Soft, vegan sugar cookies with crispy edges, for all your holiday needs. Have fun with different cookie cutters, easy icing and sprinkles of course!
After much trial and error, I finally have the perfect recipe for soft cut-out vegan sugar cookies. Seriously, these are the cookies of my dreams, and I think you will LOVE them!
They are easy to make and roll out. A little trick I learned is to roll the dough onto parchment paper before chilling in the refrigerator. This way, the cookie dough only needs to chill for about an hour before you can cut and bake! And you don’t have to roll out cookie dough that is crumbling everywhere. Easy peasy.
How to make perfect vegan sugar cookies:
First, make the dough, using just 1 bowl and either a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Your cookie dough should be similar to the texture of play dough. It will be rather crumbly in the bowl, but not dry, and it should stick together when you use your hands to roll it into a ball. Once the dough is made, break it into two balls. Place one of the doughs onto parchment paper, on a hard surface.
Roll the dough out, about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle a little flour on top so the dough doesn’t stick to your rolling pin.
Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the first rolled dough.
Repeat with the second ball of dough (I usually do this right on top of the first rolled dough). Place another piece of parchment paper on top and carefully transfer the rolled dough to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
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Remove the dough from the fridge, cut into desired shapes and bake for 8-10 minutes. They will look underdone, but firm up considerably as they cool. This is the key to soft sugar cookies. If you want them crispy, you could roll the dough thinner and cook them a bit longer, but I prefer them softer.
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.
What’s the best way to decorate vegan sugar cookies?
So, let me tell you a little secret. I am not a natural decorator of sweets! I can bake, but the actual decorating of cookies or cakes is not really my thing, so I watched several videos and almost had a panic attack while decorating the cookies for these photos. 🙂 For real, it took me HOURS…
This video was incredibly helpful. So if you want to make really pretty sugar cookies, I recommend it! The trick is to outline the cookies first with a thicker icing, then flood the inside with a thinner icing, and carefully spread it to all the corners of the cookie.
I used Wilton Bags and decorating tips for this, which I highly recommend for all your cookie and cake decorating needs.
After icing, simply grab some food coloring, if desired, sprinkles of choice and have fun! My family has a tradition of making these cookies, and we usually just slap on some icing and have fun decorating. They don’t usually look quite so pretty, but they always taste amazing!
What food coloring is vegan?
Well this is quite a complicated topic. I’ve done A LOT of research on this online. Watkins brand is for sure vegan. From what I can tell, several of Wilton brand are vegan, such as the gel based color. I found a few at my local craft store, and carefully read the ingredients before buying. If you don’t want to use food coloring, you can also make your own, or just go with white frosting.
Want more Christmas Cookies?
Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 3/4 cup vegan butter (earth balance preferred), slightly softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but so good)
- 2-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided (correctly measured)
- 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 almond 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 almond 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 almond 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 almond 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 the earth balance sticks if you can; they are easier to bake with. Results will vary with other brands of vegan butter.
- 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, but don't freeze them once frosted.
Nutrition
What can I use instead of white sugar? Can I use Coconut sugar, syrup, or dates?
I haven’t tried it with anything else, but coconut sugar might work. The cookies will be dark in color though. Syrup or dates will not work here. Thanks!
Hi Nora,
I made these sugar cookies today, and the dough worked perfectly and the cookies kept their shape while baking! I left them in 2 minutes longer than suggested because I’m baking at higher altitude. However, when I tasted one, it was very bitter or off. Do you have any idea what could be the reason? Maybe I over-baked them?
It’s hard to say what the problem was, is there a chance you don’t care for the flavor the almond extract adds? If it was truly bitter, I would try again with fresh baking powder, maybe that is the issue. Or try a different vegan butter, if you don’t like the taste of whatever you used. Hope that helps! But if they were a bit burnt, that would also make the flavor be off.
The earth balance ‘sticks’ always seem to give an off taste when used to bake. We use earth balance soft as our regular ‘butter’ at our home.
My solution was solved when I found ‘melt-ables’. They work and taste great in baked goods.
I’m not saying it will work for everyone but sure works for me.
~ Joanne S.
Made these for Christmas with my son. They tasted great. Everyone loved them. Will make again for other holidays.
I was skeptical in trying this recipe as I’ve had mixed results with other vegan recipes for cookies – but this is INCREDIBLE. Follow the directions exactly, and do not overbake (unless you like crunchy cookies), and you will not be disappointed. I made with full fat oat milk and orange extract, as we have a tree nut allergy in our household and were very pleased with the results. Cookies are delicious and held their shape for decorating, just like a traditional sugar cookie does!
Glad to hear it, thank you!
Made these with my 8 year old for Christmas cookies, they came out perfect! I added a little more almond milk to the icing and they dried really quick and were really shiny. thank you a million times!
You’re so welcome!!
Yum!!!! Made these last week. Froze them then decorated them this weekend. So good!!! We all loved them! Question: do you let the base color icing set for a bit then add the decorative colors on top? Still learning how to decorate them
Beautifully!
If I don’t have a mixer with a paddle attachment, is there something that will work just as well?? Also, I wanted to say I LOVE your recipes! I tried a few out for Thanksgiving and they all turned out AMAZING! 🙂
Of course, you can use a hand mixer if you have it. It would be a bit difficult to mix this dough by hand with spoon, but it probably could be done. Thank you so much, I’m happy to hear that!
I just made these tonight and had to mix by hand because I forgot my hand mixer broke! I wouldn’t say I enjoyed mixing them by hand, but it worked out. I used a large spoon to mix and I found it effective to use the back of the spoon to mash the ingredients together until they blended. And then at the end with all the flour I ended up using my hands! They are yummy!
Thank you for this recipe! Do you think I could sub soy milk instead of almond? I have a baby with a lot of food allergies. I would really appreciate your perspective! Thank you!
Yep, not a problem. Thanks!
Fun and easy recipe. I ended not using the full amount of flour due to the fact they would have been too dry. Turned out nice!
I made these but the dough kept tearing and falling apart when I tried cutting out shapes. Should I add more flour next time or could I have over mixed the dough?
It’s hard to say without being there. Make sure you are measuring everything correctly and aren’t adding too much or too little flour. Was the dough falling apart because it was too dry? In that case, you likely accidentally added too much flour, this can be saved by adding just a tiny bit of non-dairy milk until you can handle the dough. If the dough was too wet, then you did not add enough flour. It shouldn’t be difficult to work with, but you do need to handle the shapes carefully when cutting, if you move too quickly or are rough, they will break. So also just handle everything gently when transferring and cutting. Hope that helps!
Have you tried using an alternate flour? (oat, almond, etc.)
They work well with an all purpose gluten free flour, but I don’t think oat or almond flour would work.
I used half almond, half all purpose for a batch and only almond for the other and both came out beautifully. In both cases I had to adjust the “wetness” of the dough and cooking time because of the flour, but also because I didn’t use Earth Balance (allergen). Some trial and error involved, but totally worth it. 🙂
I tried it with a combo of oat flour and almond flour. I found that I needed quite a bit more flour than the recipe, otherwise the dough was too wet. I used 100 grams of almond flour and 236 grams of oat flour. They turned out fine, but not as good as with the AP flour. They did hold their shape and stay together, so that’s half the battle with GF flours! The flavor was slightly off (I think) due to the oat flour, but they weren’t nasty by any stretch. I did not frost them, so the oat flavor possibly could be slightly masked by icing. Much prefer the original recipe (which is great!) with AP flour, but if GF is needed, the almond/oat flour combo isn’t a bad option.
These look great! Do you think this would be good in a cookie box I am planning to mail? I’m hoping the frosting can harden enough to be able to handle touching w/o the icing getting damaged in the box.
Yes, they will work. The frosting hardens. Thanks!
I don’t think I’ve ever left a review for a recipe before, but I had to leave one here. I have tried several vegan cut out sugar cookie recipes and this is BY FAR THE BEST! How did I not think to roll it out before refrigerating? They came out perfect, thank you so much Nora!! Also, my Earth Balance sticks were salted so I probably should’ve halved the salt or omitted it altogether, but I’m very in to higher salty/sweet balance. They sat in a container overnight and they’re just as delicious this morning as they were last night!
Thank you so much, I’m glad you are enjoying the sugar cookies!
The BEST sugar cookie ever! I’ve already made them twice this holiday season, because we cannot get enough. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and holiday treat!
You’re welcome!
Hi Nora !
I am planning on making these for the holidays but want a thicker consistency frosting that “crusts” what recommendations do you suggest to make this? I use Flora unsalted stick/block butter
Best, Caitlyn
So you want a cake type frosting? I’d use my Vegan Vanilla Frosting. Though this icing does harden completely, but it’s not thick like cake frosting. Hope that helps!
These were surprisingly delicious! Way better than your average sugar cookie. This will be my go-to sugar cookie recipe. Thank you so much!! Wish I could post a picture of how they turned out 🙂 I’ll be making them a couple of days before hand and roll them out on parchment paper before you refrigerate because it’s easier to cut out the shapes!
I stay far away from any cookie that has to be rolled and cut out. That all changed with the arrival of the sweetest boy in the world. This recipe has changed my perspective of roll out cookie dough. It produced a dough that was easy to roll out. It did not stick and tear. The cut outs were clean and easy to transfer to the baking sheet. They also taste delicious. My two year old apprentice (grandson) enjoyed helping Grammy.
That’s so great to hear!
Going to try this recipe next week. Can I keep the dough in the fridge longer then just overnight? Were making like 5 types of cookies so any prep work I can do a few days in advance will make life so much easier 🙂 I love all your recipes so far so I know these will be a amazing!
I think a few days will be okay, yes. How fun! Hope you enjoy these! Thank you.
First time making cut out sugar cookies was a success! Used pillsbury frosting to make it easier for the kids to decorate and they loved it! Only tip is I baked them about 2 minutes longer and they were still very soft.
That’s great to hear!
Thanks for a great recipe! My son is allergic to milk and eggs, so this is his first time trying a sugar cookie. He had more fun eating them than decorating them! Will definitely make this again in the future. Also, thanks for the easy frosting recipe! Turned out shiny and set well without the corn syrup.
That’s great to hear!
Made two batches of these cookies today! One batch I made and left in the fridge overnight and the other I made and rolled and cut then baked right away. They tasted better without chilling and the dough was way easier to work with without being chilled.
Thanks for the feedback! Sometimes if you don’t refrigerate the dough first, the cookies will spread or puff up too much in the oven. But I’m glad it worked for you!
Thank you so so much for this amazing sugar cookies recipe. They have turned out amazing every time I have tried. I have one question about the icing. Can I make the icing in advance and fill it in the disposable bags to use in cookie decorating kits later ? Can I get them ready in the bags and can they still be fresh after like 10-15 days? I know I can freeze cookies, but not sure about the icing preparation in advance .
Thanks in advance for your help
I’m so happy you love the sugar cookies! Thank you so much. I’ve never tried storing the icing for that long in the fridge, but it might work. I’m just afraid it will be really thick, so you may need to whisk it and thin it out a bit before using. Hope that helps!
Have you used brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup in the frosting?
No, I haven’t. You can always just leave it out, but it does help them turn out shiny and helps it set a bit better.
I’m curious if you can use the vegan butter on your website or if I need to buy one from the store. Thank you!
I don’t think I’ve tried my vegan butter in this recipe yet, I have only used store bought, but it should work fine. It’s much easier to purchase some at the store though, there are many brands available now. I like Earth Balance, Melt, Country Crock and Miyoko’s. Thanks!
Thanks for getting back to me. I’ve been making your recipe for butter for the last few months. It’s super easy and we enjoy it. I will try it with the cookies.
Thanks, I’m so glad you are enjoying that recipe.
How long will the cookies keep once made? I’m planning on making a few batches a few days before Xmas as gifts. Thanks!
They will stay good for 3-5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze them if it’s going to be more than a few days to keep them fresh. They do start to get stale around day 4 I’d say.
Perfect recipe! I skipped the rolling and chilling part and instead mixed in sprinkles and used a cookie scoop to bake immediately. Came out crispy on the outside and delicious and chewy on the inside. No one would be able to tell these are vegan.
Made them with gluten free flour. They were great!
That’s great to hear!