How to Make Your Own Vegan Biscuits
Vegan biscuits are kinder to animals, better for the planet and healthier for you. The good news is that biscuits are very easy to make, once you know how. And taste much better than most plastic-wrapped store-bought versions. Use vegan butters without palm oil.
These anzac cookies (Rainbow Nourishments) have an oat base, and are made with coconut and a caramel flavour. They are kind of the ‘national cookie of Australia and New Zealand.
Keep biscuit ingredients (nuts, dried fruits, spices, citrus, chocolate and fresh dough) away from pets. Read more on food safety for people and pets.
Don’t feed leftover biscuits to garden birds or wildfowl (hard crumbs can choke, and most biscuits contain salt and fat – which smears on feathers, affecting weatherproofing & insulation).
It’s best to just bin citrus scraps along with rhubarb, tomato and alliums (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) as acids may harm compost creatures.
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Rainbow Nourishments) are simple to make, just be sure to choose an organic brand of peanut butter without palm oil. These biscuits use almond flour (sold in health shops) to replicate buttery texture, sweetened with maple syrup.
The only other ingredients you need are maple syrup and almond flour (almond flour is easy to make (or choose European-sourced for better sustainability, to protect bees!)
Tips for Good Vegan Biscuits
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (Rainbow Nourishments)
- Always use cold vegan butter. Ideally use vegan baking blocks (Flora is free from palm oil) and cube then use your fingers to rub into the flower.
- Choose good flour like Doves Farm, which also offers many gluten-free options. For conventional flour, choose wholewheat or spelt (lower gluten with a nutty flavour) for rich flavour.
- Good recipes use natural alternatives to fake egg replacer (bananas, plant-based yoghurt, applesauce). Some use a ‘flax egg’ made by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water, then leaving for 10 minutes – this is also rich in omega 3s.
- Don’t over-mix the batter, as this knocks out air and makes biscuits too tough.
- Always pre-heat your oven, and keep a close eye around 12 minutes, to avoid burning.
- Read our post on zero waste baking tools.
Buying Ready‑Made Vegan Biscuits
There are now a few brands on sale that are both vegan and free from palm oil.
Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
Rhythm 108 is a brand of quality Swiss biscuits, that are popular across Europe. Not only are they vegan, but also one of the few commercial brands that are also free from palm oil.
Sold in plastic-free packaging, the wholesale individually-wrapped biscuits are ideal for cafes and restaurants, to serve alongside a tea or coffee. These are sold in small packs, so you don’t eat too many in one go!
Choose from:
- Coconut Crunch
- Lemon Ginger Chia
- Salted Caramel
- Hazelnut Chocolate Praline
- Hazelnut Chocolate Chip
- Double Chocolate Hazelnut
- Chocolate Peanut Butter
Other Good Vegan Biscuit Brands
- The Beginnings is a Latvian brand of healthy cookies (and flapjacks). Flavours include caramel oat, almond pecan, blackcurrant, almond orange and coconut ginger.
- Mr Organic makes good digestive biscuits, and flavours biscuits (orange cocoa or plain cocoa).
- Sweet F.A Gluten-Free (Scotland) offers organic oat raisin biscuits (with cinnamon). Look in stores for other vegan flavours (cranberry orange, peanut butter and double choc chip).
