Baked Goods Cornstarch Desserts

Gluten Free Vegan Lofthouse Cookies

Gluten Free Vegan Lofthouse Cookies

Made with Let’s Do Organic Cornstarch by @the_bananadiaries

These copycat lofthouse cookies taste exactly like the original but vegan and gluten-free!

These super soft cookies melt in your mouth, just like the ones you bought as a kid from the grocery store!

They are made gluten-free thanks to oat flour, Let’s Do Organic Cornstarch and  cream of tartar.

 

These soft cookies are topped with vegan buttercream frosting made with vegan butter, powdered sugar and natural dye.

If you’re not gluten-free, you can sub in 2 1/2 cups (315 g) of all purpose flour for both the oat flour and the cassava flour.

Last but not least, these cookies need a generous topping of rainbow sprinkles!

Are we making you nostalgic for your childhood yet?

Let’s get baking!

We promise no one will know these are vegan as they taste just like the real thing…

These cookies are melt-in-your mouth good, and we can’t wait for you to try them!

Serves: 16 large cookies

Prep: 10 minutes

Chill: 1 hour

Bake: 11 minutes

Ingredients:

Vegan Lofthouse Sugar Cookies:

  • 1 3/4 (200 g) cup oat flour*
  • ¾ (105 g) cup cassava flour*
  • 1 tbsp Let’s Do Organic Cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 g) organic granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) vegan sour cream or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract, optional but recommended

Vegan Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups (240 g) vegan powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vegan pink/red food coloring (I recommend beet powder, rose powder, hibiscus powder, or a liquid red food coloring, used sparingly)
  • Vegan Sprinkles to top

Instructions:

  1. Prep: Measure out all ingredients before beginning.
  2. Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, cassava flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. Cream: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in the applesauce, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix again until combined. Be sure to scrape the bowl down as needed to ensure all ingredients are mixed together.
  4. Make the dough: Sift in the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, and use a silicone spatula to fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients JUST until combined. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
  5. Chill the dough: Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour.
  6. Shape the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to be about 1/2″ thick. Use a 3″ or 4″ round cookie cutter, and cut as many cookies as you can, transferring them to the baking sheets afterwards. Collect the dough scraps, and re-roll to shape more cookies until you have no more dough. Make sure that the cookies are spaced about 1″ from each other.
  7. Bake: Place the cookies into the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Then place them into the oven to bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are just about to turn a light golden color. Remove from the oven.
  8. Cool: Transfer the cookies to cool on a cooling rack completely before making the frosting.
  9. Make the frosting: Make the buttercream frosting by creaming together the vegan butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Add in the vanilla extract and food coloring to the desired color, along with an additional tablespoon of dairy free milk if needed for a fluffy consistency. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag or plastic bag, and snip the end of the piping bag.
  10. Frost: Pipe the frosting directly onto each cookie (see photos for reference), and use a butter knife to spread the frosting around. Sprinkle with vegan sprinkles if desired.
  11. Serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes:

Not gluten-free? Sub in 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all purpose flour for both the oat flour and the cassava flour.

Applesauce substitution: If you don’t want to use applesauce, you can sub in extra dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream.