an airtight container in the fridge. If stored this way they will keep for up to two weeks. You can also individually wrap the cookies in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, but let's face it that's a lot of work. If you just plan to store them for a couple of days a plastic bag will work just fine.
āA great way to store these cookies is to freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag. Whenever you are ready to bake them just allow them to defrost at room temperature for about 30 minutes and you're good to go!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Maple Crystals are one of my absolute favorite natural sweeteners. They are absolutely incredible. They work as a 1:1 substance for cane sugar (like white sugar or brown sugar). However, they are sweeter than cane sugar, high in antioxidants, and they are low glycemic.
Maple crystals come from tree sap just like real maple syrup. However, the water has been removed, which leaves behind the delicious crystals. If you've been struggling to find the perfect whole foods plant-based sugar substitute, maple crystals are for you!
Maple Crystals are the perfect natural vegan sweetener to add to these vegan maple pecan cookies because they add maple flavor and sweetness at the same time!
I always get mine from Wilderness Poets. As always my code: "NATUALVEGAN" gets you $10 off your purchase!
There are so many gluten-free flour blends out there, and I honestly really like a lot of them. However, I have quickly learned that they do not all work the same when baking (especially when baking something as finicky as cookies).
There are a couple of things I suggest you look out for when choosing a gluten-free flour to bake with. First, make sure that it contains real flour and not just starches. A lot of blends are full of starches and are therefore significantly less healthy. Always look for whole foods plant-based ingredients.
Although it is important to look for whole foods plant-based flour, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. For example, some gluten-free flour blends contain chickpea flour which is quite bitter and will change the flavor significantly.
Last, but not least, is to choose a brand that feels right to you. I personally think this blend works the best, however, if you find one that you like, use it! All my recipes are created with you in mind, so if you find a flour that is better suited for your dietary needs, or flavor palate, use it!
Related Healthy Vegan Cookie Recipes:
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes like this one? Make sure to check out the other recipes on my website!
If you try this Healthy Vegan Maple Pecan Cookie recipe, Iād really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Iād also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
Healthy Vegan Maple Pecan Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 Ā¼ cup gluten-free flour
- 1 cup maple crystals "NATURALVEGAN" for $10 off
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ cup pecans
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
Wet Ingredients:
- ā cup coconut butter
- Ā¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Begin by making the flax egg. Combine the ground flax seed and water together in a small bowl, mix, and set aside for about 10 minutes, or until a thick egg-like texture has formed.Ā
- Add the dry ingredients together and mix until combined in a large bowl. You can use an electric mixer like a stand mixer or hand mixer, or you can do it by hand.
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add the vanilla extract, coconut butter, flax eggs, and maple syrup to the large bowl. Mix until a cookie dough has formed. Add the pecans and continue to mix. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350.
- Once done chilling, use a cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on top.
- Once done place the cookies on a wire rack and allow them to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy!
More Recipes That Use Maple Crystals:
Looking for more recipes to use maple crystals in? Make sure to check out the other recipes on my website!
Jess
Perfect for the holiday season!
Tianna
Great gluten free recipe was perfect for my dietary restricted family members