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These vegan & gluten-free florentines are the perfect cookie to enjoy during the festive period. Packed with nuts, cranberries and a hint of orange with a layer of dark chocolate to intensify the flavour!
I’ve always loved florentines – they have the most beautiful crunch and a complex flavour from the nuts, spices and chocolate. I didn’t realise how easy they were to make at home until I started to experiment with my own recipe. They would make a beautiful and thoughtful edible gift for your loved ones.
All you have to do to make these vegan & gluten-free florentines is to add everything to a pan (apart from the chocolate), heat to combine, shape into cookies and bake! There is another step where you add dark chocolate, but to be honest you can even skip this part if you don’t like chocolate or if you don’t have time/energy for more steps. The chocolate does however add more depth and complexity to the flavour, and being a massive chocolate fan myself of course I would always recommend adding chocolate :P.
What you’ll need to make these vegan & gluten-free Florentines:
Rice syrup – It works really well because it’s super sticky. Almost the texture of honey. You can use honey if you don’t need your Florentines to be vegan. Maple syrup is another alternative.
Coconut oil – traditionally made with butter, I decided to use coconut oil to make the recipe dairy-free. Butter or a dairy-free butter alternative will also work.
Oats – blended into a flour to use as a substitute to regular flour.
Dried fruit – I opted for dried cranberries seeing as it’s almost Christmas and I always have some in my cupboard this time of year. You can also use dried apricots or cherries.
Nuts – Pistachios are my go-to nut. I just LOVE them! I also used flaked almonds. Any nut will work.
Dark chocolate – To spread over the bottom of the Florentines to make them extra special and luxurious. You can omit if you want or use milk/white chocolate.
If you’re looking for an easy last minute festive treat, you need to try this recipe! I filmed a short video to show you just how easy they are to make, which you can check out on my Instagram page.
I have a few more Christmas recipes coming over the next few days, so be sure to watch this space!
The perfect cookie to enjoy during the festive period. Packed with nuts, cranberries and a hint of orange with a layer of dark chocolate to intensify the flavour!
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Servings 10
Calories 126 kcal
Ingredients
- 50g rice syrup you can also use honey or maple syrup
- 30g coconut oil
- 30g oat flour*
- 40g pistachios finely chopped
- 30g flaked almonds finely chopped
- 30g dried cranberries finely chopped
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 70g dark chocolate melted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/350F.
Add the rice syrup and coconut oil to a saucepan. Melt over a medium heat until combined and the mixture starts to bubble.
Take off the heat and fold in the rest of the ingredients (apart from the chocolate).
Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out even amounts of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Make sure the cookies are well spaced out as they will spread in the oven.
Press them down a little (not too much!). Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to brown.
Use a spoon totidy up the edges as soon as they come out of the oven and the cookies are still soft and mouldable. Leave them to cool completely before removing them from the baking tray or else they will crack and break.
Once cooled, turn the cookies over and spread a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom side. Use a fork to create waves to make them look even prettier. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.
Notes
* Make your own oat flour by blending oats into a fine flour in a high-speed blender. Use gluten-free oats for a gluten-free recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gPotassium: 75mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7g
Keyword biscuits, christmas dessert, Christmas recipes, easy baking, Festive recipes, gluten-free, gluten-free cookies, vegan biscuits, vegan dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nadia2022-12-13T17:57:32+01:00December 13, 2022|Cookies, Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Sweet Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian|42 Comments
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42 Comments
JennyDecember 19, 2021 at 1:15 am - Reply
These look amazing Nadia! Thank you.
NadiaDecember 19, 2021 at 2:06 pm - Reply
Thanks Jenny! Let me know if you try them 😀
HaifaDecember 19, 2021 at 4:08 am - Reply
Is it ok if I use maple syrup instead of rice syrup?
NadiaDecember 19, 2021 at 2:06 pm - Reply
Hi haifa! Yes, maple syrup will also work 🙂 you need to leave them to cool down completely once they’re baked to allow the maple syrup to harden as it cools.
VidhiDecember 18, 2022 at 8:17 am - Reply
Hey hi Nadia
Did not try the recipe till now…..but want to know if I could cover the whole thing with chocolate I mean dip it in chocolate.
BoudourDecember 19, 2021 at 2:02 pm - Reply
Hi, thank you for the amazing recipe.
Question : can we use maple syrup or honey instead of the rice syrup?
Thanks in advanceNadiaDecember 19, 2021 at 2:03 pm - Reply
Thank you! Yes, maple syrup will also work 🙂
NiahDecember 29, 2021 at 12:55 am - Reply
Can I use almond flour instead of oat flour?
NadiaJanuary 1, 2022 at 6:37 pm - Reply
Hi Niah 🙂 It should work, but I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t be 100% sure. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful
VidhiDecember 18, 2022 at 8:14 am - Reply
Hey hi Nadia
Did not try the recipe till now…..but want to know if I could cover the whole thing with chocolate I mean dip it in chocolate.NadiaDecember 18, 2022 at 6:45 pm - Reply
Hi 🙂 Yes you could dip the whole cookie in chocolate. Just make sure they’re completely cooled down first.
AmegDecember 17, 2023 at 2:11 am - Reply
Hi, can I use corn syrup instead of rice syrup. Planning to make this treats for the holidays. Let me know. Thanks
NadiaDecember 18, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Hi 🙂 I haven’t tried using corn syrup, but in theory it should work the same! You could always make a small batch to test and see if it works first.
HarpreetDecember 31, 2021 at 5:21 am - Reply
Any substitute for cranberries?
NadiaJanuary 1, 2022 at 12:37 pm - Reply
Any dried fruit will work 🙂 or you can substitute them with more nuts if you don’t like dried fruit.
Lucimar S FerreiraDecember 31, 2021 at 3:37 pm - Reply
I loved the recipe! I made it today and used honey instead of rice syrup. It was excellent! Happy 2022!!NadiaJanuary 1, 2022 at 6:38 pm - Reply
Aw that’s amazing 😀 So glad you enjoyed them! Happy New Year!! x
AlejandraJanuary 8, 2022 at 8:29 pm - Reply
I made these and didn’t even get to the chocolate part, way too delicious! Thank you!NadiaJanuary 9, 2022 at 1:22 pm - Reply
They do taste good without the chocolate, but for me I need that chocolate hit 😀 So glad you enjoyed them! x
JeanFebruary 2, 2022 at 12:16 am - Reply
These are a big hit at the bakery I work atNadiaFebruary 3, 2022 at 6:01 pm - Reply
That’s amazing 😀 so happy to hear it! Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Jean ZeibakFebruary 2, 2022 at 12:18 am - Reply
I made these and brought them in the bakery to my fellow workersNadiaFebruary 3, 2022 at 6:01 pm - Reply
Aw hope everyone enjoyed them Jean 😀
AnviFebruary 7, 2022 at 4:38 am - Reply
Anyone tried with honey?
I liked the recipe so much want to give it a try but I don’t have rice syrup.NadiaFebruary 8, 2022 at 7:35 pm - Reply
Hi Anvi 🙂 it will work just as well with honey x
SuziNovember 6, 2022 at 9:44 am - Reply
So excited to make these! Could you please tell me how long these would last- I’m thinking of gifting them for Christmas ?
NadiaNovember 7, 2022 at 4:35 pm - Reply
Hi Suzi 🙂 They’ll keep in an air-tight container for a 4-5 days. They may not be as crunchy if you leave them any longer than that. Hope that helps
StephanieDecember 13, 2022 at 4:15 am - Reply
These looking interesting.
SaraDecember 14, 2022 at 3:16 pm - Reply
I was just thinking how pretty they’d look with a some pomegranate sprinkled in
NadiaDecember 16, 2022 at 4:52 pm - Reply
Hi Sara 🙂 pomegranate seeds would be a great addition!
SaraDecember 14, 2022 at 3:19 pm - Reply
Also, would coconut syrup work, it is thick.
NadiaDecember 16, 2022 at 4:52 pm - Reply
I don’t think I’ve tried coconut syrup before ? but as long as it’s sticky, it should work 🙂
StellaDecember 27, 2022 at 11:13 am - Reply
Hi Nadia, Merry Christmas! Just made those beautiea and wanted to use them for my decorated Christmas table. How long do they last in like open air? Thanks!ZibaFebruary 22, 2023 at 4:32 pm - Reply
These look amazing! Do you think date syrup would work instead of the recommended?
NadiaFebruary 22, 2023 at 5:31 pm - Reply
Date syrup will also work, but may alter the colour/make them look darker. Let me know if you try them! 😀
AurelieDecember 15, 2023 at 12:58 am - Reply
What can we used instead of flaked almond? Cornflakes, oatmeal ?
NadiaDecember 15, 2023 at 11:27 am - Reply
You can use other types of nuts or dried fruit 🙂
PavithraDecember 15, 2023 at 3:21 am - Reply
Can the coconut oil be substituted with butter? Thanks!
NadiaDecember 15, 2023 at 11:26 am - Reply
Hi Pavithra 🙂 Butter should also work!
BecDecember 17, 2023 at 6:03 am - Reply
Delicious ? exactly what I was looking for. I made a double batch the first time for a work function, and then a triple batch for a Xmas lunch (I added a little ginger to the second lot, yum)
A huge hit and super easy. Thank youNadiaDecember 18, 2023 at 3:30 pm - Reply
I’m so glad you and everyone else enjoyed them Bec 😀 I need to try adding ginger next time!
LisaDecember 22, 2023 at 11:30 pm - Reply
This is my new favorite holiday cookie and it comes together quickly. Making it for a party and I don’t really want to share them! I chopped whole almonds in the food processor because it’s what I had. I had only a few dried cranberries, so I used golden raisins and apricots too. Chopped all in stages in the food processor. They came out great. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
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