Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies (No Refined Sugar Option)

Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies (No Refined Sugar Option)

🌱 Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies pecan

These Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies are buttery, crumbly rounds packed with chopped pecans and finished with a pecan half on top. No eggs. No dairy. There’s a refined-sugar version and a maple or coconut-sugar option if you want them a little less sweet and a little more toasted.

I love how simple the dough is — vegan butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, pecans. Chill it so the cookies stay thick and don’t spread into puddles. 💚

Jump to Recipe ↓ 🌱

Vegan pecan shortbread cookies stacked with pecan halves on top

Why You’ll Love These Cookies 💚

  • 🌱 Completely vegan
  • pecan Toasted pecan flavor
  • 🍪 Classic shortbread crumb
  • 🚫 No-refined-sugar option
  • 🧊 Dough freezes well
  • ☕ Perfect with coffee

The Secret to Shortbread That Doesn’t Spread

The butter has to be soft, not melted. If it looks greasy, the cookies will flatten. Chill the scooped dough 20 minutes. Bake until the edges just turn gold — the centers should still look pale. They firm as they cool.

Frequently Asked Questions ❓

How do I make them without refined sugar? 🍁

Swap the white sugar for coconut sugar or ⅓ cup maple syrup. If you use maple, add 2 extra tablespoons of flour so the dough isn’t sticky.

Can I use almond flour? pecan

Not as a full swap. You can replace ¼ cup of the flour with almond flour for a nuttier crumb.

Do they keep? 🧊

Yes. Airtight tin for 5 days, or freeze baked cookies for a month.

🌱 Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Prep: 15 min Chill: 20 min Cook: 14 min Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients 🛒

  • ¾ cup vegan butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar or coconut sugar or ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (add 2 extra tablespoons if using maple)
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • 16 pecan halves, for topping
  • Optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions 👩‍🍳

  1. Beat the vegan butter and sugar (or maple) until creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt.
  2. Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chopped pecans.
  3. Scoop 16 balls onto a lined sheet. Press a pecan half onto each one. Chill 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  5. Bake 12–15 minutes, until the edges are just golden. Cool on the sheet 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Nutrient Per cookie (1/16)
Calories 160
Protein 2g
Net carbohydrates 14g
Total carbohydrates 15g
Fiber 1g
Total fat 11g
Sodium 85mg

Estimates based on vegan butter, flour, pecans, and cane sugar. Coconut sugar or maple will change the numbers slightly.

Notes & Tips 💡

  • Toast the chopped pecans 5 minutes first for extra flavor.
  • A pinch of cinnamon in the dough is excellent with maple.
  • If the dough cracks when you press the pecan on, the butter was too cold — let it sit 5 minutes.
  • These taste even better the next day once the crumb settles.

These Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies are crumbly, nutty, and easy to make without refined sugar if you want. A pecan cookie that actually tastes like butter and toasted nuts. pecan🌱

If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment or tag me!

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