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The most delicious vegan sugar cookies for Christmas, birthdays, or just because. The best part? These sugar cookies are no-chill and perfect for cut-outs.
As a recipe tester, these sugar cookies were one of my biggest projects. I had a little spreadsheet and did 14 rounds of testing (and half of those were also tested chilled...so technically 21.) Creating the perfect dairy-free, egg-free, vegan sugar cookies with icing was a top priority for about a full workweek!
Here were my requirements:
- Chewy, not crumbly
- No chilling required
- Easy to cut out into shapes
- Does not spread while baking
- Flat surface for easy icing
- Tasty
- No applesauce or flaxseed or other weird egg replacer
The final recipe hits the mark on every requirement.
Ingredients
You need 7 simple ingredients to make this recipe.
- Vegan butter: I highly recommend using the Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. I have only tested this recipe using that specific vegan butter (because in my opinion, it is by far the best.) If you try another brand, I recommend making a half batch to test just to make sure it works.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract offers the best flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch: This helps make the cookies chewy.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both leavening agents. Both do different things and you'll need each one. (Baking soda is also called bicarbonate of soda in some areas of the world like the UK.)
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until a sandy consistency.
Press into a ball. If it's too dry, add 1 teaspoon of vegan milk.
Roll out to ¼-inch thickness.
Cut out shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes. If any bubbles form on top of the cookies, use a spatula to gently smooth them out. Let cool before removing from pan.
Prepare the icing.
Get creative and decorate your cookies!
Top tip
This recipe works best when using a kitchen scale and going by the weighted measurements.
Substitutions
The science of baking behind sugar cookies is pretty specific, and I don't recommend making any substitutions to this recipe. I have not tested a gluten-free version yet.
Equipment
A hand mixer is very helpful but you can simply use a bowl and a wooden spoon. I also recommend using a sifter or whisk for making the icing, to ensure a smooth consistency.
Using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients is highly recommended for this recipe, as the balance between wet and dry ingredients is precise, but not absolutely required in a pinch.
Storage
Sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can store them in the fridge for longer. They can be frozen (before decorating) for up to one month.
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Recipes Include:
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Looking for more treats for your Christmas cookie plate? Try Vegan Buckeyes and Vegan Chocolate Cookies!
Recipe
Vegan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup vegan butter softened (226g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (24g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-6 tablespoons vegan milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring, sprinkles, etc for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream together vegan butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl using a mixer or wooden spoon.
- Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. At first, the dough will present as a sandy texture but will come together to form a cohesive dough. You may need to use your hands to squish the dough together.
- Form the dough into a ball. Roll it out to be about ¼-inch thick. I like to roll out my dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter.
- Cut out the dough using cookie cutters.
- Transfer the cookie dough cut outs to the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Sometimes bubbles will form on top of the cookies. When fresh out of the oven, gently smooth out the top of the cookies with a spatula to create a flat surface.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Icing
- Using a mixer or a whisk, combine the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Add more milk if needed to get the consistency you need.
- Add food coloring if desired.
