Olive Oil Lemon Cookies (Paleo, AIP)
These paleo lemon cookies are made with all real ingredients and heart-healthy olive oil! They’re the perfect sweet and tart treat to enjoy as a simple dessert.
Lemon desserts have always been popular in my family. I was way too preoccupied with all things chocolate to ever give the time of day to lemon, but soon learned the error of my ways once I started cooking. Lemon desserts are seriously delicious and are perfect for spring and summer time.
Lemon bars and lemon tarts are amazing but can be a little labor intensive if you just want a quick sweet treat. These olive oil lemon cookies are perfect for a simple treat when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want any fuss!
The Ingredients You’ll Need for the Olive Oil Lemon Cookies
Tigernut flour
Tigernut flour is a nut-free and grain free flour alternative, but almond flour will likely work as well.
Tapioca starch
You can also use arrowroot starch.
Gelatin
Gelatin helps to bind these cookies together. I have not tried to use any alternatives for this ingredient.
Olive oil
Olive oil in cookies? YES. It’s amazing! Olive oil in desserts tastes amazing and is a heart-healthy alternative to other options like canola oil. Plus, if you leave the glaze off of these cookies, the use of olive oil instead of coconut oil keeps these cookies coconut free!
Honey
Honey adds a subtle flavor to this recipe and helps the overall color and sweetness of the cookies. You likely can substitute maple syrup.
Lemon juice & lemon zest
Can’t do these without the lemon!
Optional- coconut butter & coconut oil
These help to make the glaze on top of the cookies. The glaze is optional if you want to simplify and keep it coconut free. The cookies are just as good without the glaze but
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Olive Oil Lemon Cookies (Paleo, AIP)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp tigernut flour, see notes for subs
- ¼ cup tapioca starch, sub arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest, plus extra for topping
For the glaze (optional)
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
- Using a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir in the olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir until a dough forms.
- Form the dough into 8-9 into slightly flattened cookies and evenly space on the baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies are fully cooked. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.
- For the optional glaze, melt the coconut butter and oil over a double boiler until fully melted.
- Stir in the honey and lemon juice and pour over the cookies.
- Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow the glaze to harden and serve topped with lemon zest.
Notes
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
These look so good! What a simple spring treat to have ready for after mealtime!
Eating these right now and YUM! Thank you for the recipe! (Icing was too coconut-y, so I ate that with a spoon and didn’t put it on the cookies 🙂
So glad you enjoyed!!
These were delicious!!
I do have a question: the directions for the glaze mention adding honey, but honey isn’t listed under glaze ingredients.
Can you please clarify that?
I made without, and the glaze tasted amazing!
Can I sub an egg for the gelatin?
The gelatin goes in dry, so the egg may add too much extra moisture to the cookies.
Made these today and the dough turned out too soft to make cookies with so I baked them into cookie bars and they were so refreshing with the citrus, yet balanced with the contrast of olive oil. We gobbled them up way too fast! Will be making these again
These cookies are great! I am so thankful to to have found a cookie recipe that is coconut free and really tastes like a treat. I have made these many times now and they are delicious without the glaze. Thank you!
OMG best cookies ever! The gingerbread ones in the cookbook, and this one are my families absolute favorite. These cookies taste like those super soft store bought sugar cookies! I use avocado oil because I am not a fan of olive oil and maple syrup because I prefer it. ( just had to add a little more flour)
Thank you so much, Madalin!!!
Can you tell me the difference between the green can of gelatin and the blue can by the same company? Thank you. Cindy
Green is gelatin (for making gelatin eggs, binding things, etc) and blue is collagen which is like a protein powder.
I’ve struggled to find an AIP cookie that is actually legit and makes into a cookie form. These hit the spot for me – perfect amount of sweetness. GREAT recipe!
SO glad you liked it, Christin!! Thank you!!
Hi Michelle. Thank you for this recipe and the dozens of others I’ve enjoyed! On this one I struggled with the glaze. I tried it twice and both times it seized up as soon as I put in the lemon juice turning from a smooth glaze to library paste. I tried heating further hoping to melt it again, but no luck. Have you ever experienced this?
So sorry the glaze didn’t work out!! A lot of coconut butters act differently… if it’s too thick, I usually add more coconut oil. Hope that helps!
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make. Just the right amount of lemon and chewiness. Thank you!!
Thank you! So glad you liked them!! 🙂
These are the best AIP cookie that I have found so far. Great texture and flavor. I may try making a molasses ginger variety.
Thank you so much, Tina! So glad you liked them. That sounds delicious 🙂
Can I use collagen in place of gelatin? I am new to learning all this stuff. 🙂
Collagen wouldn’t work in this particular recipe. Sorry!
Is there any replacement for the starch? My stomach doesn’t handle it well.
Thanks!
I haven’t tried any other swaps in this particular recipe. Let me know if you do!