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Vegan Gluten-Free Maamoul Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 54 reviews

This Vegan Gluten-free Maamoul recipe offers a delightful Middle Eastern-inspired treat featuring a spiced date filling enveloped in a tender, naturally gluten-free dough made from rice flour and ground almonds. These traditional cookies are baked to a perfect golden finish, making them an ideal handmade gift or a special snack for those adhering to vegan and gluten-free diets.

Ingredients

Scale

Date Filling

  • 200g Medjool dates
  • 3–4 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Dough

  • 100g rice flour (or plain gluten-free flour)
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 60g coconut oil, melted (or vegan butter)
  • 4–5 tbsp milk of choice (such as almond, soy, or oat milk)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or 350°F to ensure it reaches the ideal baking temperature for evenly cooked maamoul cookies.
  2. Prepare the Date Filling: Place the Medjool dates and water in a pan over low to medium heat. Mash the dates continuously with the back of a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms. Stir in the sesame seeds, ground cardamom, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Set aside and let the mixture cool completely to firm up for easy shaping.
  3. Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour (or gluten-free plain flour), ground almonds, and salt. Add the melted coconut oil and your preferred milk incrementally, mixing until a soft dough forms that is pliable but not sticky.
  4. Shape the Cookies: Divide the dough into 13-14 equal balls, adjusting based on mold size if using a Maamoul mold. Similarly, divide the cooled date filling into smaller balls compared to the dough balls to ensure sufficient dough wraps each filling.
  5. Fill and Mold: Flatten each dough ball in your hand, place a date filling ball in the center, then fold the dough completely around the filling. Press the filled dough gently into a Maamoul mold if available to imprint the traditional pattern. If you don’t have a mold, simply press the filled dough slightly to flatten and shape it by hand.
  6. Release and Bake: Invert the mold onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and tap the edge of the mold on a hard surface to release the cookie. Arrange all shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet, then place it in the preheated oven.
  7. Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden and firm to the touch.
  8. Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the maamoul cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing, which helps the cookies maintain their shape and texture.

Notes

  • Medjool dates are preferred for their softness and natural sweetness; if unavailable, use any soft pitted dates.
  • If you do not have a Maamoul mold, hand shaping the cookies and pressing them slightly will work well.
  • You can substitute the milk of choice with any plant-based milk to maintain the vegan nature of the recipe.
  • Ensure the dough is not too sticky; add a bit more rice flour if necessary when forming dough balls.
  • Store the maamoul cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: vegan maamoul, gluten-free cookies, date filled cookies, Middle Eastern sweets, vegan desserts, gluten-free baking, healthy cookies, holiday cookies, plant-based sweets

Find it online: https://hannahdelgado.com/vegan-gluten-free-maamoul-recipe/