FINALLY! Vegan Sugar Cookies have hit the blog! I’m so excited for these easy cut out cookies y’all. Just in time for the holidays! Though there are a number of Christmas cookies on my blog, there’s nothing that says Christmas quite like these rolled, cut out cookies.
Unlike most vegan sugar cookies, you’ll actually want to inhale these! Yes, they’re that good. Buttery, lightly crispy and flavorful. They work perfectly with any cookie cutters you’d like to use, in whatever shape.
Plus, they don’t spread or puff up excessively when you bake them! They hold their shape really well, which is always the goal.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies:
To make these Vegan Sugar Cookies, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients:
- Vegan Butter – as with most recipes, I tend to use Earth Balance vegan butter sticks. They’re easy to find in most grocery stores and produce consistent results. I haven’t tried any vegan butter substitutes, so unfortunately can’t recommend any substitutions at this time.
- Organic Cane Sugar – an essential ingredient for homemade vegan sugar cookies. I always use organic cane sugar to ensure my cookies are vegan, as non-organic sugars are typically processed with bone char.
- Vanilla Extract – this will add some flavor to your cookies, ensuring they aren’t bland. I’ve even seen where some people choose to also add almond extract for added flavor. I haven’t tried this, but it sounds delicious!
- All-Purpose Flour – looking to make this recipe gluten-free? Unfortunately I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than the all-purpose flour that the recipe calls for. However, you may find luck replacing it with a 1:1 gluten-free variety.
- Baking Soda – the leavening agent we’ll use to make sure our vegan sugar cookies are able to hold their shape as desired..
- Unsweetened Applesauce – we’ll use this as an egg replacement. I haven’t tested any substitutions, so I unfortunately can’t make any recommendations at the moment.
- Organic Powdered Sugar – this will be used to create a simple icing. Again, you’ll want to make sure you’re using organic powdered sugar to ensure your recipe is vegan.
- Plant Milk – I often opt for unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any variety you’d like such as oat, soy, or even coconut milk (though this will likely change the flavor profile).
- Gel Food Coloring (optional) I enjoy using the icing colors from Wilton. They’re good quality, beautiful colors, and vegan friendly!
- Vegan Sprinkles (optional) – I like these from Wilton as well.
How to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies:
The process to make these Vegan Sugar Cookies is much like how you’d make any others. You’ll begin by mixing together your softened vegan butter and organic cane sugar. Use an electric hand mixer or standing mixer and beat the ingredients together until the mixture appears whipped.
Once the vegan butter and organic cane sugar are mixed, add in your vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, unsweetened applesauce and water. Combine these ingredients on a medium speed until a firm dough has formed.
How to Roll the Cookie Dough:
I’ve found that the best way to roll these Vegan Sugar Cookies is to mold the dough into a ball, then place it between two large pieces of parchment paper- one piece on the top and the other on the bottom. Using both hands, mash down the cookie dough to flatten it out.
Using a rolling pin, roll overtop the parchment paper to continue to flatten the cookie dough. This can be a little tricky, so to make things easier you can tape the bottom piece of parchment paper to the counter so that it stays in place. It might also be helpful to use one hand to hold the top piece in place, while you use the other hand to roll the pin.
You’ll want to roll the cookie dough so that it’s about ¼- ¾ inches thick. I prefer thicker cookies, but if you prefer them on the thinner side, be sure to keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven because the baking time listed in the recipe card below may be too long.
Once you’ve rolled the dough out to your desired thickness, grab your cookie cutters and begin cutting your shapes out. Transfer each of the cut cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy removal. Once the pan is full, transfer them to the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
Re-roll your cookie dough and repeat the process of placing it between the sheets of parchment paper, rolling it out and cutting out the cookie shapes. Repeat this process until all of your cookie dough has been used, resulting in about 36 cookies total.
Icing Your Vegan Sugar Cookies:
It’s important to wait until your Vegan Sugar Cookies are completely cooled before you start icing them. If not, the icing will melt and run all over the place! Trust me, you’ll have a mess on your hands for sure.
If you plan to use food coloring, you may find it easiest to make the icing, then separate portions of it into smaller bowls for each color you’d like to use. I found it easiest to use a squeeze bottle. I also tried using a bag and tip, but found it to be a bit messy– when I sat it down to switch colors the icing would continue to ooze out of the tip. The squeeze bottle on the other hand was just the opposite. Really easy to manage and didn’t leak!
The great thing about making Vegan Sugar Cookies is that you can decorate them however you choose. If you’re not that great at icing cookies (like me), you might find it easiest to let sprinkles do the heavy lifting for you in terms of making your cookies appear more attractive.
For the sprinkled version I simply used plain icing to act as the glue, covered those areas with a generous amount of sprinkles, let it dry, then shook off the excess. The same concept you probably used in first grade whenever you were trying to apply glitter to your artwork!
As for the marbled cookies, I created a swirl design in the colored icing dish by adding a few drops of additional food coloring and swirling it a little with a toothpick. Then I dipped my cookie into the bowl face down, allowed for the excess icing to drip off and placed it right side up so that it could dry. You could also continue to make “edits” to the swirl design after placing it down to dry using a toothpick.
FAQ & Tips
What’s the best way to decorate vegan sugar cookies?
I found it easiest to use a squeeze bottle. I also tried using a bag and tip, but found it to be a bit messy– when I sat it down to switch colors the icing would continue to ooze out of the tip. The squeeze bottle on the other hand was just the opposite. Really easy to manage and didn’t leak!
What food coloring is vegan?
I enjoy using the icing colors from Wilton. They’re good quality, beautiful colors, and vegan friendly! As for sprinkles, I like these from Wilton as well. If you need them immediately, I’ve also seen them in my local craft store on occasion.
Can this recipe be made gluten-free?
I’ve currently only tried this recipe using all-purpose flour, so I can’t say for sure. However, you may find luck by replacing the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour. If you try it please let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below!
How Long Do these Vegan Sugar Cookies Last?
These cookies will last 3-4 days on the counter at room temperature or up to one week if stored in the fridge. Either way, be sure to place them in an airtight container so that they can remain fresh.
Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
They can, but I would recommend freezing these Vegan Sugar Cookies before icing them. The excess moisture from the cookies being frozen could smudge or negatively alter your design.
I know you’ll love these Vegan Sugar Cookies! They’re simple to make and only require a few ingredients. Give them a try and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
More Christmas Cookies You’ll Love:
- Easy Vegan Butter Cookies
- Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
- Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
Tools You Might Need:
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Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cups vegan butter softened, NOT melted
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all- purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbsp water
- vegan sprinkles (optional)
Icing
- 3 cups organic powdered sugar sifted
- 4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or other plant milk of choice)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and sugar on a high speed until it appears whipped (about 1½ minutes). I used a standing mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer as well.¾ cups vegan butter, 1 cup organic cane sugar
- Add in the vanilla extract, flour, salt, baking soda, applesauce and water. Continue mixing until a dough is formed.1 tsp vanilla extract, 2½ cups all- purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce, 1 tbsp water
- Take the ball of dough and place it between two large sheets of parchment paper to avoid sticking. Push down on the dough with your hands to flatten, then roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it's about ¼- ¾ inches thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out each cookie and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Once all of the cookies have been cut, form the dough back into a ball, flatten, then roll out between the sheets of parchment paper again. Cut out the cookies and transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat process until finished.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before icing.
Icing
- Mix together the ingredients for the icing (if using multiple food colorings, separate plane icing into different bowls, then add food coloring of choice to each).3 cups organic powdered sugar, 4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, gel food coloring
- Once the cookies have cooled and they are ready to ice, use a squeeze bottle or icing bag and tip to design your cookies as you wish and decorate with optional sprinkles.vegan sprinkles
- Enjoy!
