Beat maple syrup into the filling slowly; pouring it into soft fat all at once can split the cream.
Vegan oat-pecan shortbread sandwiches with a pale maple nut buttercream.
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Vegan Maple Pecan Shortbread Sandwiches Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- kitchen scale
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- fork
- wide spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix shells
- Mix shells: Beat dough vegan butter and sugar just until smooth, then add wheat flour, oat flour, dough pecan meal and salt and mix until cohesive. Use a firm block product around 80% fat; soft tub spreads introduce excess water. Check all ingredients are vegan.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide all dough into 32 equal portions (about 16 g each). Press between parchment into 2-inch rounds, 1/4 inch thick. Keep the tops flat. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 16 discs per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool and fill
- Cool and fill: Rest 10 minutes on trays and cool 20 minutes on a rack. Beat filling vegan butter and sugar pale, then slowly beat in maple syrup and filling pecan meal. Divide among 16 bottoms, about 6 g each, and cap with the remaining shells. Chill 20 minutes to firm the pale maple cream.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 35 min hands-on + 30 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 50 min cooling/setting = 159 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Oat flour and pecan meal alter the shell's wheat/fat balance; the filling is an aerated maple-pecan fat emulsion, not jam or ganache.
Technique & texture
Beat maple syrup into the filling slowly; pouring it into soft fat all at once can split the cream.
Finishing & serving
Use a thin filling and serve cool rather than ice cold; confirm vegan butter and sugar labels for dietary suitability.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | Up to 2 days. Seal fully cooled filled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; the filling gradually softens the crumb. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Prepare the filling fresh. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze unfilled cookie shells airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Fill after thawing. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Thaw shells, prepare fresh filling, then assemble as directed. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 16 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives the maple filling its pale cream texture?
Oat flour and pecan meal alter the shell's wheat/fat balance; the filling is an aerated maple-pecan fat emulsion, not jam or ganache.
Why did the filling split?
Beat maple syrup into the filling slowly; pouring it into soft fat all at once can split the cream.
Which ingredients need vegan label checks?
Use a thin filling and serve cool rather than ice cold; confirm vegan butter and sugar labels for dietary suitability.
