Valentines Day and ‘Palentines Day’ can be a day to celebrate whether you are in a relationship or not. A little treat to bring to your friends, work colleagues, or your family because everyone deserves some love (and some sweet treats!)
These soft and buttery love heart cookies are perfect for a gluten-free and vegan treat and the vegan chocolate brings them to the next level.
How to make heart shape gluten-free and vegan valentine’s cookies
These cookies are super easy to make and look so good. I chose to go with heart shapes because it felt fitting for Valentine’s day. You can get a heart shape cutter from Amazon, Hobbycraft, or Lakeland. You may also find it in your supermarket!
But, of course, these delicious cookies can be made all year round and in any shape you wish. And that’s what makes these cookies so handy: an easy recipe, that can be altered for any occasion or season.
Decorating your cookies:
I decided to decorate my gluten-free and vegan Valentine’s Day cookies with vegan chocolate and some dried cranberries. I used white and dark vegan chocolate to dip half of the biscuit into the chocolate but what you use is completely up to you and your preferences.
I also decided to top with dried cranberries to give the feel of flower petals and I love the way they turned out. You could also use red sprinkles or dried strawberries.
Tips on melting vegan chocolate:
I always follow these steps when I am melting vegan chocolate as it keeps it smooth and stops it from sticking and burning to the bottom of the bowl:
- I put a little teaspoon of coconut oil in each of the bowls of chocolate before heating up. I find it helps the chocolate melt smoother and makes it a lot easier to dip your cookie into.
- Place your chopped vegan chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and ensure that you are putting it into the microwave for 20-30 second intervals – as mentioned, this stops the chocolate from sticking to the bottom and prevents it from burning. Especially when you are dipping chocolate you want to make sure it is smooth and has absolutely no lumps!
So let’s get to making our Vegan Valentine’s Day Cookies..
Ingredients (makes 15 – but will depend on the size of your cutter):
For cookies:
- 250g of plain gluten-free flour (or plain flour if you don’t have to avoid gluten)
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of salt
- 100g of coconut sugar (or caster sugar – gives a lighter cookie colour)
- 50g vegan stork block (or any vegan butter)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp of plant-based milk
For decoration:
- 100g vegan white chocolate
- 100g vegan dark chocolate
- Red sprinkles or dried strawberries/cranberries
Method:
For cookies:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, add the sugar, and mix.
- Melt the butter in a separate bowl in the microwave, then add vanilla extract and milk.
- Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. You can use your hands to make a ball of dough.
- Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface. Roll out dough until about 3-4mm thick.
- Use heart shape cutters to cut out dough (or any other shape you have.)
- Place on a tray with baking paper and bake for 10-12 minutes. They will have slightly browned. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
For decoration:
- Melt chocolate in a bowl either in the microwave (20-second intervals) or a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
- Once melted, dip half your cookie into the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with either dried fruit or sprinkles to ensure it sticks.
- Alternate which kind of chocolate you dip the cookies in to or you can just use one type of chocolate or both on one cookie. This is the fun part, so it is completely up to you how you design.
If you liked this recipe make sure to check out more of our vegan or gluten-free recipes.
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