Wonderfully disguised as a treat, these vegan and gluten-free orange and walnut cookies are packed with flavour and nutrition. Zesty and rich, they make an ideal snack with hidden benefits and are a great way to get kids to enjoy walnuts—full of healthy fats and texture (see also my easy air fried candied walnuts).
I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are both vegan and gluten-free. Finding one or the other is straightforward, but finding recipes that satisfy both requirements can be more challenging. These zesty orange and walnut cookies are my answer: they are satisfying, full of flavour and, dare I say, a little bit good for you—perfect for answering the daily refrain from my children: “Mummy, can I have a snack?”
Nutrition
These cookies look and taste like a treat but sneak in a number of nutritious ingredients. While they do contain sugar, they also provide iron from blackstrap molasses, vitamin C from orange juice, healthy fats from walnuts and fibre from oats and buckwheat flour. Being both gluten free and vegan means everyone can enjoy them. They’re dangerously good with a mid-morning cup of coffee!
Main Ingredients
- Ground flax seeds – when mixed with water or orange juice, they replace eggs effectively. You can also use an egg replacer powder if preferred.
- Orange and orange marmalade – provide a bright, zesty orange flavour.
- Coconut oil – substitute with softened vegan butter if you prefer a different fat.
- Sugars – caster sugar keeps the cookies light and crisp, while blackstrap molasses adds depth and an iron boost; the orange juice helps iron absorption thanks to its vitamin C.
- Flours – buckwheat flour and oats make this recipe gluten free; you can swap for a plain gluten-free flour blend if you like.
- Walnuts – deliver omega-3 fats and a pleasant crunch; omit for nut-free needs or school lunches.
- Baking ingredients – salt, baking powder (ensure gluten-free), cinnamon and nutmeg for warmth and balance.
Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Basic Instructions
- Mix the juice from half an orange with the ground flax seeds and leave to thicken for a few minutes.
- Combine the dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, oats, baking powder, salt, spices and chopped walnuts.
- Beat the coconut oil, sugars, orange zest, marmalade and the flax–orange mixture together until dark and thick.
- Fold or beat in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the dough onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them a few centimetres apart.
- Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 20 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack; the cookies crisp up as they cool, so resist the temptation to eat them straight from the oven.
This summary covers the essentials. Please see the printable recipe card below for full quantities, Thermomix instructions and step-by-step details.
Substitutions
If you need these to be nut-free or suitable for school lunchboxes, omit the walnuts. Dried cranberries make a lovely swap, adding bursts of tangy sweetness that pair beautifully with orange. For a child-friendly twist, chocolate chips would create a chocolate-orange cookie that’s hard to resist.
Storage
Store the cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for several days—if they last that long!
📖 Recipe 📖
Print Recipe
Zesty Orange and Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 orange
- 70 g coconut oil (or softened vegan butter)
- 70 g caster sugar (or soft light brown sugar)
- 30 g blackstrap molasses (or substitute with more soft light brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 100 g buckwheat flour
- 75 g oats
- 40 g walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Small grating of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Zest the orange, then juice half (about 40 ml). Mix the juice with the flax seeds and leave for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
- Chop the walnuts and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, combine coconut oil, caster sugar, blackstrap molasses, orange zest and marmalade. Add the flax–orange mixture and beat, starting slowly and increasing to high, for about 2 minutes until dark and thick.
- Add the dry ingredients—buckwheat flour, oats, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder—and beat briefly on medium until just combined.
- Spoon tablespoonfuls onto the lined tray about 3 cm apart. The cookies will spread and flatten slightly while baking.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C / 350°F. Remove from the oven, cool on the tray for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For nut-free needs or school lunchboxes, omit the walnuts. Try dried cranberries for tangy bursts or chocolate chips for a chocolate-orange twist that’s loved by kids.
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, please leave a ⭐ star rating ⭐ on the recipe card!
More Recipes
If you enjoyed this, you may also like other vegan and gluten-free baking recipes from my collection.
Stem Ginger Biscuits (Vegan & Gluten-Free Gingernuts)-
Hazelnut Choc-Chip Cookies
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Decadent Dark Chocolate and Almond Cookies
-
15 Minute Peanut Butter Cookies (vegan & gluten-free)
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