Christmas and cookies are two things that just go together for me. I have so many memories of baking cookies at this time of year. In the kitchen with my mom, recreating all of my grandma’s Czech cookie recipes. Raspberry tarts, almond crescents and apricot kolaches. It was tradition and it just felt right.
Creating new cookie recipes doesn’t come easy for me because I love the classics so much. Other than my grandma’s recipes, there are only a few that I hold close to my heart. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle. I just love the simples. Simple ingredients, simple preparation.
I’m a firm believer in keeping the chocolate chip cookie true to it’s roots. However, when orange zest is involved, I’m ok with a little moderation. Orange and chocolate are such a happy marriage. There is a reason so many people love the combo. Cause it’s good! You’ll notice the little flecks of orange zest in these (perfect) chocolate chip cookies. Nothing fussy or fancy. Just another delicious gluten free vegan cookie recipe to add to your holiday baking!
- 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons Sarah's gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, softened*
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, sift together flour blend, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil and orange zest, 1-2 minutes.
- Add orange juice, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until blended. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Slightly flatten with fingers.
- Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. Cookies with be golden brown on edges and soft to the touch.
- Place on cooling rack to cool completely. Store in air-tight container.
I’m spreading some holiday cheer with a $50 Target gift card giveaway! Target is my happy place. My favorite place to go when I need to grab a cup of coffee and have alone time. My favorite place to shop when I’m in search of a cute boyfriend sweater. Use this Target gift card for Christmas shopping or to buy yourself some fun, new baking tools!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ready for MORE cookie recipes? I’ve teamed up with 17 lovely bloggers to do a Gluten Free Virtual Cookie Exchange! Just in time for those holiday parties, cookie swaps and baking days with your kids. Every blogger has also included a $50 value giveaway with their recipes. Simply click on the links below. Be sure to check out every scrumptious cookie recipe and enter the giveaways too!
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies Recipe from Vegetarian Mamma
Gluten-free Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free
Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Only Taste Matters
Gluten-free Vegan Ninjabread Men Recipe from Flippin’ Delicious
Gluten-free Vanilla Wafers Recipe from gfJules
Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Oatmeal Cookies Recipe from Making It Milk Free
Gluten-free Strawberry Thumbprints Recipe from Learning to Eat Allergy-Free
Gluten-free Holiday Sandwich Cookie Assortment Recipes from Go Dairy Free
Gluten-free Cranberry Lime Cornmeal Cookies Recipe from Cafe Johnsonia
Gluten-free Caramel Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe from Faithfully Gluten Free
Gluten-free No Bake S’mores Cookies Recipe from My Gluten-free Kitchen
Gluten-free Dairy-free Sugar Cookies Recipe from Allergy Free Alaska
Gluten-free Pfeffernusse Recipe from Fearless Dining
Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe from Maebells
Gluten-free Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies Recipe from Around My Family Table
Gluten-free Chocolate Gingerbread Bars Recipe from Gluten-Free Palate
Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Gluten-Free Homemaker
Gluten-free Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe from Gluten-free Frenzy
It’s hard to pick just one! We usually like to do something chocolate-based, another graham/sugar/simple flavor recipe, and one really festive one! 🙂
I love making traditional butter cookies for the holidays (GF of course!)
I like to make Russian Nut Balls. I have an old Beyyy Crocker Cookbook (1950’s), and have converted many cookies to Gluten-free!
My favorite is snickerdoodle
Sugar cookies are my fav. These orange chocolate chip cookies look yummy, too!
Wowbutter Blossoms are a holiday must in our house 🙂
Ginger cookies!
I love that you added orange zest to traditional chocolate chip cookies. Such a simple but festive twist!
Cut out sugar cookies! ????????????
I make oatmeal date bars every Christmas.
Thumbprint cookies are my favorite.
I love your blog and all the recipes you post! I check every week for new ones. I do not have celiac or any sort of gluten allergy but my younger sister was hospitalized for a week after they could not detect a heart beat and lots of rapid weight loss at the age of 13 and she was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Thankfully the Lord helped give her strength and now she is 16 and healthy. I do not want her to miss out on the yummy things in life! Your blog has helped her transition without missing out or craving something she cannot physically have! Everything of yours that I have made is AMAZING!! Everyone digs in not just my sister! Now we can bake Christmas cookies all day! Thank you!
Amber, thank you for sharing your sister’s story. I’m so glad to hear she is now doing well! I’m also happy to know that my recipes have been a blessing to you and your family. Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
Love baking M&M cookies for the holidays!
I love making iced sugar cookies using my Christmas cookie cutters
I love gingerbread cookies because it’s the only cookie I only make during the holidays. Although, maybe I should make them during our 100+ degree summer just to mix it up and bring joy to the heat wave?
Soft gingerbread cookies!
I gotta have the homemade gingerbread cookies that are half iced and half plain!
Shortbread is my number one, go-to holiday baked good, but pizzelles are a close second!
we always have to make gingerbread men! Including a running one and some headless/armless ones 🙂
We always make horns.
Ooooh! It’s so hard to pick, but it’s gotta be sugar cut-out cookies! Happy to be doing this virtual Cookie Swap with you!
~jules
I like to make sugar cookies.
My must-bake holiday cookie recipe is actually a no-bake “cookie” with peanut butter, rice krispies, and marshmallow creme rolled into a ball and dipped in chocolate.
I always make gluten free gingerbread cookies!
Seven layer bars! We really like the combination of butterscotch and coconut.
I have to make sugar cookies every year. My kids just love them.
I typically make 7-layer or “magic” cookie bars. Luckily, they’re also easy enough to make them GF.
We like gingerbread cookies.
Coffee shortbread are my favorite, but I will have to try these now. 🙂
My favorite holiday cookies are decorated sugar cut outs. So fun with kids.
i always make sugar cookies
I always make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and candy-cane cookies.
Well its not a cookie but we started a tradition a few years back that we make fudge for the whole family for Christmas.
Oh my, I am coming over for some of these stat! okay? 🙂
you betcha!
I have to make chocolate chip cookies for Santa and seven layer cookies for myself!
Definitely a marzipan cookie because my husband LOVES marzipan!
My family loves to make and eat my mother’s peanut butter cookies.
I always want ginger snaps for the holidays!!
Oatmeal raisin cookies!
gluten free frosted sugar cookie cut outs . 🙂
I like to bake 7 layer cookies.
My must bake is called Peanut Butter S’mores Cookies and involves crumbling graham crackers into peanut butter and a few other ingredients and shaping into small wafers then dipping those in a melted chocolate concoction and spreading marshmallow fluff between the two wafers. They are everyone’s fave and I only make them at Christmas because they are so labor intensive.
that sounds AMAZING!
I am 100% loving gingerbread cookies for the holidays!
I love making sugar cookies in holiday cutout shapes.
Cut out cookies are my must-have for the holidays.
Ginger cookies. I don’t have the patience to roll them out and decorate gingerbread men but I love ginger, so I make a much easier and softer cookie.
I love my gf ginger carrot cupcakes…not a cookie but delicious. I put cream cheese honey butter frosting on top. A hit with everyone.
My go to cookie is a classic chocolate chip cookie. I add like to add mint chips during the holidays!
Sugar cookies are my favorite.
Ooooh, orange juice in chocolate chip cookies, love that idea!
Sugar cookies are still a favorite- thanks to your recipe Sarah! We’re dealing with new allergies this year (now we have soy, gluten, dairy & egg allergies), so I’m having to learn new favorite recipes. Your website has been a life saver!
Sugar cookies are the best at Christmas!
orange and chocolate are a delectable combination! Im excited to try these!
I like to bake gingerbread cookies
I like to bake gingerbread cookies. Thank you for the giveaway!
The must have holiday cookie recipe is one passed down from my beloved grandmother, and it’s her shortbread cookies, they are so delicious and melt in your mouth. Happy Holidays all!
Cappuccino flats for me and the kids love their sugar cookie cut outs!
I love making my grandmother’s sugar pecan cookies 🙂
Oh we always have to make the thumbprint cookies! I am so loving the new gluten free cup by cup flours so we can make all these cookies!
I like making Sugar and Thumbprint cookies!
My must-bake cookie recipe for the holidays is always cookie cut out sugar cookies, and let the kids decorate them, it’s always lots of fun.
Red and Green M&M sugar cookies.
Spritz cookies are easy, fun, and tasty, and kids always enjoy them.
My favorite go-to holiday cookie is a chocolate fudge cookie dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candy canes! Yum!
My mother and I have a traditional of making Spritz (cookie press) Cookies!
Ginger snaps are my favorite holiday cookie to bake and to eat.
I love sugar cookies
Holiday cookie is oatmeal raisin
no-bake coconut macaroons!
Hmm, probably soft ginger molasses cookies – and I haven’t made them yet this year! I better get on that.
My kids LOVE cut out sugar cookies!
Good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies.
gingerbread cookies are always a must
Decorated sugar cookies! My son loves to get involved with these!
Entered the Rafflecopter as “Wild Orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
Love to make Mexican wedding cakes.
Chocolate chip cookies are a must…even better straight from the freezer!
I love to make maple pecan bars!
Italian anise cookies!
My must bake is Baklava!!
I love to bake sugar cookies and gift them to friends!
Gingerbread cookies:)
gingerbread cookies in the shape of a christmas tree is ideal!
Gingerbread sleighs! We put sacks of candy inside and deliver them to friends and neighbors!
They all look so good…. oooo darn now I need to bake
Move isn’t a cookie recipe, it’s peanut butter balls.
My favorite is gf cream cheese chocolate chip cookies.
I always make gingersnaps and snowball cookies, it’s tradition. I love baking christmas cookies!
chocolate chip! it’s not very holiday-ish but it’s my go-to and i like to think i’ve perfected it over the years ;). but recently i’ve been doing a flourless version with almond & peanut butter that is mind blowingly yummy. if nut butter wasn’t so expensive i’d be making them weekly!
orange and chocolate biscotti
My family’s must haves are peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip walnut cookies. Simple but delicious.
We make chocolate chip cookies. In fact, we’re planning on making some tonight.
Gingerbread men and women cookies are my must-bake cookie recipe during the holidays! My family, especially my grandsons, love them!
I have to make my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe.
I always make my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe.
Mine is cut-out sugar cookies that I can decorate with the kiddos.
raspberry thumbprints are mine.
Cut out sugar cookies are a must during Christmas!
I really LOVE to have a cookie my family makes, we call them 1000 year cookies. But they are kind of like a lemon sugar cookie.
i have to make frosted cutout cookies
bourbon peppermint brownies
My mom always makes bon bons and THE BEST sugar cookies… She mails them to me now and it doesn’t feel like the holidays until I get my cookie package every year!
(BTW, Target is my happy place too!)
I always have to make at least one batch of gingerbread cookies!
It isn’t Christmas until somebody bakes gingerbread cookies. 😉
Sugar cookies that our family can decorate is my must-bake for the holidays.
Traditional sugar cookies!
Spritz cookies!
Chocolate Chip!
White chocolate cran cookies!
I love making a GF version of Martha Stewart’s Chewy Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
My fav is Toffee Rolls.
thumbprints!
Chocolate chip meringue cookies (if the weather cooperates!)
peanut butter cup cookies
My must-bake cookie recipe for the holidays is Italian Wedding Cookies (aka Cocoa Wedding Cakes or Snowball Cookies).
Molasses gingersnaps like my grandmother used to make.
My must-bake cookie recipe for the holidays is I like to bake ginger bread cookies.
I love taking my Grandmothers old Italian cookbook and converting some recipes, like the Regina (seeded) cookies, and they always come out fantastic.
I love converting recipes from my grandmothers Italian cookbook. I make Regina (seeded) cookies, they are my favorite.
Whiskey/rum balls
Hi! This recipe sounds delish. If I wanted to skip the orange in the recipe time do I sub the orange juice for almond milk?
Yes, almond milk will work great!