Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies 

Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies are lightly sweetened, with a bright blend of flavors, and a nice balance of soft, yet slightly more dry from the coconut flour than my other Okara Bannock Cookies and Brownies.  A little shredded coconut in the cookie dough, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top adds a nice nutty flavor.  

All of my Okara Bannock Cookies and Brownies are loaded with dried fruit for natural sweetness and make for a delightful between meal snack treat!  I also like adding a scoop or two of plant protein powder in lieu of some of the flour, especially helpful for those who prefer a gluten-free option.

I love all of the Okara Cookies and Brownies as they are the perfect blend of everything you want in a midday snack! The Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies (pictured at the bottom of the plate) are especially great with a cup of green tea, or one of the Teeccino Mayan or Dandelion Red Chai Teas, or the Tremella Tulsi Tea or Coffee style Blend with Cardamom.  Love the entire Teeccino line of teas and coffee alternatives!

What's in the Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies?

I made use of some dried mango I needed to use up in these Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Coconut Okara Cookies.  I still added lots of other dried fruit as in my Okara Bannock Cookies Main / Base Recipe, using mostly golden raisins, with a few regular raisins, dried apple and mango to keep the overall color lighter, and the flavor sweet and delicious.  

I thought lemon would be a nice flavor profile with the mango and coconut, so I added a little each of  lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract, along with almond extract.  Lime could be a nice option as well.

To keep them gluten-free, I used a blend of coconut flour, plant-protein powder, and white rice flour, along with shredded coconut.  Almond flour would also work.

To spice the Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies up a bit, I added a little ginger and cardamom. 

And finally, for that hint of nuttiness, I garnished the GF Lemon Mango Okara Cookies with sesame seeds.

As a binder, I used a flax egg, similar to the basic Okara Bannock Cookies recipes.

Recipe Notes for Making Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies 

You may want to refer to the recipe notes for the Okara Bannock Cookies and Brownies, basic recipe.

Here are a couple reminders, specifically for these Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies.

• The dough can be made ahead of time. Cover well, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• I used what I had on hand to have a gluten-free Okara cookie option.  Those of you following gluten-free diets likely have a preferred gluten-free flour / baking blend.  Otherwise, my guess is that the coconut flour can be subbed out for almond flour, cashew flour, or other gluten-free alternatives.  I do think adding at least part rice flour gives the cookie a nice, more delicate texture and flavor.
• There are many options to keep these gluten-free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies sugar-free as well, including using Swerve (granulated, and possibly powdered may work), Xyla, stevia, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, vanilla paste or powder, and others.  There are also some-what 'healthier' 'sugars' including pure vegan cane or beet sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, etc.  The choice may effect the final product.  Adjust liquid to dry ingredients, and taste to see if the sweetness is to your liking.
• If prefer oil-free, sub tahini or other nut or seed butter for the oil.
• If not needing them to be gluten-free, try making these Lemon Mango Okara Cookies with oat flour, or white whole wheat flour instead of the coconut flour.  
• Because you may be using different types of plant protein powder, flour, and sweeteners, I suggest doing a taste test where noted in the recipe steps.  This is a good basic recipe for you to play with.  Apologies for not being more precise to those that prefer that!

Okara Bannock Cookies, Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Coconut Okara Cookies and Carob Peanut Butter Okara Brownies ~ all amazing!

Optional Ingredients to add to Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies

• Use this as a base recipe, and experiment with adding your favorite dried fruit, such as Turkish apricots, dried apple, peaches, pear, or pineapple, raisins, cranberries, dried plums, dates, etc.  If you can, dehydrate your favorite fruit during the summer so you have plenty around for snacking on, and making Okara Bannock Cookies and Brownies!
• Add 1/4 cup ground sesame seeds, roasted unsalted sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, pistachios, pecans or shredded coconut. (I'm thinking pistachios or ground sesame seeds would be good!)
• Use 2 Tbsp. tahini or other nut or seed butter in lieu of the oil in the recipe.
• Try different flavorings, such as vanilla, almond, or maple extract, or orange + almond or vanilla is a nice combination; alternatively you can try using rose, lavender, or orange water.
• In lieu of vanilla extract, you can try either vanilla powder, or vanilla paste.
• Use cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, clove or allspice, depending upon what else you are using. 
• The amount of sweetener may need to be adjusted depending upon if you are using a sweetened protein powder.

Okara Bannock Cookies, center, Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Coconut Okara Cookies, L; Carob Squash Okara Brownies, R

Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies with raisins, dried mango, lemon and coconut

Gluten-Free Lemon Mango Okara Cookies - Ingredients & Recipe

• 1 Tbsp. ground chia or flax seeds mixed in a small bowl with 3 Tbsp. filtered water
• Around 1/2 cup each (ideally unsulphured) dried apple and mango, chopped 
• About 1/2 cup each raisins and golden raisins (sultans) ~ more or less of your favorite
• Roughly 2/3 cup, give or take, okara (the equivalent of making one batch of soy milk with 3/4 cup soybeans)
• 1 Tbsp. High Oleic Sunflower oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or oil of choice (or sub with 2 Tbsp. tahini, or other nut or seed butter)
• 1/4 cup (more as needed) soy or almond milk, or nondairy milk of choice 
• 1/4 cup sweetener of choice (brown rice syrup, maple syrup, vegan organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, or 2 Tbsp. organic vegan sugar or light brown sugar, and several drops of a good liquid stevia)
• About 1 tsp. lemon zest, and the juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract, or use a bit more lemon juice
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. cardamom
  
• 1/4 tsp. dried ginger (or grate and squeeze the juice of a 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger)
• 2 scoops, or about 1/2 cup soy or pea plant protein, or your favorite ~ unsweetened, lemon, or vanilla flavor
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
  
• 1/2 cup white rice flour (more as needed)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. potassium bicarbonate (for lower sodium) or use baking soda
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut 
• 1/4 cup any other optional add-ins, such as ground sesame seeds, roasted unsalted sunflower seeds, chopped pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Sesame seeds to garnish on top

Preheat oven to 375º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

1. Mix the chia or flax seeds in a small bowl with water, and let it sit while prepping fruit
2. Place chopped dried apple and mango in a small heat-proof bowl.  Top with just barely enough heated water to cover.  Let soak about 10-15 minutes to rehydrate and soften the fruit.  Strain, reserving soaking liquid.  Measure out raisins and add to the apple and mango.  (Alternatively, all the fruit can be covered in water to rehydrate, reserving soaking water to use in the batter.)
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine okara, chia or flax egg, oil or nut or seed butter, soy or almond milk, sweetener(s), lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract,  and almond extract.  Stir, then add dried fruit, and up to 1/4 cup of dried fruit soaking water.  Stir to combine.
4. Stir in spices and protein powder.  
5. Add coconut flour and white rice flour.  Before stirring, sprinkle baking powder and potassium bicarbonate or baking soda on top, then stir.  
6. Stir in coconut, and any optional extra nuts or seeds you are using.  AT this point, you may want to do a taste test to see if the batter tastes sweet enough for your liking.  Adjust if needed.
7. If the batter seems too wet and sticky, add more flour, 1-2 tablespoons at a time.  If the dough is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, soaking water from the dried fruit, or nondairy milk at a time.
8. The batter can be chilled first, for 10 - 15 minutes or overnight. (Wrap well in Saran wrap or wax paper.)
9. Scoop out dough using a large spoon, and shape into round, slightly flattened discs, about 2 inches in diameter ~ smaller or larger as per your preference.  You can make them into balls, place on the baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon, or shape them right into your hands, whichever you prefer.  If needed, keep a small bowl of cool filtered water next to you to moisten your hands to prevent sticking.
10. Sprinkle whole sesame seeds on top of each cookie.
11. Bake about 15-17 minutes, give or take.  They should spring back when pressed with a finger.  The bottoms will brown lightly.  A toothpick entered should come out clean.
12. Remove from oven, but leave on baking sheet for another 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Keep your GF Lemon Mango Coconut Okara Cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days, or wrap in wax paper, then a ziplock bag or airtight container, and keep them in the freezer.

Once frozen, pull out however many you want, and let thaw on the counter.  

To reheat, bake in a covered heat proof dish, or wrapped in foil in the oven.  Even quicker, microwave for about 20 seconds on power level 5 (half power.)  They come out perfect, like fresh baked!

More Okara Bannock Cookies & Carob Peanut Butter Okara Brownies Recipes

Okara Bannock Cookies ~ Base Recipe

All 3 Varieties (so far!)

Super dense, moist, and satisfying, with just the right amount of sweet ~ Carob Peanut Butter Okara Brownies

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