Vegan Sugar Cookies Recipe: How to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jan 21, 2022 • 4 min read
These simple, soft sugar cookies are made with all-vegan ingredients for a classic, vanilla-flavored treat that can be customized for any holiday from Valentine’s Day to Halloween to Christmas and beyond.
Learn From the Best
What Are Vegan Sugar Cookies?
Vegan sugar cookies are classic holiday sugar cookies made without animal byproducts. These vanilla-infused cookies are made with plant-based butter and non-dairy milk for a vegan treat that will temper your sweet tooth. You can form these cookies into rounds or cut them into festive seasonal shapes. If desired, you can top them with dairy-free icing and decorations.
5 Tips for Making Vegan Sugar Cookies
Vegan sugar cookies are relatively simple to make, but there are a couple of tips you should follow to make the best vegan sugar cookies you can.
- 1. Always chill your dough. This crumbly cookie dough will be difficult to roll out and cut into cookie shapes without sticking or cracking when it starts to come together. Refrigerate the cookie dough for a minimum of 1–2 hours before you start to work with it.
- 2. Make-ahead for easy baking. You can freeze your raw vegan cookie dough in a freezer-proof bag for up to 2 months before you bake it. Roll out the dough into slightly flattened disks and wrap them in plastic wrap before stacking and storing them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to bake your cookies, leave the dough out to thaw at room temperature before rolling it out and forming the cookies.
- 3. Go gluten-free. For a Christmas cookie that’s both vegan and gluten-free, substitute almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- 4. Play around with ingredients. Use this basic vegan cookie recipe as a canvas for a number of different flavors. Incorporate warm spices like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg for a cozy, Snickerdoodle-style cookie. Add extracts like peppermint extract, almond extract, lemon extract, or orange extract to completely change the overall feel of this classic confection. Swap a portion of the white sugar for brown sugar for a richer, more molasses-forward flavor, or add peanut butter.
- 5. Have fun with decorations. This simple cookie makes the perfect blank slate for fun holiday decorations. Use cookie cutters to form the dough into festive shapes, decorate the cookies with vegan frosting dyed in a variety of colors, and garnish with sprinkles, edible glitter, mini candies, or crushed nuts.
Vegan Sugar Cookie Recipe
makes
32 cookiesprep time
2 hr 40 mintotal time
2 hr 50 mincook time
10 minIngredients
For the cookie:
For the icing (optional):
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegan butter. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Add the dairy-free milk and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and beat until well combined, about 1–2 minutes.
- 3
Add the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt to the wet ingredients and stir everything together until just combined. The dough should look crumbly in the bowl but feel pliable in your hands.
- 4
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal-sized portions. Form the dough into balls.
- 5
Wrap the two dough balls in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
- 6
When the dough is ready to be rolled out, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll each portion of dough out to ¼ inch thickness.
- 8
Using a cookie cutter or water glass, cut out the individual cookies from the dough.
- 9
Transfer the cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Use multiple pans to bake all of the cookies at once, or bake in batches, keeping the raw cookies in the refrigerator until they’re ready to bake.
- 10
Bake the cookies until the edges are slightly brown and the centers are just set, about 8–10 minutes.
- 11
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before you ice them.
- 12
While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, dairy-free milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the optional food coloring to the icing, and stir until the color is fully incorporated.
- 13
Use your hands to dip the top of each cookie into the icing, or use a pastry bag fitted with a tip to apply the icing to the cookies.
- 14
Return the cookies to the cooling rack to allow the icing to firm up completely, about 2–3 hours.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Dominique Ansel, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.