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Home » Recipes » All the Vegan Sweet Recipes

published: Feb 9, 2021 · modified: Jul 5, 2022 by FreyaE · This post may contain affiliate links ·

How to Make Vegan Agave Syrup Linzer Cookies

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Vegan Agave Syrup Linzer Cookies. Crisp and buttery little cookies, sandwiched with your favorite jam and dusted with a wintery blizzard of icing sugar. The holidays would not be the same without my vegan Linzer Cookies!

How to Make Vegan Agave Syrup Linzer Cookies
🡣 JUMP to RECIPE PIN the RECIPE
Jump to:
  • Try my other festive vegan cookies
  • What Is Agave Syrup - A History
  • What Are Linzer Cookies?
  • How Do You Make Vegan Linzer Cookies?
  • Ingredients
  • Cooking with Agave Syrup
  • Equipment
  • 📋 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Try my other festive vegan cookies

  • Sophisticated and crisp, Cacao Nib Cookies
  • Easy Florentines
  • Nutty and Spiced, Rugelach
  • Rich and buttery, Viennese Tartlets

As someone who suffers from food intolerances, I am always trying out new ingredients that might make life a little bit more comfortable for myself without compromising flavour. And, if that ingredient comes from a natural source rather than a chemical one, then all the better. I also love vegan Linzer Cookies.

What Is Agave Syrup - A History

Some Agave Plants

Agave Nectar comes from the sap produced in the heart of the Agave Plant. The plant is crushed and put through a process which extracts the syrup in its raw form. It is then filtered and heated to a level which breaks down the raw sugar into fructose. At this stage, the syrup can be further refined to produce a pale amber colour or bottled as is, in the dark, rich chestnut colour.

A tray with linzer cookies and a jam jar

There are also different genuses of the Agave plant, very much like honey, which infuse the syrup with floral or vanilla top notes. Like Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar comes in various patinas and flavours, all of which have different properties in cooking but with a less aggressive taste than synthetic sugars. This is great for people like myself, who can taste saccharin a mile off. No chemicals whatsoever are used in the production of pure Agave Nectar.

Linzer Cookie Dough

When you try Agave Syrup neat (probably like me, with your finger stuck in the bottle because you’re not ladylike enough to use a spoon), you will see that the flavour is a rare hybrid of honey and maple syrup but much finer than either. It is 25% sweeter than granulated sugar but it doesn’t have an eye-wincing, tooth-cringing sweetness when you sample it.

Despite being clinically sweeter than sucrose, it has no more calories, which basically means you can use less of it in cooking to a similar or identical effect. The texture of Agave Nectar is thinner even than maple syrup which also makes measuring somewhat less of a sticky process than getting all gummed up with honey or golden syrup.

So, with that in mind, I made some Agave Syrup Vegan Linzer Cookies instead, replacing the usual caster sugar with Agave Syrup. I prepared some plain biscuits (which I then dusted in Icing Sugar - obviously diabetics would omit this stage), and some Linzer Cookies which I filled with homemade Greengage, Damson and Crab Apple Jam.

What Are Linzer Cookies?

Also known as Empire Biscuits, the Linzer, is a sandwich cookie, made from a rich dough, like a crumbly shortbread, and sandwiched together with jam. The top cookie traditionally has a shape stamped out of it, so you can see the jam popping out through the window!

How Do You Make Vegan Linzer Cookies?

Cookie dough cut into hearts

A traditional Linzer Cookie dough is enriched with butter and often an egg yolk. This gives it the unmistakable short, crumbly texture.

My version replaces the butter simply with vegan butter and omits the egg yolk.

Linzer Cookies

Ingredients

  • Plain Flour or all-purpose flour. You could also use gluten free flour too.
  • Vegan Butter, at room temperature
  • Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Jam of your choice
  • Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar
Recipe Footer
Linzer Cookie Stack

Cooking with Agave Syrup

If you do plan on using Agave Syrup instead of regular sugar, expect it to be a little hit and miss, particularly in baking, so take into account the following:

  • You will need to reduce the amount of other liquids (i.e. milk or egg) to compensate for extra liquid of the Agave.
  • You will need to use a smaller quantity of the syrup because it is 25% sweeter.
  • You may need to reduce the heat of your oven by 10-20 degrees because the fructose in the syrup seems to burn quicker.

So, my recommendation to anyone wanting to experiment is just to be extra vigilant watching the oven and not to be too upset if your buns come out flat or your cake collapses, you’ll simply know next time to adjust it. Here is the recipe for the shortbread in the meantime.

Equipment

📋 Recipe

Linzer Cookies
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5 from 61 votes

Agave Syrup Linzer Cookies

YIELD 20 cookies approx
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
How to make vegan Linzer Cookies using Agave Syrup

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Baking Sheets
  • Electric Whisk
  • Sieve
  • Linzer Cookie Cutters

Ingredients

  • 170g g Vegan Butter
  • ¼ cup Agave Syrup (or Maple Syrup)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1⅔ cups Plain Flour
  • pinch Salt
  • ¼ cup Jam or your own flavour choice!
  • ¼ cup Confectionary Sugar sieved

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and syrup until creamy.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the jam and icing sugar) and beat until you have a crumbly dough. It will look like crumbly peas when beating, but it will come together as a dough.
  • Form dough into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least a couple of hours.
  • Preheat oven to 170c.
  • Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
  • Separate your dough into two balls. Clingfilm one ball and return to the fridge.
  • Roll out the other ball on a floured work surface, until it's about ½cm thick.
  • Using your Linzer Cookie Cutters, cut out equal amounts of top and bottom cookies. Place on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 8 minutes or until very pale golden. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then let cool completely on a cooling rack.
  • Place half a teaspoonful of jam onto the bottom cookies.
  • Dredge the tops with icing sugar, then sandwich to a jammy bottom!
RECIPE BY FreyaE

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 325IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried it and Loved it?Mention @sweeterthanoats or tag sweeterthanoats!

More Sweet Things

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  • Easy Vegan Jam Tarts - a Childhood Favourite
  • Vegan Cinnamon Rolls - Like Cinnabon but Better (easy step by step instructions!)
  • How to make festive Sugar plums

Reader Interactions

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  1. Nive says

    February 09, 2021 at 9:25 pm

    5 stars
    These look so delicious ?

    Reply
  2. Angie says

    February 09, 2021 at 9:30 pm

    5 stars
    Looks delicious! Thanks for info on agave, it’s super helpful

    Reply
  3. Shannon says

    February 09, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    5 stars
    Stunning!!! Cannot wait to try!

    Reply
  4. Jahma Levi says

    February 09, 2021 at 10:36 pm

    This looks like an amazing recipe and thank you so much for making it vegan! Can’t wait to give this one a try!!

    Reply
  5. Sarah says

    February 09, 2021 at 10:59 pm

    5 stars
    These are incredible!

    Reply
    • Jenny says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:25 am

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to try!

      Reply
  6. Elena says

    February 10, 2021 at 4:15 am

    5 stars
    So adorable and only seven ingredient, how amazing!!

    Reply
  7. Kimberlie says

    February 15, 2021 at 1:41 pm

    I am familiar with agave syrup and have used it, but only as a pancake or waffle topping. Thank you for the brilliant suggestion to use it as a substitute while baking. I especially apprentice warnings about it being sweeter and the need to reduce other liquids.

    Reply
  8. Aditi Jain says

    February 15, 2021 at 1:58 pm

    This looks yummazing!!!! Will try it out!

    Reply
  9. Kevin Foodie says

    February 15, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    5 stars
    Love the background information on Agava syrup. Had no idea you could bake with Agava. Love the recipe. Great idea for a sweet treat.

    Reply
  10. Robert says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    These look delicious! We have 3 Vegans in our family and will definitely pass on and try this recipe out. Thanks for sharing with us! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Shelby Morgan says

    February 15, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    These look so yummy! Love trying out vegan versions of classic favorites! Cannot wait to give these a try!

    Reply
  12. Altosaxo says

    March 05, 2021 at 8:10 am

    5 stars
    How is it possible for you to read minds ? I love morning glory muffins and have the same kid- albeit a girl and 6 who gets up and reads and no amount of pleading to sleep in is getting us anywhere. Marietta Etan Trinity

    Reply
  13. Jeannie says

    July 16, 2021 at 5:51 am

    5 stars
    I prefer the agave syrup to caster sugar this is a great recipe! I love Linzer cookies and what better way to enjoy them is to make them vegan.

    Reply
  14. Kay says

    July 16, 2021 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    Using agave in sweet bakes is a fab idea, the heart-shaped cookie cutters are super cute too! These would be a great gift to Nanny & Grandad made by the kids.

    Reply
  15. Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says

    July 16, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    5 stars
    My eyes are bigger than my stomach, and I am really craving right now, LOL! I will find time to bake a few - not waiting for Christmas!

    Reply
  16. Gloria says

    December 08, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    5 stars
    These sound delicious, and perfect for the holiday treat tray. Love the cutout in the cookie. Perfect for batch baking too.

    Reply
  17. Gloria says

    December 22, 2021 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    So pretty and always a nice treat on the holiday tray. I know my guests would love these. These make a great food gift too.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Freya! I'm a plant-based foodie, obsessed with true crime, collecting cookbooks and photographing everything I eat.

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