Hemp Seed Florentine Cookies (Vegan + GF)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line two standard-size (13- x 18-inch or larger) baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

COOKIES: In a small saucepan, combine the vegan butter (or coconut oil), coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Whisking almost constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until the coconut sugar is dissolved and the mixture just begins to bubble and look “foamy.” This takes about 3-5 minutes (adjust time if making a smaller/larger batch size). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Step 3

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine rolled oats (or sunflower seeds), pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds. Process/blend until you achieve a coarse meal with no whole oats remaining — about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overprocess. Transfer seed mixture to a mixing bowl and add the warm “caramel” mixture. Mix with a spoon or spatula until evenly combined.

Step 4

Using a 1-Tbsp cookie scoop, evenly place 6 “cookies” onto each prepared baking sheet. They will spread considerably, so avoid the temptation to overcrowd the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes (10 for chewier, 12 for crispy in our oven) watching very closely at the end to prevent burning (know that everyone’s oven is different!). At 12 minutes, the cookies should be lightly bubbling in the middle and deep golden brown on the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Step 5

OPTIONAL: Right after removing from the oven, while cookies are still warm, smoosh the edges in for a cleaner look. Alternatively, if desired, use a round cookie cutter to get perfectly round cookies. We pushed in some wonky edges but left them looking mostly rustic. You can also sprinkle the top of your warm cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt and/or hemp seeds!

Step 6

CHOCOLATE (OPTIONAL): While the cookies cool, place the chocolate into a small microwavable bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning, until smooth and melted. You can also melt on the stovetop by adding chocolate to a small glass or metal bowl and carefully placing it over ~1 inch of simmering water in a small saucepan, then stirring until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 7

There are two options for adding chocolate to the cookies: “dipping” or drizzling.

Step 8

For dipping, once the cookies are fully cooled and crispy (about 5 minutes), flip them over and carefully add ~2 tsp melted chocolate to the bottom of each cookie. Carefully spread the chocolate out with a butter knife or the back of a spoon. You can use a fork to create squiggly lines in the chocolate if you’re feeling fancy! Let the chocolate set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or, if you’re impatient like us, transfer cookies to the refrigerator to set the chocolate in ~5 minutes.

Step 9

For drizzling, simply use a spoon to lightly drizzle the tops of the Florentines with the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or transfer to the refrigerator to set faster.

Step 10

Enjoy! Leftover cookies keep at a cool room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They also keep well in the freezer for longer-term storage! If you store chocolate-dipped or drizzled cookies at room temperature, we recommend placing pieces of parchment or wax paper in between the cookies to prevent a melted chocolate mess.