Gluten-Free Vegan Pecan Sandies Cookies
Servings:13 cookies
These 4-ingredient healthier vegan pecan sandies are inspired by buttery and rich Keebler Pecan Sandies, except these are made without flour, oil, dairy or refined sugar! Only 30 minutes to make a batch of these crisp-yet-chewy, totally delicious vegan pecan cookies!Grain-free and allergy-friendly other than nuts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecan halves, plus more for decorating the tops of the cookies if desired - See Notes.
- 1 ¼ cups fine almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, optional
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Tip: during testing, my Silpat mat produced a slightly better texture (crispier) than parchment.
- Place a large pan over medium-low heat. Toast 1 cup pecan halves on the stovetop for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently so they don't burn.
- Let the pecans cool for a few minutes then transfer to a food processor. Pulse 10 to 15 times or until finely chopped. It's okay if some of the nuts turn into pecan flour, while some larger pieces stay chunky. Add the almond flour and salt to the food processor and pulse to combine.
- Pour the nut flours into a mixing bowl, and add the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir to form a moist dough.
- Cut a small, cookie-sized square of parchment paper, and locate a flat-bottomed glass or a ramekin. Scoop up approximately 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place on the cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. Use the glass to flatten the cookies, with the piece of parchment in between to prevent sticking. The cookies should be about ⅓-inch thick and 2 ½ inches in diameter. It's okay for the outer edges of the cookies to be somewhat jagged.
- If desired, lightly press a pecan half into the top of each cookie. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and bottoms are golden. If you suspect your oven runs hot, you may want to check on them sooner than 10 minutes. Straight from the oven the cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
Notes
Pecans
In most grocery stores you can find chopped pecans (sometimes called pecan pieces). So if you don't own a food processor, or you just want to simplify prep, choose chopped instead of halves. Then run your knife through the nuts several times to make sure the pieces aren't too large.
How to Store
Once the pecan cookies are cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g
