Lemon Blueberry Cookies

These vegan lemon blueberry cookies are soft, slightly crumbly, and bursting with flavor in every bite, thanks to lemon juice, zest, & fresh or frozen blueberries! No dough chilling required and they’re ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!

Soft Vegan Lemon Cookies Bursting with Juicy Blueberries

Citrusy and/or fruity desserts are some of our favorites in the warmer Spring and Summer months, with refreshing sweet-tart flavors that are sure to impress. Along with strawberry mint sorbet, lemon loaf cake, and mixed berry ice cream, these lemon blueberry cookies will be taking over our kitchen this summer.  

The combination of tart, zesty lemon with juicy, sweet blueberries is a duo we’ve already appreciated as scones. Still, there’s nothing like a cookie to satisfy your lemon blueberry dessert cravings.

Why You’ll Love These Lemon Blueberry Cookies

• Simple ingredients: This easy lemon blueberry cookies recipe relies on just 9 inexpensive, pantry-friendly ingredients in most kitchen pantries.
• Enjoy them year-round: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Easy prep work: Just a few bowls, you don’t NEED a mixer, and there’s no chill time!
• Amazing flavor and texture: Combining bold, zesty lemon and sweet-tart, juicy blueberries, and optional dark or white vegan chocolate chips in a cookie with crisp edges and a deliciously soft, slightly crumbly center is a truly satisfying (and crowd-pleasing) experience.
• Diet/allergen friendly: They’re egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free and can be made gluten-free.
• Adaptable: Add to the vegan lemon cookie recipe or adapt it to your needs.
• Meal prep friendly: They’ll store in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months, so you always have a sweet treat to hand when needed.

The Ingredients

The Dry Ingredients

• Flour: We usually use regular all-purpose flour, though spelt flour or a 50-50 combination of AP and whole wheat flour should work too.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar (or raw cane sugar) and brown sugar provide the best combination of sweetness, slightly chewy texture, and a slight caramel/butterscotch flavor.

While it’s possible to experiment with other sugars (like coconut sugar) or sugar alternatives (like erythritol), it can affect the texture, spread, and even caramelization of the vegan lemon cookies, so we can’t guarantee the results.

• Leavening agents: These vegan lemon blueberry cookies rely on baking powder and baking soda for the best texture and consistency.
• Salt: It’s best to use kosher salt/sea salt rather than table salt. This will balance and enhance the flavors in these sweet lemon and blueberry cookies.  

The Wet Ingredients

• Flax egg: Ground flaxseed (or chia seeds) and warm water combine to make a vegan egg substitute in these eggless lemon cookies. If you only have whole flax seeds, grind them in a high-speed blender or spice grinder first.
• Dairy-free butter: You’ll need room-temperature unsalted vegan butter. Softened – not melted – coconut oil may work, too, though we haven’t tried.
• Lemon: You’ll need fresh lemons for these lemon cookies, as we’re using both lemon juice and lemon zest for the very best, bright, and zingy flavor. Note that limes, oranges, and blood oranges will also work well in these citrusy berry cookies.
• Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen blueberries (small berries like wild blueberries, which contain less moisture, work best within cookies). We used the latter. Other berries, like raspberries or blackberries, pair well with the lemon too.

What Else Could I Add?

• Vegan white chocolate: Use dairy-free white chocolate chips/chunks for extra sweetness.
• Blueberry jam: A little swirled into the cookie dough for a marbled effect.
• Vanilla extract: Adds just a little natural vanilla for subtle extra flavor.
• Lemon glaze: Combine powdered sugar with about 2 tbsp lemon juice to dip or drizzle the cookies. A blueberry glaze will also work.
• Coconut: Just a few tablespoons for texture and subtle flavor.
• Chopped nuts: I.e., pistachios, walnuts, almonds, etc. You could also make lemon poppy seed cookies with just 1-2 tbsp of poppy seeds.
• Lemon sugar: To roll the cookie dough in for a sweeter, crunchy crust.
• Lavender: Add 1- ½ tsp dried culinary lavender for a subtle floral flavor.
• Ginger: Add between ¼-⅓ cup of finely diced crystallized ginger.

How To Make Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cookies?

• 1) First, in a small bowl, combine the water and ground flaxseed. Mix well, and set it aside to thicken for 5 minutes.

• 2) Next, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix/whisk well, then set it aside.

• 3) Next, using either a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or a whisk in a large bowl, cream the vegan butter and two sugars until light and fluffy.

• 4) Then, add the zest from one lemon, the juice, and the flax egg, and beat for 2 minutes.

• 5) Next, add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until the ingredients are combined. However, be careful not to over-mix it.

• 6) Gently fold in the blueberries and preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Also, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

• 7) Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared tray about 2 inches apart, gently pressing to flatten them.

• 8) Transfer the tray to the oven and bake the lemon blueberry cookies for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
• 9) Finally, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy (optionally sprinkle with extra lemon zest, first!).

Pro Recipe Tips

• Measure the flour properly: Instead of scooping your measuring cup directly into the bag of flour, gently fluff it up in its bag, then use a spoon to transfer it to the cup. Use the back of a knife to level off the top, and voila – the perfect amount of flour.
• Don’t over-mix the dough: Otherwise, you risk overworking the gluten, resulting in dense/tough cookies.
• Adjust the texture: By tweaking the baking time; We like ours on the soft side, so take them out of the oven when the edges are crisp and the middles appear slightly under-baked. Increase the time by 2-4 minutes for more crisp vegan lemon cookies.
• Fresh vs. frozen blueberries: If you’re using frozen berries, it’s important not to thaw them first. They tend to bleed more, too, which may not look as good but does make for even chewier cookies.
• To adjust the size: Use a smaller/large scoop and adjust the baking time accordingly.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Because of the blueberries, it’s best to make this cookie dough fresh, though the lemon cookie dough could be prepared 3-4 days in advance in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Once baked, store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Alternatively, freeze the lemon blueberry cookies for longer-term storage for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for an hour or two.

More Easy Vegan Cookies

• Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Triple Ginger Vegan Cookies [Gingersnaps]
• Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies [With Filling| Sandwich Cookies]
• Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

Photos by Alfonso Revilla