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
I’ve never written a recipe review before but I made these with my toddler yesterday for V-day and they are UNREAL good. They taste exactly like the store bought heavily iced sugar cookies of my childhood- as an American living overseas where nothing like that exists, I couldn’t be happier! I used Nuttelex (NZ) in place of Earth Balance and and they were perfect. Thank you!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear they were a hit and you loved them! Thanks!
Urgent*** I was trying to roll out the dough but it appears to be too dry so I was wondering if you had any recommendations?
PS. This is my second time making this recipe I love it so much! I just must have added too much flour by accident this time!
You can add just a tablespoon or two of non-dairy milk if the dough got too crumbly to fix it. Hope that helps!
These turned out great but we ended up having to use way more milk than what the recipe calls for to form a rollable dough. The corn syrup in the icing is a must!! It made the icing turn out fantastic.
The BEST sugar cookie recipe ever! They hold their shape, and have the perfect flavor and consistency, I have been making repeat batches just for fun because I love them so much! Thank you!
Hi Erin. I’m glad you’re loving the sugar cookies! Thank you!
Success!!!!! Oh Nora you make my child so happy !!! Thank you. We did cut outs for Valentine’s Day and it was it. Thank you thank you.
I’m so glad to hear it, Natasha! How fun!
First time making vegan cookies and these came out great! The flavor tastes just like regular ones and the dough was very easy to work with. The only thing I’m wondering about is that my cookies are pretty crispy. I baked 350 for 8 minutes and they look perfectly done but they’re a lot crispier than regular cutout cookies. I’m wondering if this is something that has to do with the ingredients or did I just bake them for a tad bit too long?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, your first time making vegan cookies! How exciting. I’m guessing maybe you rolled your cookie dough pretty thin? That would result in crispy cookies. I like to keep them a bit thicker, about 1/4 inch thick. That way 8 minutes is about perfect and they will remain quite soft. But some people prefer thin and crispier cookies. Next time try rolling the dough a bit thicker, or bake them for less time. Hope that helps!
I’m interested in how everyone got such great results? I followed the recipe exactly with the brands recommended, and chilled my dough for an hour but my cookies still came out like a flat, greasy mess. Very disappointed.
Hi Ariel. Something definitely went wrong, because as you can see there are nearly 100 reviews on this recipe. People make them often with great results! Cookies can go wrong if your measurements are even slightly off. So make sure you measure the flour correctly. I do this by spooning flour into the measuring cup, then leveling it off with a knife, no shaking or packing down. It sounds to me like the dough was too wet for some reason, likely not enough flour or perhaps you accidentally added too much vegan butter? They should keep their shape in the oven, no problem, if you follow the recipe exactly.
Hoping to make these as a Valentine’s Day treat but don’t have vegan butter, would it be possible to substitute the butter with veg oil?
Sorry, I don’t think that will work unfortunately. Your best bet would be using coconut oil in a semi firm state, and follow all the instructions for chilling the dough. Even so, they might spread more or burn. If you have vegetable shortening, that might work better.
I’ve made these cookies in the past and LOVE them. I know it says the baked cookies can be frozen… can I freeze the dough to bake later? If yes, how long do you think the dough will keep in the freezer? Thanks!
Yes, you could freeze the dough for later. I’d say up to 2 months or so. I would freeze the dough flat, so you don’t have issues when baking. You’ll want them to go in the oven cold, but not frozen. Glad you love them!
I never leave reviews but the fact that I’ve made these almost every week since Christmas ??says a lot! I used this recipe for a diy cookie decorating station during the holidays and the whole family (non vegan in-laws/nieces/nephews) LOVED them!! The almond extract is a game changer and a must in my opinion. Thanks, Nora, for the bomb recipe ??
Hi Monica. I’m glad you are loving the sugar cookies! Thank you for using my recipe! I appreciate you taking your time to share a review. Thank you!
Hi! Hoping to make these and was wondering if I could make them gluten free using king Arthur’s gluten free measure for measure flour— thoughts?
People have done this with success, so I think so! I made them once using gf flour, I think I used Bob’s Red Mill but it worked well.
Hi there, this recipe is INCREDIBLE! I’d really love to make these into chocolate sugar cookies as I’ve had a request from a customer for them. Would you just trade some of the flour for cocoa? How much do you think? Thank you!!
I haven’t tried it, but I think that’s exactly what I would do. Not sure how much, maybe 1/4 cup, or a little more? Hope they work out, thanks!
Simply amazing!! What I’m so in love with is how they held shape when I cut and cooked them!! ?
Hi Michael. I’m glad they turned out great for you! Thank you!
The best! I have had to do an elimination diet to help my baby. This recipe is even better than the “just” dairy free version I tried a couple weeks ago! I’ve had to cut dairy, eggs, and soy and these cookies hit the spot.
Now I will say, for me at least, they turned out crisp like a shortbread cookie. They are soooo good without icing but still great with it too! And I made my icing only with almond extract (personal preference).
Thank you thank you!
Hi Brooke. I’m so glad you are enjoying the cookies! Thank you for sharing!
These are awesome and turned out perfect! I used a bit more flour, did not chill because I am impatient, and also subbed the milk for beet juice to give my cookies a nice pink color ? will definitely use this recipe again!
Hi Courtney. I’m glad the cookies are a hit for you! Thank you for sharing!
These turn out great every time! This is my go to sugar cookie recipe. Thanks.
I’m so glad you are loving the sugar cookies, Irka! Thank you!
Hi there, these cookies are TOTALLY delicious thank you! I’ve noticed when I’ve baked them sometimes they don’t come out completely flat or have little bubbles in them. As I decorate using a vegan royal icing and sell them, it really helps if they’re completely flat as it looks more polished. Do you know what could help with that? Thanks so much!
Hmm let’s see. My best tips are probably to measure everything accurately, especially the flour as it can be easy to be off if you are just scooping it out of the container. Spoon it in the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Make sure you are rolling the dough as instructed, then chilling for long enough, then cutting and baking right away. If the dough is warm or left out before baking, the cookies can spread or bubble. Cold dough in the oven will come out flat and perfect! Are you making any substitutions at all? I also wonder what brand of vegan butter you are using. Use the sticks of vegan butter if possible for best results. The tub does work, but sticks work better. Hope that helps somewhat!
What you mean by 2- 2 1/4 flour ?
( do I have to use 2 cups plus 1/4 cup or double of that ? )
If you read the instructions below the ingredients, this is clarified. It is a range, so you will use 2 cups flour and up to 2 1/4 cups of flour. I always use 2 1/4 cups, but since some people do overscoop their flour, they may end up with too much which is why I give a range depending on how the dough feels. Hope that helps!
Use 2 and 1/4 cups
Tried this recipe using vegan Becel sticks (1/2 cup) and 1/4 cup coconut oil and the flavours and textures were incredible. No one could believe they were vegan!!! Also to everyone, don’t over-bake! I thought the cookies looked too pale cooked at 10 minutes but they ended up slightly crispier than desired. The second batch went in for 8 mins and was perfect.
Hi Sarah. I’m glad everyone enjoyed the cookies! Thank you for sharing!
Making these for a 4th time since Christmas day (its January 4th). This will be my second double batch. I share them with my non vegan friends everytime. Everyone loves them!! They’re definitely addictive so baker beware!!!
Hi Taylor. I’m glad you are loving the recipe! Thank you!
I’ve baked these vegan sugar cookies twice this holiday season.
The recipe is easy to follow, and are delicious!
Hi Linda. I’m glad you are enjoying the sugar cookie recipe! Thank you!
I had major issues when trying to roll out the dough. I thought everything was going well, but every time I rolled it out the dough would crumble and crack. I added milk and that didn’t seem to help either. I ended up throwing out the first batch and the same thing happened for my second batch. Is it because I used vegan margarine instead of vegan butter? I couldn’t find vegan butter sticks at my grocery store. Hoping for any tips that could help!
I haven’t tried using margarine so that could definitely make a difference. I always use a vegan butter like Earth Balance, Melt, Country Crock or Miyoko’s. If your dough was dry, you likely accidentally added a bit too much flour (or the margarine just works differently). I use the scoop and measure method for flour, where you scoop flour in the measuring cup, don’t pack it or hit it on the counter, then level off the top with a knife. If you are simply scooping flour from a container, you will end up with too much or sometimes too little which makes a huge difference in cookies. That said, if you did add too much, add a little milk until it’s workable. But the best option is to start with the correct amount at the start. I also wonder if you chilled the dough as a ball, then tried to roll it out from chilled? That is very difficult and likely would cause cracking and crumbling. Make sure you flatten the dough before chilling, so you only need to roll it a tiny bit more before cutting into shapes. Hope that helps!
Hello ? currently making these cookies and had a question ? is my dough supposed to feel grainy cause of the sugar? And it’s also super greasy?? it’s my first time making sugar cookies so I don’t even know what it’s supposed to look like lol??♀️
Some sugars (especially organic versions) can be a little grainer than others, but it should go away when they bake. They shouldn’t be too greasy, but a little is fine as you are going to chill the dough, which will make it firm up before baking. The dough is kind of the consistency of play dough, almost. Make sure you measure everything accurately, and that your vegan butter is melted to begin with, just softened. Hope that helps!
We used the country crock plant based butter rather than earth balance because it was all I could find, but these were delicious! Just a subtle taste of salt which I think makes them even better! Thanks for a successful Christmas Eve recipe!
You’re welcome!
Amazing recipe!! It’s in the fridge now. If I don’t have parchment paper, should I just bake on the cookie sheet with some Pam?
Yes! Thanks so much!