How to Make Almond Pulp Cookies (Vegan Cookie Recipe)

Learn how to make almond pulp cookies. If you make your own homemade almond milk, you can use the leftover almond pulp to make these vegan lemon almond cookies. This is a delicious cookie recipe made with real almond pulp and lemon juice for a fresh citrus flavor. It’s crunchy on the sides with a soft center. In addition, this dessert recipe is gluten free, egg free, dairy free and vegan.

Vegan Lemon Almond Cookies

I switched almost entirely to dairy free several months ago. (Okay, so my hold out is cheese.) At the time, I was already buying almond milk. However, I’ve since started making my own homemade almond milk. It tastes great, and it saves me a lot of money. However, after I make almond milk, I have almond pulp leftover.

Since I don’t like to waste food, I save the leftover almond pulp to make these soft almond sugar cookies as a vegan treat. You can freeze the almond pulp for several months, so you have plenty of time to make these lemon almond cookies.

These lemon almond sugar cookies are dairy free, egg free and gluten free, so they are a healthier treat than most store bought cookies. The almond pulp complements that lemon flavor nicely for a tasty cookie that isn’t too sweet.

What Can I Do With Almond Pulp From Almond Milk?

Leftover almond pulp can be used in a variety of recipes. While you could use it in place of almond flour, I don’t recommend it. It will work in a pinch, but I find that it makes for a dense and dry product. However, you can try mixing dried almond meal with almond flour 1:1 or a ratio higher than 50 percent almond flour to use some of the almond pulp.

Here are some other ways to use your leftover almond pulp after making almond milk:

• Add a few tablespoons of dried almond pulp to smoothies. This adds more fiber.
• Try adding several tablespoons of almond pulp to overnight oats or oatmeal to give it an almond flavor and boost fiber.
• Add almond pulp to energy bars for more fiber.
• Use it in place of breadcrumbs for an almond free alternative.

How Long Does Almond Pulp Stay Fresh

You can store your almond pulp for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Therefore, you do not have to make these vegan lemon almond cookies right away.

If you freeze your almond pulp, you can freeze it before drying it. Then when you want to use it, you can dry several batches at once to save time and energy.

How Do You Dry Almond Pulp?

You may want to dry almond pulp for a longer shelf life. The amount of moisture in almond bagasse may vary from batch to batch, so the times will vary for you. These are suggestions, but always check your almond pulp before the time is up and cook it as long as it needs to cook to be fully dry.

Follow these steps to dry your almond pulp to use in your baked goods and other recipes:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• After you’ve strained your almond milk from the pulp, break up the chunks of almond pulp and spread it evenly on the parchment paper.
• Bake for two and a half hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Your almond pulp might take less time or could take longer.

Tips for Drying Almond Bagasse

Here are some tips to make drying almond pulp easy:

• Your almond meal is dry when it looks dry and easily crumbles between your fingers. Be sure to let it cool before trying to crumble it.
• It’s important to cook almond pulp low and slow. If you raise the temperature, you risk roasting the almonds, which changes the taste and texture.
• The amount of moisture in almond bagasse may vary from batch to batch, so the times will vary for you. These are suggestions, but always check your almond pulp before the time is up and cook it as long as it needs to cook to be fully dry.
• You can also use a food dehydrator to dry your almond pulp. Line the tray with parchment paper. Then cook at 115 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 to 8 hours. The time will depend on your machine and how much moisture is in the almond pulp.

You don’t need dry out your almond pulp before making my almond pulp cookies recipe, however. The moisture from your almond pulp makes these cookies deliciously moist. Therefore, I only recommend drying out the almond pulp for other recipes in which you don’t want or need the extra moisture found in the almond bagasse. Or, should you need to extend the shelf life of the leftover pulp when you make almond milk at home.

What Are Almond Cookies Made Of?

Traditionally, almond cookies are made using almond flour. However, as I recently made homemade almond milk, I found that the leftover almond pulp from the process makes the most wonderful soft almond cookies from scratch.

I used leftover almond pulp that was still moist to make soft almond sugar cookies. However, you can use almond meal or almond flour to make almond cookies, depending on the recipe.

Almond pulp tends to be drier than almond flour because more fat has been expressed. This almond pulp cookies recipe has extra fat added to compensate for the lower fat content in the almond pulp.

Is Almond Pulp the Same as Almond Meal?

No, almond pulp is not the same as almond meal. Almond meal is ground whole almonds. Although you use whole almonds to make almond milk and then use the leftover pulp, there is an important distinction in that you remove the liquid when you squeeze out the almond milk.

Therefore, you are also squeezing out some of the fat. For this reason, the almond pulp will have a lower fat content. If you use dried almond pulp in place of almond meal or almond flour as a substitute, your recipes may be dry and hard.

However, this almond pulp cookies recipe has been formulated with extra fat with coconut oil to compensate for the loss of fat. Additionally, as the almond pulp from homemade almond milk isn’t dried prior to use in my almond pulp cookies recipe, it makes them extra moist.

Can I Substitute Almond Pulp With Either Almond Meal or Almond Flour?

I do not recommend using almond meal or almond flour to make these almond pulp cookies. As the almond pulp isn’t dried prior to use, it gives these soft almond sugar cookies a crisp edge with a soft, moist center. Substituting almond meal or almond flour for the almond pulp in this recipe will result in a dry cookie.

Tips for Making Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

This is an easy vegan lemon almond cookies recipe that makes a delicious dessert or snack. However, here are some tips to help make sure your vegan cookies turn out perfectly:

• Use white sugar for lighter colored lemon almond cookies. Use coconut sugar or brown sugar for darker cookies. Make sure that any sugar that you use is labeled vegan or organic.
• For soft almond sugar cookies, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. If you use bottled lemon juice, let it come to room temperature. Allow frozen almond pulp to warm to room temperature if you previously froze it.
• I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice, but you can use bottled lemon juice if necessary. One lemon should yield 2 tablespoons for these lemon almond sugar cookies.
• Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing out the juice. I recommend using organic lemons and microplane.
• The lemon flavor in vegan lemon almond cookies develops once the cookies have cooled.
• You can replace the lemon with orange, coconut or chocolate chips.
• Let the soft sugar cookies cool completely before moving. They may break if you remove them from the baking sheet too soon.
• The center of these vegan lemon almond cookies will be very soft for about 20 minutes after they are done cooking. The center will harden as they sit.

Lemon Almond Sugar Cookie Ingredients

To make these soft almond sugar cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

• Almond pulp (or almond bagasse) leftover from making almond milk. (Learn how to make homemade almond milk here.)
• Coconut oil
• Lemon juice
• Fresh lemon zest
• Granulated sugar
• Chia seeds
• Water
• Baking powder

How to Make Almond Pulp Cookies From Scratch

To make my lemon almond cookies I used fresh almond pulp leftover from making homemade almond milk while the pulp was still moist. Here is how to use almond pulp to make vegan lemon almond cookies from scratch:

1. Begin by making the chía egg. This process will take 20 minutes to release the mucilage of the seeds. To do this, combine one tablespoons of chía seeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Then allow the seeds to sit for at least 20 minutes. (If you’d like to make the chia egg in advance, simply leave it over the countertop for up to 6 hours. Otherwise, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.)

2. While the chia seeds soak, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Then set aside.

3. Once the chia egg is ready, combine the chía egg with the lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder and the coconut oil in a medium sized bowl. Mix to combine.

4. Now add the sugar to the cookie batter. Stir again. Mix until well combined to ensure the sugar is evenly distributed throughout.

5. Finally, add the almond pulp to the vegan cookie dough. Mix well to incorporate.

6. Now use your hands to shape the cookie dough into 12 medium size cookies. Set the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, so they are at least 2-inches apart from one another.

7. Then bake the vegan almond cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove from the oven, then allow to cool before removing from the pan.

Storage and Freezing

You can store leftover almond pulp cookies on the counter for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Alternately, you may also store these cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Yield: 12 lemon almond cookies

Almond Pulp Cookies Recipe

Print

Make these almond pulp cookies using leftover almond pulp from homemade almond milk. The almond pulp used for this vegan lemon almond cookie recipe makes this dessert amazingly moist and delicious.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Cups almond pulp 
• ¼ Cup coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

1. Begin by making the chia egg because it takes 20 minutes to release the mucilage of the seeds. To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water and let it sit for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix the chia egg with the lemon juice, lemon zest, baking powder and coconut oil. Stir until combined.
4. Add sugar and stir again to combine.
5. Add the almond pulp and stir to combine.
6. Shape the dough into 12 medium sized lemon almond sugar cookies with your hands. Place on the baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. They are done when the edges start to brown. Allow cookies to cool before removing from the pan.

Notes

Use this almond pulp cookies recipe as a base for different cookie recipes by simply replacing lemon with orange or with coconut or chocolate chips.

You can make the chia egg for this cookies recipe in advance. Mix the chia seeds and water, the let sit on the counter for 6 hours or in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Make sure to allow the cookies cool completely before transferring from the pan. Otherwise, they may break.

Don’t worry if the cookies are soft in the center after 20 minutes. The cooking process lasts until they are cold. By the time these vegan cookies cool, they will be firm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 13gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 4g

More Vegan Dessert Recipes

If you like my recipe for soft almond cookies, then be sure to also try these other vegan and dairy free dessert recipes:

• Kiwi Strawberry Popsicles
• Homemade Fruit Popsicles with Mango & Strawberries
• Vegan Zucchini Brownies
• Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake

This recipe for vegan lemon almond cookies originally appeared on Becca Ink.

Explore more plant based recipes by following Soap Deli News on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Or subscribe to my newsletter.