Vegan Fig Anise Cookies

Delicious vegan fig anise cookies adapted from the Wild Flour Bakery in Banff, Alberta. Crunchy, sweet and surprisingly addictive!

Its pretty fitting that these cookies are my first post, as before I moved to France I was living in Banff, Alberta and became addicted to the Vegan Fig & Anise Cookies from the Wild Flour Bakery. So addicted and that I needed to recreate them at home, and they were the first thing I baked since arriving in here France. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live without these cookies.

After completely burning the first batch to a crisp in my new gas oven – I was so excited to see the next batch baking up golden brown and smelling delicious. Especially because we had friends coming over and I had talked my girlfriend’s ear off about how much I loved the baked treats at Wild Flour, I needed to do this recipe justice. I can say that they were quickly consumed and I made another batch a few days later, and you will too once your friends and family discover this gem of a cookie.

These cookies are the perfect treat, pack them for a hike, for a chairlift snack or just simply enjoy with a coffee anytime of day. They are soft and chewy on the inside with a nicely baked and a bit crispy on the outside. The taste is original and almost unexpected. Unlike regular cookies, I find these cookies are best served once fully cooled, the texture and flavors need time to set after coming out of the oven. You gotta try these.


VEGAN FIG ANISE COOKIES
( inspired by Wild Flour Bakery)

I try to keep my pantry stocked, but to a minimum. I don’t use too many different types of sugars that often, but I do keep a small jar of unrefined cane sugar in the cupboard for guests wanting coffee. You can easily make your own brown sugar by adding 1 tablespoon of black strap molasses to 1 cup of sugar. Alternatively you could use coconut sugar or light brown sugar in this recipe if those are things you keep on hand.

Vegan. Makes 18 large cookies. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup  unsweetened almond milk
5 tablespoons ground flax
1 cup unrefined cane sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses (or 1 cup coconut sugar/golden brown sugar)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups light spelt flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 tablespoons anise seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped dried figs
1 1/2 tablespoon hot water

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together the almond milk, ground flax, sugar (+ molasses), olive oil and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, anise seed, baking powder, salt together in a bowl then add to the wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon until combined.  Add the almonds and figs and mix just until everything comes together ( I use my hands here, just to make sure everything is well combined), then mix in the hot water.

Place the dough in plastic wrap or parchment and roll into a log then place in the fridge to set for about an hour (or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C

Once chilled, slice the dough into 1 inch rounds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven at for about 20 minutes, flipping the cookies over after 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when the tops are golden brown

Let cool completely on a wire rack.


Let me in on your kitchen creations – tag your photos #happyheartedkitchen and share the love!

23 Comments

  • Reply
    Sarah
    January 21, 2013 at 7:38 am

    So funny- I am living in Switzerland and absolutely craving the fig/Anise cookies from Wildflower, and then I found your blog! Thanks so much :)

  • Reply
    Jodi Kay
    January 21, 2013 at 8:27 am

    Hi Sarah! I love these cookies! Sometimes I long for the lazy days of sipping a latte and eating a cookie in Banff :) Where abouts in Switzerland are you? Thanks for the comment x

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    January 31, 2013 at 6:50 am

    Too funny! Thanks for figuring out the recipe. I am in Calgary, not as far away from Banff as France or Switzerland, but I too love those Fig & Anise cookies from Wild Flour. As it happens, I have a log of that very same cookie dough (bought last weekend from Wild Flour!) sitting in my fridge waiting to be baked very soon. Cheers!

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    May 13, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    I, too, was looking to mimic the cookie from Wild Flour which I tried recently when I was visiting Banff!
    Thank you so much for posting this!

  • Reply
    Fiona Dobie
    May 6, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    Hiya,

    Recently returned from Banff with an addiction to these cookies and the Tasty Living Granola! I Googled for the cookie recipe and yours was the first hit…so glad I found this and that it’s based on THE Wild Flour cookie. I’ve got a batch in the oven, fingers crossed as I’m from the UK and I’m not used to baking in cups…. Brilliant blog, going to try out your carrot and quinoa salad next and then the asparagus and polenta as we have asparagus in the garden right now :-)

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      May 19, 2014 at 7:19 pm

      Hi Fiona! Hopefully the cookies worked out for you! Thanks for the lovely comment, hope you had a great time in Banff, miss those beautiful mountains! J x

  • Reply
    Fiona Dobie
    June 19, 2014 at 9:13 am

    They’re perfect, made another batch yesterday and have been asked so many times for the recipe!! Cheers! :-)

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      June 20, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      Oh yay! So glad you liked them! Enjoy xx

  • Reply
    Nazira Nanji
    September 10, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    Omg, this is bizarre!! I live in Canmore and get my haircut I’m Banff at a salon right across this bakery. I got my haircut today and went to get a coffee at Wild Flour bakery. I asked the sales clerk if she could give me the recipe for this cookie!!!! Then I googled it, and found your blog!!! What a coincidence!!!

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      September 12, 2015 at 3:27 pm

      Oh yay! I’m so glad you found me then! I miss Banff and those beautiful mountains, enjoy it out there + these cookies xo

  • Reply
    Weekend Reading | The Full Helping
    April 9, 2017 at 5:12 pm

    […] fig anise cookies are sort of a cross between a cookie and a sweet cracker, and I can’t imagine anything nicer […]

  • Reply
    Weekend Reading, 4.9.17 – Nomsy Blog
    April 9, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    […] fig anise cookies are sort of a cross between a cookie and a sweet cracker, and I can’t imagine anything nicer […]

  • Reply
    Weekend Reading, 4.9.17 - Singapore Topics
    April 10, 2017 at 4:03 am

    […] fig anise cookies are sort of a cross between a cookie and a sweet cracker, and I can’t imagine anything nicer to […]

  • Reply
    Joi
    December 6, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    This blog makes my day! I just was in Banff and had these cookies… figured I’d never be able to replicate!!! Thank you!!!!!

    • Reply
      Jodi
      December 20, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      Hi JoI! I hope you enjoy the cookies! I love those flavors together! I was just in Banff as well and I always have to stop for a cookie xx

  • Reply
    Rose
    February 12, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    Hi!
    If I’m using coconut sugar, do I still add the tablespoon of molasses?
    Thanks :)

    • Reply
      Jodi
      February 17, 2018 at 3:57 pm

      Hi Rose! If you’re using coconut sugar you won’t need the molasses :) Enjoy!

  • Reply
    Kim
    April 3, 2019 at 8:36 pm

    I didn’t have spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour, just white pastry flour so that’s what I used. The dough seems too soft, I’ve stuck it in the freezer to tighten it up, fingers crossed they come out ok.

  • Reply
    Linda
    August 14, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    Hello! At the Calgary airport after visiting Banff where I became obsessed with the fig anise cookie at Wildflour Bakery! I too was googling to try to find a recipe. I will try it when I get back to Los Angeles!

  • Reply
    Lisa Condensa
    September 6, 2019 at 1:20 am

    So happy to have found this blog and recipe! Recently my husband and I visited Banff and came upon wildflour craving a dirty chai. I was so intrigued by the sound of fog and anise together that we ordered one. One bite and was totally hooked! I said to my husband I have to find a recipe! They’re the best!

  • Reply
    Morgan
    October 22, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Hello, do you know how are the cookies are with eggs instead of flax meal?
    Thank you so much for posting, Rose.

  • Reply
    Katherine
    February 8, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    So happy you created this recipe, as I fell in love with the cookies at Wild Flour Bakery! They now seem to make them in a drop-cookie style, but these are equally delicious and a delightful texture. Thank you!! I do add 1/4 tsp anise extract, because we really love the anise taste.
    Two questions:
    Can I freeze the dough log for a later date?
    Do you have recommdations for converting this to a non-vegan drop cookie style? I’d like to make some for my dad who doesn’t tolerate flaxseed :-)

  • Reply
    Katherine
    March 1, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    These freeze beautifully. I made a double batch and made three dough logs, cooked one and put the other two in the freezer, wrapped in parchment and plastic wrap. Thawed for a day in the fridge before baking and they came out perfectly!

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