Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Here I share my favourite vegan recipes that are not only delicious, but they are vibrant, wholesome and designed to nourish you from the inside out with vegan and vegan curious followers.

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I'm Amy

sweets & snacks

Delicious triple-flavoured cookies that are ready in 20 minutes and are so fun – plus they taste just like the best Neapolitan ice cream. Make one sugar cookie dough and flavour with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry and bake as swirl vegan and gluten-free cookies.

Summer may be on the way out but I could not let the summertime pass without sharing these amazing cookies. They are one of my favourite cookies recipes I’ve worked on this year (yes, there have been a few favourites) but these seriously are so good! They are so fun, it feels like when you were younger and baking at home. Watching the colours come to life and the swirls naturally form as you roll the cookies… nothing beats it. You can watch the recipe video here.

These Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies are:

Quick and easy to make in 20 minutes with no chill time necessary
Chewy inside and crispy outside
Golden and delicious
Flavoured with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry
Naturally vegan and easily gluten-free
Nut-free and soya-free
Fun to make with little ones
Moreish and melt in your mouth

You cannot stop at just one of these cookies and I’ve made them a few times for friends and family and they are always such a hit. If you are totally convinced you need these Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies in your life right now, skip ahead to the recipe card, or let’s see what goes into these cookies:

Vegan butter: the basis for a lot of vegan cookies. I prefer to use vegan butter rather than margarine spread for the flavour and texture but it would also work. I have not tried these with coconut oil but I do not think they would work as well.
Granulated or caster sugar: for the colour and flavour of these cookies, a simple white sugar works better. That said, you can try these with coconut sugar, too, the colour will be richer and not as distinct between the flavours.
Aquafaba: this is our magic egg replacer and makes these cookies so chewy in the centre with a lovely crisp edge. Simply drain a tin of chickpeas, saving the water (this is the aquafaba and use the chickpeas in any of my other recipes).
Vanilla essence: this is important for the vanilla of the cookie dough.
Plain or GF plain flour: this keeps these Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies so light and moreish and melt in your mouth. If you are using GF flour, use one with xantham gum which helps to bind the cookies.
Bicarbonate of soda: for a little rise.
Salt: to bring out all the flavours.

Like most cookies, to make these Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies, simply beat together the butter and sugar and then stir in all the other ingredients to a slightly sticky but thick dough. Now it’s time for the Neapolitan flavours!

Vanilla: this is for the white/cream part of the cookies.
Cocoa or cacao powder: this is for the chocolate part of the cookie. Any cocoa/cacao powder will work.
Freeze-dried strawberry/raspberry powder: this is for the berry flavour of the cookies and any pink berry powder will work.
Pink food gel: make sure to use a vegan food gel/colouring if needed. This adds the colour to the cookies. These Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies taste just as good without the colouring, but the pink dough turns quite beige/brown in the oven, so the colouring makes sure the pink pops. The colour does dull in the oven still, so don’t worry if the pink cookie dough is very bright.

How to make these cookies?

Make the cookie dough and divide into 3 equal portions.
Flavour and colour the strawberry and the chocolate dough.
Take a scoop of each flavoured cookie dough.
Place all three pieces into your hand.
Roll the pieces together into a ball.
Flatten the cookies very slightly onto a cookie sheet.
Bake until slightly puffy, crisping at the edges and delicious.

Then the Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies are ready to go. Allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the tray as they will be delicate when hot. These really are the dream to eat, too, as you get vanilla, strawberry and chocolate at the same time! They taste just like your favourite childhood ice cream but these won’t give you brain freeze and are acceptable to make all year long, no matter what the weather.

How to store these Easy Vegan Neapolitan Cookies?

These cookies will last for 3-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough but allow it to reach room temperature and de-frost before baking them. You can freeze baked cookies, too for up to 1 month, and allow to de-frost before eating them.

If you love these cookies and want to make other cookies, how about my: