Almond Mouse Cookies (vegan, gluten free, oil free, refined sugar free)
Jan 15, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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cute almond mouse cookies!
Inspired by this year’s Chinese New Year zodiac animal, the rat (or mouse), I bring you adorable Almond Mouse Cookies! My family lived overseas in China for several years, and while it’s not a holiday we really celebrate, we’ll dip our toes into the festivities because it’s probably the most fun time of year in China. During Chinese New Year, there’s an abundance of good food, decorations, fireworks and really really cute zodiac animal inspired things. You can find clothes with the zodiac animal of the year across them, decorations and also a lot of animal shaped food. If you didn’t know this about China (and to be fair, most Asian countries), cute animal shaped food is a thing!
In past years I’ve created animal shaped steamed buns, one of the most popular things you can find, but because I wanted to keep it simple and easy to make, I opted for cookies. Last year’s Hedgehog Cookies were one of the most popular recipes I shared, and I realized I could easily turn the same recipe into mice! So I did just that, and these cookie critters are not only fun to make, but delicious. Also, they’re a lot easier to make than the hedgehog cookies if I’m being really honest.
These healthy Almond Mouse Cookies are made with a handful of simple ingredients like almond flour, oat flour, almond butter, and maple syrup. They’re sure to entertain your kids, and they’re fun to bring as party favours too. If you’re not celebrating Chinese New Year, they’re also just a really cute cookie. Don’t you think?
the details
- This recipe is vegan, gluten free, oil free and refined sugar free. It’s a fun recipe to make with friends and family, and comes together in one bowl.
- Almond butter → is our main source of healthy fat in this recipe, and how we’re making these cookies oil-free! It contains plant protein, and I recommend almond butter because it’s the perfect consistency. Try not to sub this out for another nut butter, but if you do, try peanut butter. Just be aware the flavour will change.
- Maple syrup → is a great unrefined sweetener that adds the moisture to the recipe that we need. If you prefer to use agave, you definitely can as an alternative, but do not sub this out for any granulated sugar.
- Almond flour → is a grain-free flour made from, you guessed it, almonds. I added this to the recipe because when I was making the Hedgehog Cookies, I realized that it was a key ingredient. It adds a source of moisture, and is less of a dry, absorbent flour when compared to oat flour. The combination of both makes the perfect consistency for soft cookies with a crispy edge.
secrets to success
I highly recommend sticking to this flour blend as noted, because the shape of the cookies demand a certain amount of moisture so as not to crack/dry out or burn. If you need to sub almond flour, consider subbing hazelnut flour, but otherwise please follow the recipe or check out some of my other gluten free cookie recipes! You can also check out this IGTV video, walking you through the process of shaping these cuties.
For best results, I recommend using a silicon baking mat, or nonstick baking sheet. The cookies will be a little delicate once removed from the oven, and we want to avoid crushing the body shape when removing from the sheet.
Allow your cookies to cool completely (I know it’s hard!) before you start adding in the facial details with chocolate. It will be a much easier experience, guaranteed!
If you have any issues keeping your decorative details stuck into the cookie, use a little bit of mashed dates, or melted chocolate to “glue” it together.
if you like this recipe, try…
- 20+ Vegan and Gluten Free Cookie Recipes
- Flourless Nutella Choc Hazelnut Cookies
- Hedgehog Almond Cookies
- Teddy Graham Tahini Cookies
- Monstera Matcha Cookies
- Spicy Almond Butter Noodles
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Almond Mouse Cookies (vegan, gluten free, oil free, refined sugar free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup roasted creamy almond butter be sure to use one without added oil or sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract more to taste
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup raw or toasted sliced almonds
- 1/8 cup of dark chocolate chips I like this brand for oil-free chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare batter.
- Prepare your flax egg by combining 1 tbsp flax meal with 3 tbsp water and allow to sit until thick.
- In a large bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Add flax egg, maple syrup, almond butter, almond extract and vanilla extract and mix until a dough forms. Allow the dough to sit for a few minutes. If the dough feels too dry, you can add an additional tablespoon of peanut butter, or non-dairy milk by the teaspoon to help it along. At this point, I recommend taste testing to see if the almond flavour is strong enough. I personally find it very strong so I like to start with less and add more, but add as much as you'd like!
- Roll dough into small balls, about 1.5 tablespoons in size, and pinch one side to create a teardrop shape. Place on a lined baking sheet. Follow this video for a visual guide.
- To create mouse shapes, press 2 sliced almonds (pointy side down) into the head of the mouse, to create the ears. Take an herb stem of choice (I used the stems of fresh sage, but you can use thyme, rosemary, anything else edible and tail-like)!
- Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes, being careful not to overbake.
- Let cookies cool for at least one hour, to firm up, before decorating with chocolate.
- Melt 1/8 cup of dark chocolate chips (use a double boiler method, or microwave) and create a nose and eyes for each mouse.
- Allow to cool again, until chocolate is completely dry.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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