Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Cookies Vegan GF

It’s been pretty cool and gloomy here in Winnipeg, which I don’t mind at all. It definitely makes it easier to stay inside! But, it also makes for perfect baking weather. And baking I have done! I’ve been slightly obsessed with making swirl cookies — lemon poppyseed and chocolate peanut butter have made appearances. My absolute favourite so far, though, are these vegan gluten-free Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Cookies!

How to make these vegan and gluten-free Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Cookies

The base of these cookies is my favourite sugar cookie recipe — I’ve also used the dough in my gluten-free and vegan Almond Marmalade Sandwich Cookies. The dough holds it’s shape really well and is very versatile.

The sugar cookie dough is rolled out and filled with vegan butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and then topped with small pieces of toasted pecans. Your kitchen is about to smell heavenly!

The recipe looks a little long, but it’s actually very simple.The instructions are a little long because I have tried to give detailed instructions on how I roll these cookies out. Gluten-free dough is never as easy to work with as gluten filled dough, but I promise it’s just as delicious!

My tips for rolling these pecan cinnamon swirl cookies

I have done my best adding instructions into the actual recipe, but here is a summary of how to successfully work with this gluten-free cookie dough and get a beautiful swirl!

1. After your dough is made, chill it for 20-30 minutes before rolling it out. You can chill it longer, if you’d like, but you may need to leave it on the counter for a few minutes to warm up just a bit before rolling it.
2. To avoid the dreaded cookie dough sticking to everything, cover a cutting board with plastic wrap and tuck the sides of the plastic under the board to hold it in place when you roll the dough. Use another piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough to roll it out (I use the same piece the dough was wrapped in for this).
3. When your cookie dough is rolled out and you’ve spread the filling on top, untuck the plastic wrap.
4. Then, roll the cookie dough like you would roll cinnamon buns, or better yet — sushi! The plastic wrap acts like sushi mat. Make sure you don’t roll the plastic wrap into the cookie, and roll the dough very tight!

Chill the log of dough for at least 30 minutes before cutting it and baking it.

Make Ahead

This is a great cookie to make in advance and keep in your fridge or freezer!

Just store the prepared log of cookie dough in the fridge (or freezer for longer) and bake another time. If you are storing it in the freezer, let it thaw slightly in the fridge or on the counter or it’ll be too difficult to cut.

This is a great recipe for holidays! You can make the dough in advance when you have energy, and then enjoy fresh baked cookies and a wonderful smelling kitchen any time!

More Vegan and Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Crispy Maple Oatmeal Cookies

S’mores Cookies

Almond Marmalade Sandwich Cookies

5 from 5 votes

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Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Cookies Vegan GF

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Chill time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 27 mins

 

These vegan and gluten-free Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Cookies are like eating a cinnamon bun in cookie form!

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Cinnamon, Cookies, Dessert, Gluten Free, Pecan, Vegan

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature but not still solid
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 tbsp aquafaba
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups Bob's All Purpose GF Flour (red bag), plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Cookie Filling

• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough

1. Beat th vegan butter, coconut oil, and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffly.

2. Add the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until combined.

3. Mix in the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt until you have a smooth ball of cookie dough.

4. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Make the Cookie Filling

1. Make sure your pecans are toasted and chopped into small pieces.

2. In a small bowl, combine the vegan butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a spreadable paste.

Assemble the Cookies

1. Cover a larger cutting board (at least 16 x 10 inches) with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic wrap under the cutting board to hold it in place. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of extra GF flour on to the covered cutting board.

2. Place your cookie dough in the center of the cutting board and sprinkle it with a bit more GF flour. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough and then roll it out until it is 16 inches wide x 10 inches tall, and about 1/4 inch thick.

3. Spread the filling on the dough, like you would if you were making cinnamon buns, leaving a 1 inch bare at the top seam. Sprinkle the pecan pieces evenly on top and lightly press them into the dough.

4. Untuck the plastic wrap from under your cutting board and use the plastic wrap to roll the cookie dough (from the 16 inch side). Make sure to roll your cookies tightly! Use the plastic wrap like you would use a mat for rolling sushi.

5. Wrap the log of dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can cut the log in half if that makes it easier to handle.

Bake the Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and line a a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. When your dough has chilled, slice 1/2 inch rounds using a sharp knife. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned (check at the 10 minute mark). Note: only cut the amount of cookies you'll be baking (8-12 dpending on the size of your oven) and place the remaining dough back in the fridge.

3. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

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