Vegan Sugar Cookies are buttery, crunchy, and easy to decorate! Cut your favorite shapes and make this vegan cookie recipe for every holiday season.
VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE
There are two types of sugar cookies: the soft, fluffy ones, and the firm, crunchy ones. These crunchy Vegan Sugar Cookies are perfect for any season! They can be cut into any shape from pumpkins to Christmas tree cookies and decorated with royal icing too.
I love this vegan cookie recipe because it's so simple with just 8 ingredients. They are also gluten-free, but no one at the Christmas cookie swap will have any idea. They are THAT good.
INGREDIENTS IN VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES
Sugar: I use caster sugar in my vegan sugar cookie recipe because it is so fine and produces a firm, crunchy cookie. Granulated sugar works here, too.
Vegan butter: Be sure to soften the butter before it is time to bake. You can leave it at room temperature until it's soft but not melted.
Flax egg: You only need ground flax seed and water to make the best vegan egg replacement. It has that perfect gooey raw egg texture to bind the dough together for perfect vegan sugar cookies.
Vanilla extract: If you love the taste of baked goods, you love vanilla extract. A little goes a long way here, but it's totally required for the best homemade cookies.
All purpose flour: I like to keep my vegan cookies gluten-free when I can! If you are not on a gluten-free diet, you can always use regular all-purpose flour instead.
Baking powder: For just the right amount of rise without making super fluffy sugar cookies, a pinch of baking powder does the trick.
Xanthan gum: Always check your gluten-free flour to see if it's got xanthan gum added. If not, you'll need to mix a little into the dry ingredients. If it does, don't add more!
Lemon juice: For a little brightness and acidity, lemon juice is great! It adds a little burst of flavor, too.
Almond milk: You may need a bit of plant-based milk if the cookie dough is too crumbly. Keep it nut-free with oat milk or soy milk instead!
If you have any questions about vegan sugar cookies, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES
- First, beat the softened vegan butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
- Then, add the flax egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Sieve the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Now, beat until the mixture starts to come together, then work it into a dough with your hands. The dough should be slightly sticky, soft, and workable. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add a little almond milk. If it’s too wet, add a little more gluten-free flour. Roll the dough into a ball and let it chill in the fridge.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- When it's time to bake, lightly flour your countertop before putting the dough on it. Using a rolling pin, roll it out and cut out your shapes. You can use cookie cutters or freehand the designs.
- Place your cookie cut-outs on the lined baking sheets and bake until set.
- Let cookies cool completely before decorating. I like to use a vegan food coloring for my icing.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for the best vegan sugar cookies, please see the recipe below.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES
Having a Christmas cookie decorating party? Don't forget the classic gingerbread cookies!
Vegan Sugar Cookies are amazing dipped into Vegan Caramel!
Skip the Starbucks drive-thru line this afternoon and make your own dirty chai latte at home! This copycat recipe tastes just the same for a fraction of the cost.
Looking for a healthy afternoon pick-me-up? This delicious turmeric latte offers notes of cinnamon and sweet maple syrup. Add a shot of espresso to the mix and, you'll have turmeric coffee!
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DECORATE VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES?
I love to bake, but decorating is not my greatest skill. However, once I learned how to flood cookies, everything changed.
When you're decorating cookies, use a thin vegan royal icing with powdered sugar and plant-based milk. Add a couple of drops of liquid or gel food coloring to make it any color! Outline the edges of the cookie first, then fill the inside with more frosting. Spread it to the edges, and let it set completely.
This is a great way to decorate vegan sugar cookies when you want to layer colors like Christmas trees or ornaments.
WHAT IS THE BEST VEGAN EGG REPLACEMENT?
I only use flax eggs for my vegan baking recipes now! It binds everything together great, and it adds a little extra nutritional value to my cookies. However, it does leave specks of flax seed in the cookie.
If you're going to decorate the cookies, you'll never see the specks! If you want vegan sugar cookies without icing and flax seed specks, use a different egg substitute like aquafaba.
MORE AMAZING COOKIE RECIPES
Not quite ready for winter? These Vegan Pumpkin Cookies are the perfect easy fall dessert! Creamy pumpkin puree and a delicious pumpkin spice blend make these chewy gluten-free cookies the best of the season.
Forget the oven and make your peanut butter blossoms in the air fryer this season! It only takes 7 minutes to bake these delicious treats.
Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies are so chewy and soft, you'll never believe they're gluten-free! Rolled in homemade cinnamon sugar, they're the perfect simple cookie recipe.
For the most festive and easiest Christmas cookie recipe, try this red velvet box cookie recipe! You only need 4 ingredients and can easily swap the egg for a flax egg.
More Easy Christmas Desserts
Enjoy any of these sweet treats with a pitcher of Christmas Sangria and you will be all set for the holiday!
- Vegan Pecan Pie
- Chocolate Covered Cranberries
- White Chocolate Chex Mix
- Christmas Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Apple Snicker Salad
- Vegan Biscotti
- Vegan Panna Cotta
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Vegan Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters, optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup caster sugar or granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegan butter softened
- 1 flax egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum optional, if gluten-free flour does not include it
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon almond milk if needed for dough texture
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the flax egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum together. Sieve flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Beat until mixture starts to come together. Work with your hands until it becomes a dough. The dough will be slightly sticky, soft, and workable. If it's too dry, add almond milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's too wet, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Roll the dough into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll dough out to approximately 1cm thick. Cut out shapes.
- Place cookies on lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.
Super crunchy and easy to decorate! Santa has a treat in store this year
I would recommend using golden flax (ground) for these, and most light colored baking. It won't leave the dark speckles and it has a much milder flavor. 🙂
Thank you for the suggestion!