These vegan and gluten-free spirulina cookies are crisp around the edges, soft in the centre, and packed with the goodness of spirulina without tasting grassy or overly “green”.
Greens powders are not only for juices, smoothie bowls, and morning shakes. They can also be used in baking, and these easy spirulina cookies are a fun, delicious way to add a naturally green colour to a classic cookie-style treat.
These bright green cookies may look unusual, but the flavour is familiar, comforting, and sweet. They taste much more like a soft chocolate chip cookie than a “healthy” green snack. The spirulina adds colour and nutrients, while the sugars, vanilla, vegan butter, and chocolate or macadamia nuts keep the flavour rich and balanced.
This recipe is ideal if you want vegan cookies, gluten-free cookies, or a simple superfood cookie recipe that still feels like a real dessert. The edges bake up lightly crisp, while the middle stays tender and chewy. They are easy to make, quick to bake, and perfect for anyone who wants to try spirulina powder in a more enjoyable way.
Ingredients & Substitutions
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Gluten-free plain flour – Use gluten-free plain flour if you need these cookies to be gluten-free. If gluten is not an issue, regular all-purpose flour can be used instead. This recipe has not been tested with other flour varieties, so results may vary if you choose to experiment.
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Cornstarch (cornflour) – Cornstarch helps bind the dough and improves the texture of the cookies. It can be replaced with potato starch or arrowroot starch. If you do not have any of these, or if you are using regular flour with gluten, you can replace it with the same amount of extra flour. The cookies may be slightly more crumbly.
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Spirulina – Spirulina powder gives these cookies their striking green colour. You can also try a similar greens powder, such as matcha or moringa, although each option has a different flavour and nutritional profile. Spirulina is the main ingredient in this recipe and gives the cookies their signature look.
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Chia seeds – Chia seeds are used as an egg replacement. When mixed with hot water, they form a gel that helps bind the cookie dough and prevents the cookies from falling apart. A flax egg can be used as an alternative. Other egg replacements have not been tested in this recipe.
How to make Spirulina Cookies
Cookies can be surprisingly easy to overbake or flatten too much, but this spirulina cookie recipe is straightforward when you follow a few simple tips. The goal is to create cookies with crisp edges, a soft centre, and a balanced flavour that does not taste bitter or overly earthy.
Melt your butter. Melted vegan butter is important for a chewy cookie texture. Melt the butter gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until fully liquid. Softened butter will create a cakier cookie, while melted butter helps the dough spread just enough and gives the cookies a richer texture.
Use both white and brown sugar. White sugar encourages the cookies to spread and helps create crisp edges. Brown sugar adds depth, moisture, and a more rounded flavour. Using both gives these spirulina cookies a better texture than using only one type of sugar.
Refrigerate the dough. Chilling the cookie dough may feel like a small step, but it makes a noticeable difference. As the melted butter cools and firms up, the dough becomes easier to handle and less likely to spread too much in the oven. This helps the cookies stay thick enough to have a soft centre.
Roll the dough into balls. Do not press the dough flat before baking. Flattening the dough will make thinner, crispier cookies. For the best texture, roll the dough into balls and let the oven do the spreading.
Leave enough space between cookies. These cookies will spread while baking, so place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet with space between them. Around 4cm is a good minimum, but a little more space is even better.
Bake until the edges are just crisp. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are lightly crisp and the centres still look a little soft. They will firm up as they cool, so avoid baking them for too long.
How to Store Spirulina Cookies
Allow the spirulina cookies to cool completely before storing them. If they are placed in a container while still warm, the trapped steam can soften the edges and make the cookies soggy.
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be kept in the fridge, but the chilled environment may make the edges less crisp.
To refresh the cookies and bring back some crispness, place them in the oven for a couple of minutes, then allow them to cool again before serving.
You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls first, freeze them, and bake from frozen when needed. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Love Cookies? Try These:
- Peanut Butter Millionaire Shortbread
- PB & J Cookies
- Cookie in a Mug
BAKING IN GRAMS
All recipes are tested several times to make sure they are simple, reliable, and easy to follow. Whether you bake often or are just getting started, measuring ingredients accurately is one of the best ways to improve your results.
For the most consistent cookies, measure ingredients by weight rather than using cups. A kitchen scale is affordable, easy to use, and can make a big difference in baking. Measuring cups can vary widely, especially with flour. One person’s cup of flour may weigh much more or much less than another person’s, which can change the final texture of the cookies.
Using grams helps you avoid dry dough, overly soft dough, or cookies that spread too much. It also makes the recipe easier to repeat with the same results each time.
Now dust off your apron and enjoy baking these green, chewy, vegan spirulina cookies.
Easy Spirulina Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Chia seeds*
- 100 g Vegan butter
- 50 g White sugar
- 50 g Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 100 g Plain flour gluten-free if needed
- 10 g Cornflour
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1.5 tbsp Spirulina powder*
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 50 g White chocolate or macadamia nuts
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C / 350°F / 160°C fan.
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Make a chia egg by adding 2 1/2 tablespoons of hot water to the chia seeds. Mix well and set aside until gel-like.
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Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan or microwave. Add the white sugar and brown sugar, then whisk until smooth.
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Add the chia egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.
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In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, baking soda, spirulina powder, and salt.
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Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until a cookie dough forms.
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Fold in the white chocolate or macadamia nuts.
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Roll the dough into 8 balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave around 4cm between each ball.
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Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to crisp while the centres remain soft.
Notes
- Cornstarch (cornflour) – Replace with potato starch or arrowroot starch if preferred. If using regular flour with gluten, you can use extra flour instead, but the cookies may be more crumbly.
- Spirulina – Spirulina can be substituted with another greens powder, such as matcha or moringa, though the taste and colour may change.
- Chia seeds – The chia egg helps bind the dough. A flax egg can be used as an alternative.
Nutritional values are provided as a guide only and may vary depending on the exact ingredients and measurements used.