Did you have an incredible weekend? I hope you did.
My weekend began on Thursday at the Rise Kombucha launch party, stretched into Friday with a Kevin and Leanne movie and popcorn night, Saturday afternoon was highlighted with the hustle and bustle of the Montreal health expo, and Saturday evening resulted in a massive feast with friends and endless Indian food. Come Sunday, I was ready for a quiet day of baking and napping. All that celebration is enough to wear a girl right out!
So I made us cookies. Well, they’re sort of cookies. They’re cookies in a cup with dairy-free cream inside. Like tarts, only way easier.
Tarts are a lot of work but this recipe… isn’t.
This recipe also uses ingredients many of us have in our pantry so we can all delay grocery shopping just one more day.
And of course this dessert is grain-free and vegan so just about everyone can enjoy them. Just wait until you see the grain-free, vegan desserts in my cookbook that’s coming out in May! It’ll blow yo’ mind!
Before I share this recipe, I have to let you in on a little secret…
I’m announcing something extremely exciting tomorrow morning, but only to my email subscribers.
I’ve never offered anything like this so I expect that spots will fill up very, very quickly.
To print, email or text this recipe, click here.
- 2 cup finely ground almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- Zest from 2 lemons
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight and drained of excess liquid
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Then add wet. Stir with a spoon until fully incorporated.
- Press into 24 mini muffin cups and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, carefully press into center of each baked cookie to make a 1-inch wide indentation. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove the cups from the pan. Place cups on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 hour.
- In a medium chilled bowl, beat coconut milk and vanilla. Beat until frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Top each cookie cup with cream, sprinkle with coconut and serve.
If you do not have coconut sugar, I’m sure other forms of sugar would work but I haven’t tried it.
These tarts store really well in the fridge. Place in an air-tight container. Can be stored for up to 5 days.
The trick to this recipe is making sure that the cookie mixture is firmly pressed into the mini muffin molds. Press that dough like you mean it!
Then, when it’s finished baking, make little holes in the tops like in the picture below. The deeper the holes, the more cream that will fit inside.
I added the cream to a piping bag, but you could just as easily use a spoon if you’d like. Pipe, repeat, pipe, repeat.
Well, you get the idea.
Sprinkle with coconut and maybe some extra lemon zest if you have it handy, and you’re good to go!
Note: I used Aroy-D coconut milk for the cream of this recipe. It’s best to chill the can the night before, drain some of the liquid and then use the solid mass from the can to make the cream.
You could use any type of cookie base you’d like with these cups. I chose a sugar cookie-type base, but I’m sure anything would work here.
Now it’s your turn… Do you have Easter treats planned for this year?
How do you set aside downtime and relaxation on the weekend?
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{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Get out! I am craving lemony treats as Spring comes creeping in and these look perfect!! Easter wouldn’t be complete without carrot cake (vegan and gluten free) so we are planning on that
As for the weekends, Sunday is always “family day” with no errands, limited chores and a lot of relaxing and sharing time together. It helps us to stay connected with each other and it also helps us to tune in to our own selves before the new week begins. Hope your week is a happy one!
Oh My Gosh………these look amazing!!! I love your blog Leanne. Just wondering……….do you think I could use Hazlenut Meal/Flour? I love baking with Almond Flour but recently found out I am allergic to almonds.
Thank you for your amazing work/inspiration
I’ve never used hazelnut meal flour… I’m not sure. But if you give it a shot, please let me know how it worked out!
Have to try these! Bet they’re like almond fingers! Amazing…big fan of coconut whip!
These are so cute Leanne!! Is this what you made with your lack of groceries after we finished up on Skype yesterday?!
I haven’t even given a thought to Easter treats yet, but perhaps I’ll start daydreaming about them this week. As a kid, my sister and I could not get enough marshmallow Peeps and chocolate bunnies… oh how the times have changed!
These look incredible. I’m assuming I could sub raw sugar for coconut sugar? I don’t have that in the house and am not a fan of buying an ingredient for just one recipe
Thank you!!
Hi Emily – I’m sure that you could make the switch. I haven’t done it personally, but they should be interchangeable.
Whoa, now hang on a minute! Easter? We just got done with St. Patty’s Day and the associated *traumas*… My 8-year-old accidentally made my 4-year-old terrified of leprechauns. For two days, all I heard was, “Mommy, I scared of dat tricky little green guy – he’s going to PINCH me!”
I do have a crew (comprised of family) landing at the house for Easter, though… This looks like a treat we could prepare together! I’m happy as long as I have some Salazon Chocolate Co. Organic Dark Chocolate with Natural Sea Salt. Pretty sure there’s some dairy in it but I care not!
Hi Michelle,
I am from Salazon Chocolate and I ran across your comment. I am pleased that you enjoy our chocolate! All of our chocolate is dairy free and gluten free except for our newest bar ‘A Touch of Organic Caramel’.
Have a great day!
These look delicious! I am certainly going to have to try this recipe out, thanks for sharing!
These look so good!
What is the difference between full-fat coconut milk and the coconut milk that comes in the cartons? Are they interchangeable in recipes? (I’m fairly new to all this, so forgive me if it’s a dumb question.)
I’m also curious about this Kim!!
I made the mistake of using coconut milk from a carton instead of from a can once. I can tell you from firsthand experience, there is a BIG difference between the two. The canned “full fat” coconut is necessary when you want to create a thick cream (think heavy whipping cream) like the one in this recipe. If you use the coconut milk from the carton, you’ll end up with milk instead of cream. Make sure you get “full fat” cans and not “light” because it won’t turn out with the light either.
Can’t wait to make this recipe. Going to try it with stevia. Thanks Leanne!
No question is a dumb question, Kim! Full fat coconut milk is SUPER thick. So if you see it in a recipe, the recipe needs the thickness to work properly. I hope that helps!
Yum! How would you use stevia (liquid or pure powder) to replace coconut sugar?
Hi Chris – I would use water, a couple of tablespoons and maybe a 1/4 tsp of stevia? Totally guessing.
You just triggered a major food flashback. I used to LOVE the chocolate chip cookie cups smothered with icing from those cookie stores in the malls. Oh man, those were good, but really bad for me. This is a great healthy substitute. Thanks, Leanne!
These look amazing!!! Awesome job, beautiful recipe- beautiful post -beautiful site! Thank you for sharing all you do.
Those sure look really good, and seem pretty easy… but too tempting! I’m going to save the recipe for a weak moment, though.
P.S. I *love* your new photo! Gorgeous!
Oops. I was looking at a different page – how did this get back here? Nonetheless, your old photo is very gorgeous.
Thanks Cat!
Sounds like an action packed weekend! I love Rise kombucha. Hope you had fun at the party! And Indian food. Sounds delicious! After a busy few weeks this weekend was full of relaxation, enjoying the sun in Vancouver! trying out some cafes and a little shopping.
I had NO idea straight coconut milk could get that whipped and firm! You always hear about just using the skimmed off cream. How long did you have to beat that milk to get that consistency? It looks AMAZING!
Hi Liz – I just chilled it and then drained the liquid and used the solid cream. Then whipped it for 2 minutes. It’s SO good like that!
I was thinking the same thing, Liz.
These cookie tarts look so good! I have been craving all foods lemony lately, and I’m certainly not one to pass up a lemony dessert. I can’t wait to make these!
These look perfect for Easter, sweet, but not too sweet!
Just made these tarts and they taste awesome, I made a few mistakes though. Now I know better not to skip on Leann’s advice!
I had no lemon so I substituted with blood orange zest, it worked well!
Highly recommend draining the coconut milk, it makes the world of difference and do not over cook, they get hard.
Well, cool that you experimented. Thanks for reporting your findings
As for the hardness, just place in the fridge in a air-tight container and it’ll soften up a bit. Have a great evening!
This recipe has perfect timing! I just discovered last Friday that I’m allergic to cereal grains! I’ve been gluten-free for a couple years, but now I’m allergic to everything else! So I’m having to adopt a modified paleo diet. I’ve developed eczema over the last year, I assume because I wasn’t aware of the allergies, and now I’m on an elimination diet to get rid of it, but I look forward to making these as soon as I can eat sweets again. Just a few more weeks!
Wow, Leanne, this looks fab — and I am LOVING the Easter-themed photos. I’m in Calgary and Spring can’t come soon enough!
Thanks for always inspiring the blog and vegan-foodie world with your amazingness!
Oh yes, Calgary Spring… I don’t miss that! But I bet the mountains are looking beautiful these days. Thanks for your kind words
What? You were at the rise kombucha launch? So was I. RATS- I so wish I knew you were there! I was the one with a 3 week old in a wrap!
These lemon cookie tarts look fab!
I TOTALLY SAW YOU! I remember thinking… what an awesome lady, bringing along her little one and just strapping the little munchkin to her like that. Mad props. Shoot. Well, that’s a bummer. I was the insanely tall one. The girl who wore 4-inch heels and could see over everyone’s head. Total advantage if you ask me
Wow, I can’t even spell my own name. Strhanie???
Man oh man do these ever look good!
Considering I haven’t had a single grain of sugar in close to 40 days now, I can just imagine the tangy lemon-y and coconut-y taste and my mouth is salivating big time! Oh, I get the feeling that these will make it to my table on Easter day! Maybe I should work on a chocolate version too!
Leanne, these are just amazing! Took them to my book club tonight, and I’m sure I’ve found you a few more fans, even the women with no food restrictions. Everyone wanted the recipe and the link to your website.
Wow! This is going to be an awesome recipe to try. I just love your website. The recipes are so simple, healthy, and so easy to do! Thank you!
Made these for a wedding shower and they were a big hit!!
Very yummy !!
Awesome! I’m so happy everyone liked them! Thanks for sharing them with your friends and family
Such cute little bites and I like that they are filled with the cream so you get some with every bite.
You’re right, there IS cream in every bite. I’m wishing I made more of these… that’s for sure.
Your recipes are so amazing! Can’t wait to hear more about your book! Can we preorder and will intl shipping be available?
Hi Melinda! Thanks for your kind words
My cookbook will be available in May, preorder will be available for email subscribers and it’s a digital cookbook, so EVERYONE will have access to it!
I refrigerated my canned coconut milk overnight, but I didn’t have any water on the top. I whipped it anyway and it thickened a bit, but not a ton. Any tips for next time to thicken the “frosting.” I even used the same coconut milk that you had in your photo.
Hi there! I’m making these today, can’t wait! I have a question though. I’m taking half to my yoga class this afternoon and half to my family’s dinner tomorrow. I know you said they’d keep well if covered in the fridge, but I have to commute to my family dinner. Think they’d survive 1.5 hours out of fridge? Don’t want the coconut frosting to melt all over the place
Hi Colleen – I haven`t left them out for that long so I`m not entirely sure. Do you have a cold pack that you could take with you?
Ok…I need to share how I fixed MY mistake! My daughter made these tasty treats for Easter. I had two ( wanted the rest of them…) and decided to bake my own at home. Well, I whipped through the recipe and didn’t firmly press my mixture in the muffin molds. The cookies shattered to a pile of cookie dust. After a quick exclamation of disappointment I scooped up the still slightly warm cookie yumminess and pressed it in a small square baking dish FIRMLY, let it cool, made the coconut whip then spread it on top very very carefully ( did I say very carefully enough?) sprinkled with lemon zest and froze it. Cut into squares and got over the disappointment . It softens up nicely and still tastes great. Anyone else mess up?
Pay attention to the details! Thanks Leanne for all your hard work and devotion.
Haha well, you saved it well! Good work, Deb. And thanks for sharing your experience with everyone. I’m sure you’re not the only one, happens to the best of us!