Vegan Fruitcake Cookies
These fun and festive vegan fruitcake cookies are made with nuts, candied fruits and spices. This easy, one-bowl recipe captures all the goodness of the classic holiday treat in cookie form!
These moist and chewy fruitcake cookies are our latest addition to our collection of delightful vegan Christmas cookie recipes! One that you should definitely try!
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Fruitcake Cookies
- Fun and easy: Made with a just handful of baking staples, holiday goodies, and a bowl, these cookies are simple to make and would be a fun baking project to have with kids.
- Flavor: They taste just like your classic holiday fruitcake but are lighter because they contain no egg or dairy, plus they are alcohol-free.
- Texture: The cookies are chewy and moist with bits of crunchy from the pecans.
- Perfect for gift-giving. What can be more thoughtful than a gift made from your own hands? These fruitcake cookies are so tasty and pretty- they are sure to bring holiday cheer to anyone who receives them.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter – Stick or block form is best. You can also use vegan margarine as a substitute.
- Aquafaba – this is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, used as a vegan egg replacer. If you do not have this, you can use ground flax, chia seed, tapioca, or cornstarch mixed in plant milk or water until thickened. Or use other vegan egg replacements like Ener-G.
- All-purpose flour – unbleached flour is great for achieving a chewy texture because it spreads less due to its higher protein content.
- Mixed baking spice – this is a blend of spices commonly made of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, and coriander. If you cannot find this, you can also use pumpkin spice, which has a similar mix.
- Candied fruit mix – this is a combination of glazed fruits like oranges, lemons, pineapple, peaches, cherries, etc. Different brands would have different combinations of fruits, so choose your favorite.
- Pitted dates – Aside from adding flavor and texture, dates also help in keeping the cookies compact and make them chewy and moist.
- Pecans – I like using toasted pecans to add a smoky and savory crunch to the cookies. Other nuts you can use are macadamia, walnuts, or almonds. You can make the fruitcake cookies nut-free by using sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
How to Make Vegan Fruitcake Cookies
- Mix the wet ingredients together. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter, sugar, and salt. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, add the aquafaba and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mixed baking spice. Mix on low until thoroughly combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Take note that overmixing the dough will make the cookies tough and dry, so mix until just combined.
- Fold in the candied fruit, dates, and pecans. It is better if these are evenly chopped in small pieces as large chunks can affect the cookies’ texture. They should also be well distributed in the dough.
- Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is firmer. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight for better results. They will be less prone to spreading and will be more flavorful.
- Prepare to bake. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough balls. Using a #24 cookie scoop (50g or 3 tablespoons dough), make equal portions of cookie dough and place them at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until brown on the edges or bottom. The center should be slightly underbaked. The residual heat will bake the cookies fully and they will firm up as they cool.
- Cool the cookies on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy! Never remove cookies fresh from the oven because they are still soft and prone to tearing.
Storage Tips
If you are making these to give away, let the cookies cool first before packing them. Check these tips on how to package and ship cookies safely.
To store, put the cookies in an airtight jar and place them in your pantry or any spot in your kitchen that is dry and cool. They should be good for up to a week.
If you want to store them longer, I recommend freezing the cookies. They can be kept frozen for a month or two. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and warm them in the oven before serving.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Brandy Snaps
- Vegan Snowball Cookies
- Vegan Double Ginger Cookies
Vegan Fruitcake Cookies
Calories:217
Servings: 9 cookies
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These fun and festive vegan fruitcake cookies are made with nuts, candied fruits and spices. This easy, one-bowl recipe captures all the goodness of the classic holiday treat in cookie form!
Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements & measuring spoons.
How To Measure Baking Ingredients Correctly
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter or margarine, stick or block form, not unsalted
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons aquafaba, See Notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon mixed baking spice
- ½ cup (100 g) mixed candied fruit and peel
- ¼ cup (40 g) chopped pitted dates, or raisins
- ¼ cup (30 g) chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter, sugar and salt. Add the aquafaba and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.¼ cup vegan butter or margarine ,½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar ,Pinch salt ,2 tablespoons aquafaba ,1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mixed baking spice. Mix on low until thoroughly combined, scraping the bowl as needed.1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour ,¼ teaspoon baking powder ,¼ teaspoon baking soda ,½ teaspoon mixed baking spice
- Fold in the candied fruit, dates and pecans.½ cup (100 g) mixed candied fruit and peel ,¼ cup (40 g) chopped pitted dates ,¼ cup (30 g) chopped pecans
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is firmer. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight for better results.
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a #24 cookie scoop (50g or 3 tablespoons dough), make equal portions of cookie dough and place them at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until brown on the edges or bottom. The center should be slightly underbaked.
- Cool the cookies on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, used as a vegan egg replacer.
Other vegan egg substitutes:
Other vegan egg substitutes:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons water (may result in chewier cookies).
- Store-bought vegan egg replacers such as Ener-G (follow the package directions).
- 1 tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons plant-based milk or water.
Tried this recipe? Snap a photo & share it in the comments below!
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Fruitcake Cookies
Serving Size
1 cookie
Amount per Serving
Calories
217
% Daily Value*
Fat
7
g
11
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Sodium
94
mg
4
%
Potassium
73
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
37
g
12
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
21
g
23
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
13
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
0.4
mg
0
%
Calcium
69
mg
7
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.