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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Dessert Recipes

    Cashew Butter Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    Updated Apr 24, 2022 by Lori · THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

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    These easy cashew butter cookies are soft, salty, lightly sweet, totally irresistible, and ready in 20 minutes! Perfect when you want just a few bites of something rich and nutty. Vegan and free from gluten, oil, and refined sugar. 

    A stack of 6 small cashew butter cookies.

    We vegans love our cashews, right? But usually the delicious nut is being blended into mac and cheese sauce, dairy-free nacho cheese, or other creamy sauces. 

    So when I spotted a jar of cashew butter on the "last chance" shelf at the grocery store last week, I figured why not snatch it up and turn it into the star of a recipe.

    Though I always have raw cashews on hand, for some reason I never make cashew butter. In baked goods I usually go for peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, or sunbutter to add richness and replace oil.

    But cashew butter has its own beautifully unique flavor, and these quick and easy cookies highlight it nicely.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love These Cookies
    • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Additions
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    cookies cooling on a rack.

    Why You'll Love These Cookies

    Quick and Easy

    When you find yourself craving just a few bites of something rich and sweet but aren't in the mood to bake a complicated dessert, cookies to the rescue! These golden cashew cookies call for just 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of bake time.

    Rich Flavor

    Do you remember Pecan Sandies? Maybe they're still available, I'm not sure. Anyway, I loved them when I was a kid, with their sandy, sweet, almost shortbread-like-but-not-quite texture.

    In a way, these cashew butter cookies remind me of Pecan Sandies. The texture is different, so I can't quite put my finger on the similarity. I suppose it's just the intensity of the nuttiness!

    These are essentially a lightly sweetened bite of cashew butter in cookie form, in other words, very satisfying. These aren't a cookie you'll want to eat 3 or 4 of! Nope, a little goes a long way with these, and sometimes that's exactly what you want!

    Simple, No-Fuss Recipe

    To make these cookies all you need are one bowl, a cookie sheet, and about 20 to 30 minutes.

    balls of cookie dough lined up on a baking sheet.

    Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

    I tested these with a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend because I wanted to share a cookie specifically for the gluten-free folks out there. If you prefer to use oat flour or another whole-grain flour, I suspect they'll turn out just fine. I find most healthy cookie recipes to be fairly forgiving in that way.

    If you don't have coconut sugar feel free to substitute another granulated sweetener like organic cane sugar or light brown sugar.

    While the chopped cashews aren't necessary, I do think the added texture is really nice. If you don't have cashews feel free to substitute another nut or seed.

    Instructions

    Making these cookies is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Here's a quick glance at the process:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. In a mixing bowl cream together the wet ingredients. Then add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
    3. Scoop up approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place on the baking sheet and use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie.
    4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping a close eye on the bottom of the cookies during the last couple of minutes so they don't' burn.

    The cookies will be soft straight from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 yo 10 minutes before serving or moving to a cooling rack.

    Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing.

    criss cross pattern in the dough made with a fork.
    Ready to go into the oven for 10 minutes.

    Additions

    Feel like experimenting with stir ins? Try these cookies with raisins, currants, chopped dried cherries, or cranberries. The burst of tart dried fruit tastes amazing with the cashew butter!

    Storage

    Store cashew cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week. They can also be frozen for longer storage.

    close up of the top of a baked cookie.

    I hope you enjoy these quick and easy cashew butter cookies! If you give them a try let us know in the comments below.

    More vegan cookie recipes:

    • Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
    • 1-Bowl Sunbutter Cookies
    • Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
    • Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
    • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Protein Cookies
    • Orange-Tahini Cookies
    • Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

    📖 Recipe

    close up of a tall stack of cookies

    Cashew Butter Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    Rich with the unique and nutty flavor of cashews, these 7-ingredient vegan cookies are a cinch to prepare and ready in minutes! They're dense, soft, and decadent, and free from added oil and refined sugar.
    Servings: 11 cookies
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 10 mins
    Cool: 10 mins
    Total Time: 30 mins

    Equipment

    • parchment paper
    • cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp)
    • baking sheet

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup unsalted cashew butter
    • ⅓ cup coconut sugar - Sub other granulated sweetener, if desired.
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ¼ cup chopped raw cashews, optional
    • ⅓ cup 1:1 gluten-free flour blend - I used Bob's Red Mill. Sub oat or wheat flour, if desired.
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
    • pinch of flaked sea salt, optional
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    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
    • In a mixing bowl, stir together the cashew butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cashews until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix well until no visible flour remains. The dough will be very dry and thick. Add the milk, and mix again until it has been fully absorbed.
    • Using a tablespoon or a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop up dough and place on baking sheet. Use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie, gently pressing down to flatten into shape.
    • Bake 10 to 12 minutes, keeping a close eye on the cookies near the end. Cashew butter tends to burn quickly/easily, so a bit less done is better than overdone in this case. The cookies will be soft straight out of the oven. Immediately sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if using. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then slide the entire sheet onto a cooling rack.
    • Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

    Notes

    Yield:  Makes 11 cookies. Nutrition facts are estimates and based on a serving size of one cookie.
    Storage:  Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. 
    Cookies can also be frozen. Be sure they're well-protected from air.

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Serving: 1cookieCalories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 35mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 6g

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

    More Vegan Desserts

    • Healthy Oatmeal Mug Cake
    • Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies With Orange
    • Nut-Free Vegan Pie Crust (Gluten-Free, No Oil)
    • Air Fryer French Toast
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Fawn

      November 11, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      Truly a great recipe. Delicious and simple to switch out or modify should one want. I recommend adding spices. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Helen

      February 26, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      These cookies are fantastic! Thanks so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    3. Brittney Chung

      October 11, 2021 at 11:22 pm

      Can i use cashews and throw them into a food processor instead of cashew butter?

      Reply
      • Lori

        October 12, 2021 at 6:58 am

        Absolutely, process them into cashew butter. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Nada

      October 04, 2021 at 9:15 pm

      Great recipe. Thank you

      Reply
    5. Pam Ravizee

      July 10, 2021 at 8:02 pm

      Can you add dark chocolate chips to this recipe?

      Reply
      • Lori

        July 10, 2021 at 8:06 pm

        Sure, that sounds great to me!

        Reply
    6. Leah

      May 04, 2021 at 3:58 am

      Wow these are sooo yummy!!!! I baked mine for 9-10mins and they were just perfect! Slightly crunchy around the outside and beautifully soft and fluffy on the inside. So more ish! I used cashew milk in mine too. Next batch may drizzle dairy free chocolate ontop!

      Reply
    7. Karen Ricketts

      August 29, 2020 at 11:05 am

      "Delicious" just isn't a strong enough word for these cookies. They're similar to shortbread cookies, except much, much better. I made my own cashew butter for these (ground cashews in our high-speed blender). These melt in your mouth - our new favorite cookie.

      Reply
      • Lori

        August 29, 2020 at 1:18 pm

        Wow, such awesome feedback, Karen. Thank you!!

        Reply
        • Khalidah

          March 15, 2021 at 2:32 pm

          May I know the purpose of adding vegan milk in the recipe? What will happen if I omit the milk? Thanks...

          Reply
          • Lori

            March 15, 2021 at 2:38 pm

            Hi, yes you can omit the milk. It just makes the dough a little bit softer and easier to mix, but omitting it won't cause a problem. 🙂

            Reply

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    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

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