Addicting and delicious, these are the decadent Vegan Caramel Cookies! It's made with simple ingredients from your pantry. And the best thing is it's vegan and healthy.
Try making other cookies too, like Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, Homemade Oreo Cookies, and Rocky Road Cookies. They are so delicious and so easy to make!
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What are Vegan Caramel Cookies?
Vegan Caramel Cookies are soft, chewy treats made without eggs or dairy, using plant-based ingredients like coconut milk or vegan butter. They’re sweet, buttery, and often have a rich caramel flavor made from natural sweeteners. This is not a Filipino recipe, but many Filipinos enjoy baking vegan sweets too.
One unique ingredient is coconut cream, which gives the caramel a smooth, creamy texture without using animal products. These cookies are perfect for those looking for a dairy-free or egg-free dessert.
History of Vegan Caramel Cookies
Vegan Caramel Cookies became popular as more people started choosing plant-based diets. While regular caramel cookies have been around for a long time, the vegan version grew from the need to create dairy-free, egg-free options that still taste rich and sweet.
The recipe often uses ingredients like coconut milk, maple syrup, or nut butters to mimic caramel. Today, these cookies are enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike for their chewy texture and sweet flavor.
Substitutions
- Coconut oil – Use vegan butter or avocado oil for a similar fat content.
- Coconut cream – Use thick oat cream or soy cream if coconut flavor isn’t preferred.
- Powdered sugar – Replace with a sifted blend of granulated sugar and cornstarch (DIY version).
- Cocoa powder – Use Dutch-processed cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Substitute with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend if needed.
Variations
- Salted caramel cookies – Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the caramel before sandwiching.
- Peanut butter caramel cookies – Mix 1 tablespoon of peanut butter into the caramel for a nutty twist.
- Plain vanilla cookie base – Skip the cocoa powder and increase flour slightly for a classic buttery cookie.
- Mini sandwich cookies – Use a 1-inch cutter for bite-sized caramel-filled treats.
Storage
- These ingredients stand up well to freezing for up to 2 months.
- Store assembled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Ingredients
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut oil
- Water
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Coconut cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add coconut oil, water, and vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth syrup forms without lumps.
Add flour and baking soda. Mix in with a spatula until completely combined. Mix a couple extra times to bring everything together.
Create a 1 inch thick disk out of the dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325° F and line baking trays with parchment.
Remove dough from the fridge. Lightly flour both sides of disc. Between two sheets of baking parchment, roll dough to ¼ inch thick.
Use a 2 inch round cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible.
Using a ½ inch - ¾ inch round cutter (or the wide opening of a piping nozzle), cut circles from the center of half the cookies. Use the tip of a knife to remove the excess dough.
Chill cut the dough in the fridge for 4-5 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
Bake for 14-15 minutes, until dry to the touch. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.
How to make the Caramel:
In a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, spread sugar in an evenly layer. Melt over low heat without stirring.
Once sugar is completely melted, stir slightly with a silicon spatula or metal spoon*** to get final crystals distributed.
Remove from heat (but leave the burner on) and stir in coconut oil. The mixture will bubble up and spit a little bit. The oil will not completely combine at this point, just stir until everything is smooth.
Add coconut cream. Stir vigorously and return to heat. Continue stirring gently while heating until all the lumps are smooth and dissolved again. Stop stirring and continue heating until a candy or instant read thermometer reaches 250-255 °F.
Remove from heat and wait for bubbling to settle. Once it has stopped bubbling, add vanilla and salt, stirring until combined. Pour into a glass container and set aside to cool completely.
Place the cut-out cookies (the top portion) on a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar.
Place ¾ - 1 tsp caramel on each of the complete round cookies (the bottom half). Handling gently by the edges, place a powdered cut-out on top of each caramel dollop, centering as much as possible.
Allow caramel to settle. Some dripping will occur (see note about firmer caramel if preferred). Best eaten the same day, or can be stored in a single layer in an air-tight container at room temperature for a couple days.
And here you go. Enjoy!
Hint: It's best to use a metal spatula because plastic will melt at 250-255° temperature and wood is more likely to cause recrystallization.
⭐ Top Tip
Do not use raw or coarse cane sugar, it will not melt evenly. You can gather the scraps of the cookie dough after rolling and cutting as well, but keep in mind the cookies will start to get a bit tough from overworking.
FAQ
More Recipes
Looking for more vegan cookies? Try these:
- Vegan Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Sunbutter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies
Vegan Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons Water
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
For the Caramel:
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons Coconut cream
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add coconut oil, water, and vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth syrup forms with no lumps.
- Add flour and baking soda. Mix with a spatula until fully combined and smooth.
- Form the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes.
Cut and Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour both sides of the dough and roll between two sheets of parchment to ¼ inch thick.
- Use a 2-inch round cutter to cut out cookies. Cut a ½–¾ inch center hole in half of the cookies using a piping tip or small round cutter.
- Chill the cut dough on the trays in the fridge for 4–5 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes, or until dry to the touch. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make the Vegan Caramel:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, spread the sugar in an even layer and let it melt without stirring.
- Once melted, swirl occasionally to prevent burning. Stir gently to dissolve any remaining crystals.
- Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil (it will bubble).
- Add coconut cream, stir vigorously, and return to heat. Cook until smooth, then let it reach 250–255°F without stirring.
- Remove from heat, let the bubbling stop, then stir in vanilla and salt. Pour into a glass container and cool completely.
Assemble the Cookies:
- Place the cut-out cookie tops on a rack and dust with powdered sugar.
- Spoon ¾ to 1 teaspoon of caramel onto the flat side of each full round cookie.
- Gently press a powdered cut-out cookie on top to form a sandwich. Allow the caramel to settle.
Sweet says
Ohhhhh cookies again! YUMMY! ^_^