Vibrant Cookies You Won’t Stop Eating
Our dragon fruit cookies (grain-free) combine vibrant hues with tantalizing flavors. Each cookie is infused with a subtly sweet essence topped with a slightly tangy contrast of passion fruit glaze. Enjoy them as a decadent snack, a unique dessert option, or a thoughtful gift that’s sure to impress.
Have you ever gone into the grocery store and noticed that piece of fruit that looks like something out of a fantasy film with its magenta and green scales and is usually priced relatively high compared to some of your standard fruit? That’s dragon fruit! It’s a tropical, sweet, delicate fruit that’s great raw or in smoothies and… desserts! We couldn’t help but try to incorporate this fruit into these magenta, chewy dragon fruit cookies.
Want to know some of the benefits of dragon fruit? According to Forbes, dragon fruit can lower the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Dragon fruit is rich in vitamins C and A and potassium. It can boost hydration, aid digestion, and help you get your fiber intake. This is all best when raw, of course, but using dragon fruit powder isn’t bad either – it’s low-calorie and antioxidant-rich.
don’t be intimidated!
These dragon fruit cookies are easy, colorful, and fun to make. We are using our tiger nut all-purpose flour to make this grain-free for those with allergies, but you can swap it with AP flour if needed (the time it takes to bake may need adjustment). If you use your own gluten-free flour, you may need to adjust the liquids in this recipe and experiment.
- Collect all the ingredients for the cookie dough. Cream butter and sugars together using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment on low. You can also use a large bowl with a mixer as well. Prepare the egg replacer according to the package instructions. If you are using it, add it (or eggs) and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the tiger nut flour (or your choice of flour), dragon fruit powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture in the standing mixer and blend until just combined.
- Form the dough into a ball using cling wrap, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes; longer chilling yields better results.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Clean the mixer bowl during this time.
- Scoop the dough in 1.5 TBS portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, shaping each into a ball. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool. Clear some space in the fridge to chill the baked cookies faster. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting in the cleaned mixer bowl using the whisk attachment, starting with the recommended amount of passion fruit and adjusting as needed until the frosting is ready to drizzle.
Tips
Can I flavor the cookies with dragon fruit pulp instead of powder?
We recommend using either Kate Naturals’ dragon fruit powder or Grelim’s dragon fruit powder as a cheaper alternative because it introduces fewer liquids into the cookie dough.
Where can I get passion fruit jelly?
We recommend buying Vonbee Passion Fruit Puree from Costco, but if this is too big, you can always buy it in liquid, powder, or reserve form from other retail stores in smaller amounts. Grocery stores may have the juice version for much cheaper. Please keep in mind that using an alternative may mean the amounts for the glaze will need to be adjusted. Experiment! If all else fails, don’t be afraid to skip the passion fruit altogether!
Do I need to chill the cookie dough first?
It’s not necessary but for best results, we recommend chilling the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes if you have time. Chilling the dough controls the spread of the cookies. When you go on to bake the dough, the butter will have already solidified and take longer to melt in the oven. It also allows the dough to absorb the flour and makes for a less crackly cookie.
Why are my gluten-free cookie shapes weird?
Since the dough tends to be crumblier than gluten cookies, chilling and forming the dough into small round balls will help them achieve the desired look in the end.
Why are my dragon fruit cookies breaking apart when I lift them off the cookie sheet?
Allow them to cool completely before moving them so they can settle and further solidify. Flash chilling in the refrigerator after baking can speed up the process.
Dragon Fruit Cookies with Passion Fruit Glaze
Equipment
- Standing Mixer with Paddle Attachment or Large Bowl with Mixer
- Small mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cling wrap
- Spoon
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Wire rack
- Baking Sheet Pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Ingredients for cookie:
- ½ Cup Unsalted butter softened
- ½ Cup White granulated sugar
- ½ Cup Brown sugar
- 2 Eggs or 2 Egg Replacer
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 ½ Cups Our Tiger Nut AP flour or AP Flour
- ¼ Cup Dragon fruit powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
Ingredients for frosting:
- 1 Cup confectioners sugar
- 4-5 tsp milk
- 2 tsp of passion fruit extract jelly, liquid or powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients for the cookie dough.
- Cream the butter and sugars together with a paddle attachment in the standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with mixer on low speed.
- Prepare the egg replacer per package instructions if you’re not using eggs. Add the eggs or egg replacer, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture in the standing mixer.
- Whisk together the tiger nut AP flour or preferred flour in a separate mixing bowl with the dragon fruit powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture in the standing mixer and use the paddle attachment to combine on low speed.
- Allow dough to form in the standing mixer. Scoop the dough out onto a cling wrap and form it into a big ball when clumped together. Cover the ball with the cling wrap.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes. The more refrigeration, the better.
- Preheat oven to 350℉/175℃. Clean the standing mixer bowl while the dough chills to prepare for frosting.
- Scoop 1.5 TBS worth of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a round ball.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes minutes. In the meantime, try to clear some space in the fridge to transfer the cookie sheet to the refrigerator. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow it to cool.
- In the meantime, let’s make the frosting! In the standing bowl mixer, combine frosting ingredients with a whisk attachment on the lowest speed until well incorporated. Depending on your choice of passion fruit, start with the tsp recommend and experiment from there. You should be able to drizzle the frosting after completing it.
How did These Dragon Fruit Cookies Come out?
Drop us a comment down below if you made these! If you’re interested in our other desserts, check out our tiger nut brownies and s’mores french toast!