These brandy snaps are a rich and decadent dessert. They’re brittle on the outside and creamy on the inside, and they’re vegan!
There are few things in life better than a dessert that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And because of that, these brandy snaps have quickly become one of my favorite treats. The buttery, caramel exterior of these desserts is crisp and crunchy, while the interior will melt in your mouth. That’s how smooth and soft the filling is.
These cookies are meant to be eaten as a dessert, but I’ll be honest: I have them as a midday snack, too, because they’re fairly irresistible. They’re also fun to make and look really fancy. Trust me when I say that your friends will be impressed that you made these!
What Are Brandy Snaps?
Brandy snaps are a common treat in the United Kingdom, and they’re very similar to Italian cannolis. They feature a thin, sweet dough that is cooked flat, and then rolled into a hollow cylinder. That cylinder crisps up as it cools, and is then stuffed with a creamy filling.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make these fancy desserts. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
For the Cookies:
- Vegan butter – Make sure the butter is unsalted.
- Coconut sugar
- Agave – If you eat honey, you can use it in place of agave.
- All-purpose flour
- Ground ginger
- Kosher salt
For the Filling:
- Coconut milk – You want to use full-fat coconut milk, and it should be chilled in the fridge overnight.
- Maple syrup
- Coconut water
- Almond extract – Be sure to use 100% pure almond extract, and not anything with artificial flavors.
How to Make Brandy Snaps
Here’s how to make these fun cookies. They look a lot harder than they actually are!
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
- Heat the butter and sugar. Place the vegan butter, agave, and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium-low until the sugar has dissolved. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients. After the butter and sugar mixture has cooled for 1-2 minutes, add the flour, ginger, and salt, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Place on the baking sheet. Use a spoon to place teaspoons of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Place the cookies in the oven until they turn a deep golden brown, which should take 8-9 minutes.
- Prep a spoon. While the cookies are in the oven, grease the handle of a large wooden spoon.
- Shape the cookies. When the cookies are done baking, let them cool for 30 seconds. Then remove a cookie from the baking sheet, and wrap it around the handle of the wooden spoon, with the lacy side facing outwards. Let the cookie cool on the spoon handle for a few seconds, then slide it off the spoon and place it on a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
- Make the filling. Put the creamy solids from the top of the coconut milk into a mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup and almond extract to the bowl, and beat until the mixture is fluffy. If it’s not getting fluffy, add a little bit of coconut water.
- Finish the brandy snaps. Once the cookies have cooled, use a piping bag to pipe the filling into each cookie, then enjoy.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tricks and tips for making the best brandy snaps.
- Work in small batches. Because the crispy cookies have to be shaped while they’re still warm, make sure you work in small batches. Only bake a maximum of four cookies at a time, so that you have the time to shape all of them into cylinders before they cool down and firm up.
- Let the cookies cool fully. Make sure that you don’t start piping the filling into the brandy snaps until the cookies have cooled fully. If they’re even a little bit warm, the heat from the cookies could melt the filling.
- Oil your hands. If you’re having trouble with the cookies sticking when you try to shape them, then add a tiny bit of oil to your hands. This will make it easier to work with the sticky dough.
Variations
Here are a few different ways that you can play with this brandy snaps recipe.
- Add more flavors. The filling in these brandy snaps has almond extract, which is fairly traditional. However, you can have fun and try some different flavors in place of, or in addition to the almond extract. Another extract, such as vanilla or orange, would go wonderfully with the filling. Lemon or orange zest would also make for a delicious and fresh brandy snap filling.
- Add toppings. It’s very common to add toppings to the ends of cannolis, and you can do that with brandy snaps as well. Sprinkle your favorite topping on both ends of the brandy snaps to add some extra flavor and texture. I like to add mini chocolate chips, chopped almonds, or toasted coconut shreds.
- Use real butter. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s vegan. But if you’re not plant-based, feel free to replace the vegan butter in the cookies with real butter!
How to Store Brandy Snaps
I don’t recommend trying to store brandy snaps for long, as the filling will quickly make the cookie shell soggy. They’ll last for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, but the texture will be compromised. If you’re going to store brandy snaps, do so before assembling them. Both the cookies and the filling will last for 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. Store them like that, and assemble the dessert when you’re ready to eat it.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can store brandy snaps in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. But, as with storing them in the fridge, the texture will not be nearly as good when you thaw them.
More Cookie Recipes to Make
Here are a few more of my favorite cookie recipes for you to bake.
- Vegan chocolate quinoa cookies
- Gluten-free pizzelle cookies
- Cranberry orange quinoa breakfast cookies
- Orange cardamom sugar cookies
- Pumpkin chocolate chip quinoa cookies
Brandy Snaps
Ingredients
for the cookie base:
- ½ stick unsalted vegan butter
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2½ tablespoons agave
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
for the filling:
- 1 (14.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Coconut water (from can) as needed
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, sugar, and agave, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cool for 1-2 minutes, then add the flour, ginger, and salt and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Dollop teaspoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving several inches of space between each cookie. Bake 4 at a time so you can quickly roll them while they’re warm.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the cookies are deep golden brown. While they bake, spray the handle of a large wooden spoon with nonstick spray.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 30 seconds. Then use a spatula to remove the cookies from the baking sheet and immediatly wrap each cookie around the greased spoon handle with the lacy side facing out, overlapping the edges. Cool on the handle for a few seconds before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cookies. If the cookies cool too much, reheat them for a few seconds in the oven. Cool fully on the wire rack before filling. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, reheating it on the stove if it becomes too firm.
- To make the filling, scoop out just the solid coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk into a mixing bowl. Beat the coconut cream, maple syrup, and almond extract until fluffy. If necessary, add coconut water (from the can), 1 teaspoon at a time, to help things fluff.
- When all of the cookies are rolled and fully cool, fill them with almond whipped cream filling using a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner cut off.
Nutrition
