Easy Vegan Florentine Cookies Recipe (Lace Cookies)

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If you like cookies but are tired of the same old chocolate chip ones, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! This recipe for vegan Florentine cookies, also called lace cookies, will blow your mind. They are crunchy and sweet, and making them is surprisingly easy. Let’s dive into the wonderful world of these Italian treats.

What are Florentine cookies?

Also known as “biscotti di Prato” Florentine cookies are a fancy and tasty treat that came from the beautiful city of Florence in Italy during the Italian Renaissance. The crushed almonds, orange zest, and vanilla in these cookies all go well together. A drizzle of chocolate on top makes them hard to turn down.

This recipe goes one step further by covering one side with melted chocolate. The result is crunchy, adorable cookies with a chewy caramel texture and a creamy chocolate coating.

Vegan Florentine Cookies

In this vegan version of the Florentine cookie, the traditional ingredients have been replaced with vegan-friendly alternatives. For instance, vegan butter is used instead of regular butter, and dark agave nectar is used instead of honey. Even with these changes, the cookies still have the classic qualities of traditional Florentine cookies: they’re thin, crispy, and downright delicious.

The beauty of Florentine cookies is how versatile they are. They can be eaten on their own, used to sandwich a layer of chocolate or cream, or even shaped into different shapes right out of the oven while they’re still soft. Because of this, the cookies can be presented in many different ways, making them a favorite of many dessert lovers.

A Perfect Treat for Any Occasion

Not only are these cookies tasty, but they are also perfect for every occasion. They can give your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, or even a birthday party, an elegant touch. But have you ever considered giving them a gift?

You just need to make a lot, put them in an airtight container, and write a nice note to go with them. This kind of homemade gift is always welcome!

Ingredients for Vegan Florentine Cookies

Vegan butter: This is the base of the cookie. It gives the cookie its rich flavor and soft texture because it has the right amount of fat. It also helps the caramelization process, making the Florentine so crisp.

Dark Brown Sugar: This kind of sugar is used for its rich molasses flavor. It adds depth to the cookie’s sweetness and helps it get a lovely golden color when baked.

Agave Nectar: Agave nectar is a vegan alternative to honey that gives Florentine cookies their characteristic shine and helps hold the ingredients together. It also provides the cookies with a texture like caramel.

Orange Peel: You can add the zest of an orange to the cookie dough to give it a hint of citrusy brightness. This not only makes the dish smell great, but it also makes the other ingredients taste even better. Use about a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest for a subtle flavor, or adjust to your taste.

All-Purpose Flour: Flour is the foundation of any cookie because it gives it structure. It helps to hold the ingredients together and provides the cookies their shape.

Almond Meal: Made from finely ground almonds, the almond meal gives cookies a subtle nutty flavor. It also adds to the overall texture, providing the cookies with a crunchy texture.

Instant oatmeal: This adds a bit of chewiness to an otherwise hard cookie. It also adds a subtle, wholesome flavor that goes well with the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Salt: A pinch of salt is essential in any sweet recipe. It brings out the flavors of the other ingredients and balances out the cookie’s sweetness as a whole.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional): If you use these, melt them and spread them on one side of the cookie or put them between two cookies. The chocolate adds a rich, creamy flavor that goes well with the sweet, crisp cookie.

Vegan Florentine Cookies Recipe

With our Vegan Florentine Cookies, you can get a taste of Italian baking. These aren’t your average cookies. They’re crunchy, sweet, and have a surprise hint of orange zest.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of vegan butter
• ¼ cup of dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¼ cup of agave nectar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (you can use gluten-free flour)
• 2 ½ Tbsp of almond meal
• 2 Tbsp of instant oatmeal
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of vegan chocolate (semi-sweet)
• 1 Tbsp of orange zest (or to taste)

Instructions

• Set your oven to 375°F (190C) and place parchment paper on two baking sheets.
• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, sugar, and agave nectar together. Once the butter has melted all the way, take it off the heat and vigorously whisk in the flour, almond meal, oatmeal, orange zest, vanilla and salt to keep the mixture from getting lumpy.
• Drop about half a teaspoon of batter per cookie onto the baking sheets you have already set up. Make sure to put them a few inches apart because they will spread significantly. Keep a close eye on the crisps while they are in the oven. Bake them for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are caramelized and bubbling.
• At first, they will still be soft and melty. Let them cool and harden for a few minutes before handling. After they harden, they are very fragile, so be careful!
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals or a saucepan stirring thoroughly until completely melted and smooth. Spread a thin layer of the melted chocolate on the underside of one cookie, sandwiching it between a second cookie. Alternatively, drizzle the chocolate all over the individual crisps.
• Store your Florentine cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Heat and moisture will change their texture, so the crisps may remain slightly soft if baking in a humid environment. Enjoy!

Video Instructions

Enjoyed these citrus-infused Florentines? Don’t let them vanish like cookie crumbs on a clean kitchen counter! Give the photo below a new home on your amazing Pinterest board. It’s like sharing a secret treasure map that guides you to a cookie wonderland!