This is the only recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies you’ll ever need! Easy to make and with soft, melt-in-your-mouth bites, these perfect cookies are almost as much fun to eat as they are to decorate with vegan icing and sprinkles.
More sugar cookie-themed desserts you’ll love: Vegan Lofthouse Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars and Chocolate Sugar Cookies!
My Vegan Sugar Cookies are a holiday staple and for good reason! These cookies are soft and buttery with delicate flavors and elaborate icing decoration. My family and I have a ton of fun every holiday season cutting them out with different cookie cutters and playing around with the easy vegan icing and sprinkles!
They’re truly the vegan Christmas cookies of my dreams not only because they’re too sweet and delicious to resist, but also because they’re easy to make. The cookie dough comes together in a pinch and stays soft from beginning to end. Say goodbye to dry and crumbly cookies!
Saving the best for last, the easy vegan icing in this vegan sugar cookie recipe is as shimmery and sweet as traditional royal icing. Customize it with as much food coloring as you like, then pipe it onto the cookies. Just like me and my family, I know you’ll have a ton of fun and make new memories with all of the fun decorations you like.
Why these are the best vegan frosted sugar cookies
- The ultimate vegan Christmas cookie recipe – Just like classic sugar cookies, my vegan sugar cookies are delicate, soft, and a must-have treat for the holiday season. Plus, they keep their shape in the oven.
- Fun to decorate with icing – Make the easy royal icing dupe, add food coloring, and pipe it onto the cookies to make each one more eye-catching than the last.
- Easy to make – This vegan sugar cookies recipe comes together easily using less than 10 ingredients!
- 200+ 5-star ratings! It’s official–these cookies are a hit! Here’s what my readers have been saying…
“I absolutely LOVE this recipe & have made it again & again & again. The cookies are so buttery & delicious, almost like a shortbread, but better!” – Julianne
“I’ve made this recipe now for two years – Holiday cookies, Halloween cookies, Easter cookies … you name it. Perfect. It’s the best Vegan sugar cookie adaptation I’ve found. THANK YOU NORA! Huge for us!” – Karin
”I’ve made these a few years in a row now and they’re so soft and delicious every time! Best sugar cookie ever!” – Sarah
How to make vegan sugar cookies
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy and smooth. Beat in the sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Next, mix in the plant milk, cornstarch, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
Slowly mix 1 cup of flour along with the baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients. Add 1 more cup of flour and continue to mix until the dough feels like play dough in your hands (it will still look crumbly).
If the dough feels too wet to roll, mix in another 1/4 cup of flour. I always end up using the full 2 1/4 cups of flour.
Scoop the dough out of the bowl and push it together with your hands. Divide it into two balls.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle a little flour on top. Add one dough ball to the parchment paper, sprinkle some flour on top, and roll it out with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thickness. Cover with another sheet of parchment on top.
Repeat this step with the second ball of dough, then chill the flattened dough in the fridge.
After chilling, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut fun shapes out of the sugar cookie dough. Lay the cookies onto the lined baking sheets.
Continue re-rolling the scrap dough and cutting it into shapes! Nothing goes to waste here.
Bake the cookies until they’re just starting to turn golden.
Set them aside to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Make sure they’re completely cool before decorating with icing.
How to decorate sugar cookies
You can either get really fancy and pipe the icing onto the cookies with a piping bag and fine tip or keep things simple by spreading my Vegan Buttercream or another frosting on the cookies with a spatula! Below, I’ll show you how to decorate the prettiest sugar cookies:
- Make a thick batch of icing by only using 1 tablespoon of milk so the icing doesn’t spill over the cookie edges.
- Scoop the icing into several bowls and stir 1 to 3 drops of gel food coloring into each portion.
- Transfer the colorful sugar cookie icing to one or multiple piping bags (I used Wilton Bags) fitted with a fine tip.
- Trace the cookie edges with your icing, wait for it to set, then fill in the center with more icing. Add some sprinkles as well and have fun!
Check out this helpful video for more guidance and sugar cookie decorating tips.
They will look like this when they come out of the oven. See how they don’t puff up a bunch or spread like some sugar cookie recipes do? Cookie perfection.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, chilling is a must! If you skip this part, the sugar cookie dough will be too soft and sticky, which will make the cookies hard to work with and cause them to spread in the oven. Luckily, I found that rolling out the dough onto parchment paper is the secret to a quick chill time (about 1 hour) so you can cut the cookies and bake them as fast as possible!
Yes, I have had good results making these cookies with King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten-free flour. If you don’t use this brand, use another quality gluten-free baking flour.
My go-to food coloring brand is Watkins, which is vegan-friendly. Several Wilton brand gel food colorings are vegan, too. Always read the label carefully to ensure the brand you’re buying doesn’t contain any animal products. Or, you can try making your own vegan gel food coloring.
Absolutely! Once the dough has come together in a ball, wrap it in a layer of plastic and store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight and set it on the kitchen counter for a few minutes so it can soften before you roll it flat.
Place the leftover vegan sugar cookies in an airtight container (or gift bags if you’re gifting them for the holidays) and store them at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. The baked and unfrosted cookies freeze well for about 3 months, too.
Want more vegan Christmas cookies?
- Ginger Crinkle Cookies or Vegan Ginger Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Snowball Cookies
The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, slightly softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk soy, almond or oat milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional, but good
- 2-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (can omit, but it makes the icing very shiny)
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In a large bowl either using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter for about 1 minute until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and light.
- Now add in the milk, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extract (if using). Beat on high until it is all fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 cup of the flour to the wet mixture. Sprinkle the baking powder and salt on top of the flour. Mix on low speed, until just combined. Now add 1 more cup of the flour and continue to mix on low until just combined; don’t over mix. The dough should feel similar to play dough when you work it in your hands, but it will look crumbly in the bowl. If it seems too wet for rolling, add another 1/4 cup of flour. You want the dough to be thick, but not dry. I always use the full 2 1/4 cups of flour. If the dough is too wet, your cookies will spread.
- Using a spatula, scoop all of the dough out of the bowl; use your hands if needed to push it all together. Divide the dough in half and roll into two balls.
- On a flat surface, add a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle a little flour on it, then add half the dough. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top. Repeat for the second ball of dough, and then stack them with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Once the dough has been chilled, set it on the counter for 10 minutes while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Continue re-rolling the dough until it is all used.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, in the middle rack of the oven, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. They will appear underdone, but they will firm up considerably as they cool. Let them cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely before icing.
Easy Icing
- Whisk all icing ingredients in a bowl. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. It should be smooth, glossy and not runny. If too runny, add more powdered sugar. You can dip the cookies in the icing, or use brushes, spoons or a squeeze bottle. See this helpful video on how to decorate sugar cookies with icing.
- *If you want really pretty cookies, first make the icing thicker, by using only 1 tablespoon of plant milk. Using a decorating tip, outline the cookies with the thicker icing. Then add a little more milk to thin it and flood the inside with icing. This way the icing doesn't spill over the cookie edges.
- Decorate with sprinkles as desired. The icing will take several hours to harden completely. The cookies will stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature.
Notes
- Try to get vegan butter sticks if you can; they are easier to bake with. I always use salted vegan butter; if you use unsalted, add a pinch more of salt. Any brand will work, though Miyoko’s is my favorite in terms of flavor.
- Almond extract is optional but it adds a very good flavor to both the cookies and the icing, so use it if you can.
- To correctly measure flour, make sure to spoon and level by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with the back of a knife. If you don’t correctly measure the flour, you can end up with way too much flour and the dough will be dry!
- If you aren’t comfortable using corn syrup, you may omit it. I rarely use it, but it makes cookie icing pretty and shiny and it’s just 1 tablespoon.
- Baked sugar cookies freeze well. You can also freeze the dough.
This might be the best cookie recipe I’ve ever used. The cookies are practically perfect every time I make them. I did swap out the almond extract with lemon extract and they taste amazing! Especially with vegan buttercream icing on them. I don’t think I’ll be going back to ‘regular’ sugar cookie recipes any time soon.
Hi Eve. Thank you for sharing your baking experience and stellar review! The cookies sound amazing with the lemon extract! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I made these a year ago and loved them! I made them today and while the flavor is excellent, when I roll them out, the dough cracks. I only used 2 cups of flour and it didn’t appear dry when I scooped the batter out of the bowl. What am I doing wrong? I have to throw out most of the dough because it cracks terribly.
I wonder what you are doing differently this year? What brand of vegan butter are you using? Was your butter softened? Did you use my method of rolling it, then refrigerating it? Also, I’ll tell you a very easy trick. If the dough is too dry in the bowl for any reason, and won’t stay together when you mush it together in your fingers, you can simply add a little bit of plant milk (maybe a tablespoon or two at a time) and mix again until it’s not so dry. You can use that trick if you accidentally added a bit too much flour, or it could be that your flour just absorbed moisture more than another brand would. There are little variations in brands of ingredients, not to mention the humidity of your home, and so on. I hope that helps you troubleshoot going forward.
These are AMAZING, so easy to shape and decorate!! The texture and flavor is perfect and the royal icing worked wonderfully
Hi Claire. I’m so glad that you loved the sugar cookie recipe! Thank you for sharing your awesome review and comments! Happy baking!
This has become my go to sugar cookie recipe. I usually use the county crock plant based butter. They are delicious and I am able to decorate just like I would traditional cookies. I always add the almond extract, I love the flavor it adds. Thank you Nora!!!
You are welcome, Leah! I’m so glad you are enjoying the sugar cookie recipe! I agree, it is delicious with the almond extract! Thank you for your terrific review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This is my second time making these, and these are amazing!! They’re so easy to make and are a delicious treat! 🙏🏼🎄
I am so glad that you are enjoying the sugar cookies! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and comments!
Id always been intimidated by making Christmas cookies – until now! I followed this recipe exactly except Im poor so buying expensive things like vanilla were omitted, so I subbed a little bit of maple syrup and that worked just great. I also whipped these up by hand which took some patience but I didnt mind. Made the dough the night before and they came out perfect and delicious. Thank you so much Nora !! Your recipes havent failed me yet.
Has cornstarch ALWAYS been in the recipe. I’ve made these cookies in the past but this time the taste is off. Did you change something? I know in the cake recipe you’d added cream of tartar, which I never have used.
Cornstarch has always been in this recipe. I haven’t changed a thing. What ingredients are you using? Like what brand of vegan butter (this makes a big difference in terms of taste, I love Earth Balance)?
I don’t like sugar cookies but I love these! So easy to make with my kiddos. I love that they aren’t too sweet since we tend to load them up with frosting and sprinkles. Thanks for all your great recipes that help us manage and egg and dairy allergy.
Hi Nora! I found that in using all 2 1/4 cups of flour, that the dough is very dry. Can I add more of the plant milk or butter to fix it, or should I just make another batch?
You can add a few tablespoons of plant milk if you’ve added too much flour and it seems too dry and crumbly. Don’t add more butter at that point though.
The dough was too dry and crumbly so I added about a tablespoon or two more of coconut milk and it was the perfect consistency. It wasn’t falling apart on me as I rolled it out or cut out pieces for baking unlike before the adjustment. I used refined coconut oil in place of a vegan butter and it worked perfectly. I found the instructed method to chill the dough to be inefficient and a bit difficult to work with, so I kinda winged it after I added more coconut milk.
I used real butter because the store was out of my fav plant based butter and they still turned out great! My whole fam loved the cookies & icing! Great recipe!
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
These are amazing! The dough is easy to work with and the cookies are so delicious! Made them today and already planning another batch! Thank you Nora!
These are just amazing! I made dozens for the holidays and am so just pleased with how easy they were to make and how delicious they are to eat. This is yet another Nora recipe where I see no reason to make non-vegan sugar cookies ever again when it’s possible just to make these instead. I tried a few different vegan butters for different batches and Violife made the best cookies, IMO. I usually stay away from salted butters in baking but the Violife worked well here.
Everything turned out amazing, except I feel like something in the flavor is a little off that I can’t put my finger on…like the cookies almost have a savory kind of flavor to them. I enjoy the taste but don’t quite love it. However, I want to try making them again with adjustments and see if they turn out better.
I used country crock avocado oil butter, and I’m wondering if that wasn’t a good choice, and if another kind would have better results? The other thing I can think of is we didn’t use the almond extract, and didn’t increase the vanilla extract for the amount of almond not used, so maybe we could have added extra vanilla extract?
Otherwise, texture turned out great, and the icing method of outlining the cookies with thicker icing and then filling them in was awesome.
So I’d love to try making these again, but wonder if maybe a different butter would improve the result? I used to like Miyoko’s until they changed the recipes.
Loooove this sugar cookie recipe! I like adding a bit of orange zest to mine. I use this recipe to make drop cookies and always go by weight measurements. (I’ve found 208 grams of all purpose flour to be perfect for this method, for anyone else not wanting to roll/cut these out.) Thank you for another great recipe, Nora!!
Is this recipe magic?? I used earth balance buttery sticks as my fat, and struggled to whip it because I didn’t let it soften at all except for maybe 15sec in the microwave, so I had that going against me. I also used an allulose/stevia blend instead of sugar because my mom avoids sugar and I can’t have it anymore for health reasons. Once I had incorporated the two cups of flour, the dough was VERY crumbly, almost sand texture to some degree, but it came together in my hand well enough so I stopped adding flour. I was concerned but I formed it into rough disks, packaged it up, and let it chill overnight. The next day the dough still seemed dry out of the fridge, even after I let it come to room temp for a bit, but once I start working with it, everything came together! I used this recipe to cut out Christmas cookies and my mom and i will decorate them tomorrow. I’m so, SO pleased that I was able to adapt a vegan recipe to also be sugar free with good results. They taste really nice by themselves, and I was able to adapt a vegan royal icing recipe to be sugar free as well. Thanks for yet another banger of a recipe!
I’m so excited to try these with my daughter! If she only has an egg allergy, do you know if the recipe will turn out with regular butter? Thank you!
Hi Holly, I never bake with real butter, so I do not know if it would make a difference in the recipe or not. Thanks!
Hi, what kind of decorations did you use, are they little candies?
I can’t find anything like what you’ve used? Did you order them online? My stores carry regular sprinkles which are not vegan. Thank you… I love your recipes!