Hemp Seed Florentine Cookies (Vegan + GF)
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When your friend tells you she had a life-changing Florentine cookie in Amsterdam, you’re basically obligated to recreate it. And it’s a good thing, too, because the results are undeniably delicious — caramelly, crispy, salty-sweet perfection!
Bonus? These Florentines are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, AND require just 8 ingredients, including nutrient-packed whole grains and seeds! What are you waiting for!? Let’s make life-changing Florentines!
These caramelly cookies start with, well…the caramel! But there’s no candy thermometer or complicated methods here. Just combine vegan butter (or coconut oil), coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan, whisking until it achieves a thick, caramel-like consistency.
Next, we blend up a mix of nutrient-packed whole grains and seeds (pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and rolled oats or sunflower seeds).
Then we combine the coarsely ground oat/seed mixture with the caramelly mixture and we’ve got cookie dough. Yes, it’s that easy!
After dolloping the dough onto baking sheets, we’re headed straight for cookie land. Once in the oven, the cookie dough spreads out (a lot!) to look like classic Florentine cookies.
The cookies will become deep golden brown on the edges and crisp and snap-able. You can enjoy them right away or decorate with melted chocolate to make them pretty and decadent!
We hope you LOVE these Florentine cookies. They’re:
Crispy
Caramelly
Salty-sweet
Nutty without nuts
SO easy to make
& Undeniably delicious!
These cookies make a lovely gift, tea time treat, or snack to enjoy throughout the week.
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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 12 (Cookies)
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- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (or sub coconut oil)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free as needed // or sub raw sunflower seeds)
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas)
- 1/3 cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
- 1/2 heaping cup chopped dark chocolate (optional // ensure dairy-free as needed)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line two standard-size (13- x 18-inch or larger) baking sheets with parchment paper.
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COOKIES: In a small saucepan, combine the vegan butter (or coconut oil), coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Whisking almost constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until the coconut sugar is dissolved and the mixture just begins to bubble and look “foamy.” This takes about 3-5 minutes (adjust time if making a smaller/larger batch size). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine rolled oats (or sunflower seeds), pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds. Process/blend until you achieve a coarse meal with no whole oats remaining — about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overprocess. Transfer seed mixture to a mixing bowl and add the warm “caramel” mixture. Mix with a spoon or spatula until evenly combined.
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Using a 1-Tbsp cookie scoop, evenly place 6 “cookies” onto each prepared baking sheet. They will spread considerably, so avoid the temptation to overcrowd the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes (10 for chewier, 12 for crispy in our oven) watching very closely at the end to prevent burning (know that everyone’s oven is different!). At 12 minutes, the cookies should be lightly bubbling in the middle and deep golden brown on the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
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OPTIONAL: Right after removing from the oven, while cookies are still warm, smoosh the edges in for a cleaner look. Alternatively, if desired, use a round cookie cutter to get perfectly round cookies. We pushed in some wonky edges but left them looking mostly rustic. You can also sprinkle the top of your warm cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt and/or hemp seeds!
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CHOCOLATE (OPTIONAL): While the cookies cool, place the chocolate into a small microwavable bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning, until smooth and melted. You can also melt on the stovetop by adding chocolate to a small glass or metal bowl and carefully placing it over ~1 inch of simmering water in a small saucepan, then stirring until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
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There are two options for adding chocolate to the cookies: “dipping” or drizzling.
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For dipping, once the cookies are fully cooled and crispy (about 5 minutes), flip them over and carefully add ~2 tsp melted chocolate to the bottom of each cookie. Carefully spread the chocolate out with a butter knife or the back of a spoon. You can use a fork to create squiggly lines in the chocolate if you’re feeling fancy! Let the chocolate set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or, if you’re impatient like us, transfer cookies to the refrigerator to set the chocolate in ~5 minutes.
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For drizzling, simply use a spoon to lightly drizzle the tops of the Florentines with the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or transfer to the refrigerator to set faster.
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Enjoy! Leftover cookies keep at a cool room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They also keep well in the freezer for longer-term storage! If you store chocolate-dipped or drizzled cookies at room temperature, we recommend placing pieces of parchment or wax paper in between the cookies to prevent a melted chocolate mess.
Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 100 Carbohydrates: 10.8 g Protein: 2.7 g Fat: 5.6 g Saturated Fat: 1.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.8 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 61 mg Potassium: 101 mg Fiber: 0.6 g Sugar: 8.1 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 13 mg Iron: 0.7 mg
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