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Best Vegan Sugar Cookies

ByHani Updated on
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After much demand, I got to work and developed a recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies. These cut-out sugar cookies are a perfect canvas for Vegan Royal Icing and what it amazing is that you can use gluten free flour and make these vegan and gluten free, too.

Flower cookies on a drying rack.

FEATURED COMMENT

“Perfect recipe!! Easy recipe to follow, the cookies kept their shape when baking and had a great taste/texture.” Shreya

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

I’ve tested this recipe several times, making minor adjustments, like trying different ingredients, and after all that trial and error, I’m ready to share it with you guys, with a few tips and tricks, of course.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for vegan sugar cookies

VEGAN BUTTER

First, let’s talk about vegan butter, or as some say it’s not butter, it’s margarine.

There are quite a few options on the market. I narrowed it down to two I wanted to try in this recipe: Earth Balance Vegan Butter and Nutiva Shortening

NUTIVA SHORTENING

I’ve been using Nutiva brand for some time. If you are not familiar with Nutiva Shortening check it out. It has a very light coconut flavor and golden yellow color and it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. 

EARTH BALANCE

Earth Balance seems to be the most popular among vegan bakers. It has a neutral taste and color. And it’s available at most grocery stores.

Using both of these resulted in very tasty cookies. However, it was brought to my attention that Nutiva Shortening is made in facility that handles also unrefined oils of coconut, walnut and almond.  I’m not sure if this makes it not suitable for people with nut allergies but it’s definitely worth mentioning. Nutiva is excellent in responding to emails and so if you have further questions you can email them.

Vegan butter

NUTIVA SHORTENING VERSUS EARTH BALANCE

You’ll see in the picture below the butter color also reflected in the finished product. More yellow tones are achieved with Nutiva. Lighter, neutral tones are achieved with Earth Balance. 

  • Cookies made with Nutiva baked with yellow tones and crispier edges. They also felt a bit oilier to the touch. They reminded me of old-fashion, thin and crispy Christmas Cookies. Over several days, stored in an airtight container, greasiness dissipated. 
  • Cookies with Earth Balance baked with a softer bite, with sharper edges and more neutral color tones.
Star shaped cookies.

AQUAFABA (Chickpeas Brine)

In the place of the egg I used Aquafaba, a chickpeas brine. I always eat chickpeas, and I had some brine leftover, so it just seemed practical to use it. If you have too much aquafaba, you can easily freeze it for later.

You’ll notice there is no salt added to this recipe. I didn’t add salt because Earth Balance and aquafaba both already contain salt, so I didn’t see the need to add more salt to the cookie dough.

Pouring brine from chickpeas into bowl thru a fine mesh strainer.

VEGAN COOKIE DOUGH

Beat sugar and room temperature Earth Balance until creamy. Beat in Aquafaba and Vanilla and Almond Extract.

Vegan butter and sugar in a bowl.

Sift together flour, corn starch, and baking powder. On low speed, beat the dry mix into the wet ingredients. Beat the dough only till the mixture is moistened throughout. Then use a spatula to gather the dough into a ball. Flat-it into a disk and roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment.

Cookie dough shaped into a ball on a parchment paper.

ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

  • I tried chilling the dough before rolling it out, don’t make the same mistake. It crumbles.
  • I rolled it between 2 sheets of parchment right after I mixed it. It worked like a charm. On the sides, I had 1/4 inch guides to ensure the even thickness. You can watch the video to see how how it’s done.
  • Refrigerate rolled-out dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours before cutting out shapes.
Cookie dough rolled out between parchment paper.

CUT-OUT COOKIES

Cut out cookies. Transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-roll scraps and cut out more cookies.

Rolled out cookie dough.

BAKE COOKIES

Bake cookies at 350F 9-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Baked vegan flower cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

VEGAN CUT-OUT COOKIES SUCCESS TIPS from readers

  • Over the years this recipe received such great feedback from fellow bakers. I’m happy so many of you like it.
  • If you have a nut allergy you can omit Almond Extract and use more Vanilla Extract instead.
  • You can use Pamela’s Artisan GF flour to make vegan and gluten free version – as per Christina’s recommendation (see the full comment in the comment section).
  • If you live a hot climate, this is what Samara says: “I live in a hot climate, and I’ve noticed that the Earth Balance spread doesn’t perform well in cookies, etc. unless I use it directly out of the fridge.”
  • Are you allergic to eggs but okay with using regular dairy butter? Yes, you can use regular butter in this recipe.
  • Don’t want to use aquafaba? You can use milk instead.

HOW TO DECORATE VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES

To decorate Vegan Cookies, you can use Vegan Royal Icing or Glaze Icing.

TRY THESE DELICIOUS VEGAN RECIPES

Flower cookies on a drying rack.
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Vegan Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Makes  12-14 cookies, 1/4 inch thick cookies, about 2.5-3 inches across
Course Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword cut out cookies,, eggless cookies, vegan cut out cookies, vegan recipe, vegan sugar cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 14
Author Hani

Ingredients

VEGAN CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature (113grams) Earth Balance
  • 1/2 cup vegan granulated sugar (100grams)
  • 2 tbsp corn starch or potato starch (15 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (215grams)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp chickpeas brine(aquafaba) (30ml) at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Instructions

VEGAN CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

    Vegan Cookie Dough

    • Cream sugar (1/2cup) and vegan butter (1/2cup) for 5 minutes, until fluffy.
      In a small dish, combine aquafaba (2tablespoons) and vanilla extract (1 tablespoon), and almond extract (1/2teaspoon).
      Gradually beat the aquafaba mixture into the butter mixture.
      Sift flour ( 1 cup and 1/2 cup), corn starch (2 tablespoons), and baking powder (1/2 teaspoon).
      At low-speed beat the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Beat till everything comes together; lumps are okay. Don't overmix. 
      If the mixture appears wet, you can add a little more flour.
    • Gather dough into a disk and roll it out between 2 parchment sheets, using 1/4 inch rolling guides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. 
    • Peel off the parchment and cut out as many shapes as you are able. Transfer cut-outs onto a light-colored baking sheet lined with parchment. Gather the scraps and re-roll and cut out a few more cookies. 

    Bake

    • Bake at 350F for 9 -10 minutes. Cookies will be soft when they first come out of the oven. Let them cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

    Notes

    • Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
    • One thing I found out is that cookies can dry out quicker than regular sugar cookies. To remedy this issue, add 1tbl Agave Nectar with the chickpea brine and vanilla extract and bake them for 10-11 minutes.

    Did you make this recipe? Tag @hanielas on Instagram and hashtag it #hanielas

    This post containsThis post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

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    76 Comments

    1. Hi!! I can’t find aquafaba anywhere locally! Can I use Just Egg plant based egg substitute instead?

      Reply

    2. Thank you so much Haniela for this amazing recipe! I made this yesterday and, I kid you not, this tasted and felt EXACTLY like a traditional/non-vegan cut-out sugar cookie.

      For anyone that is unsure about using this recipe, please just make it because it is amazing. 🙂 (it doesn’t disappoint)

      For those looking for substitutions that work, I recommend replacing the aquafaba with one flax egg (to make: one tbsp of ground flax seeds with three tbsps of water), you can see the specks of flax in the finished cookie but it worked exactly the same as aquafaba and it added more fiber to the cookies.

      For anyone looking for a delicious add-on, I recommend making a classic glaze (powdered sugar with plant-based milk) and add a fun flavored extract or some food coloring for some excitement! I used almond extract to make more of an almond-flavored cookie and a few drops of blue food coloring to make the cookies look more aesthetically pleasing!

      Again, thank you so much Haniela for this amazing recipe! I will be making these again at Christmas time (and for years to come).

      Reply

    3. can I replace white sugar with brown and add spices to become a spice cookie?I made this recipe, it’s very good! The family loved it.

      Reply

      1. Hi Ana,
        I’d start with a ratio of 1:1 brown sugar to granulated sugar. Spices sound great, I’d use 1/2 tsp to 1 teaspoon.
        I’m happy to hear your family loved it.
        Happy Baking,
        Hani

        Reply

    4. Hi there! Just made these and they are perfect! Thank you! One question – can you freeze the dough?

      Thanks!
      Emily

      Reply

    5. Hello! My grandson is allergic to nuts as well as eggs and dairy products. Have you ever tried these with an extract other than almond?
      Best wishes,
      Christine

      Reply

    6. Hi, looks delicious, wanted to make this recipe but I don’t have any chickpeas. Can I substitute it for one egg instead? I only need a daily free recipe and not vegan, which is why I’m considering this substitution!

      Reply

    8. Hi! Curious if you think this recipe would be strong enough to be used instead of gingerbread to make houses? My daughter hates gingerbread.

      Reply

      1. Hi Summer,
        For a small house it might work. I’d probably ice all the walls even inside walls with icing for support. You could also use sugar cookie recipe I have on the site, it’s a bit more sturdier than Vegan Cookie Recipe.

        Reply

    9. I just tried this out and it was a big win!! This was my first time making sugar cookies. I never made a vegan recipe, but I had to make these for my cousins who have dairy and egg allergies. As others stated as well, mine was a bit moist so I added more flour and it turned out sooo good!! Thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply

    11. Not sure how your recipe wasn’t as wet as mine, but I did take your advice from one of your responded comments and added about a cup more flour. It came out really, really good! I was nervous about using aquafaba for the first time, especially in baking, but you don’t even taste it. I used a can with 160mg and the salt content in these cookies are perfect. They’re soft (but hold form, and have a bite), they don’t crumble, and most importantly- they taste VERY good. Thank you for making the vegan lifestyle fun this holiday season!

      Reply

      1. Hello, I’m not sure why that is, but I’m glad you were able to add more flour to make it work for you. Happy Baking.

        Reply

    12. Thank you for the cookie recipe. Is it possible to freeze the dough for future use? I am planning to bake a lot of batches so if the dough can be made in advance and kept in freezer, will it work?

      Reply

    13. Hi Hani. Going to give your recipe a go soon. Is there any chance you have the metric weights of the ingredients please? Specifically the ingredients you have listed in cups. Thanks!

      Reply

    14. Thanks so much for this recipe and the comments section. I love that someone posted that they used gluten free flour, that really helped me.
      I’m always looking for vegan gluten free dessert ideas and once again, you’ve come through for me.
      If at all possible, please keep these gf-v recipes coming!

      Reply

    17. I’ve tried this recipe many times & I love it. I am wondering if I use Miyoko’s butter will I get the same results? Thank you.

      Reply

      1. HI Jenny,
        Freeze flattened into a disk, or cut out cookies, freeze them on a tray and then layer cut out cookies into a freezer safer container layered between parchment paper. Hope it helps. Hani.

        Reply

    19. I just made this earlier today and love the taste!
      I had a hard time with the dough, however. It seems too moist. After chilling it in the fridge for an hour, I tried cutting it out using a cookie cutter and it was too moist, almost to the point of resembling a block of butter being soften at room temperature. Should I adjust the amount of aquafaba and/or flour? Thank you!

      Reply

        1. My family doesn’t eat cheekpeas so can I substitute the brine for soy or almond milk?

        2. Hi Betsy,
          to make icing without aquafaba I’d use glaze icing instead. It doesn’t have same the properties as royal icing and you won’t be able to for example make piped flowers with it but it works great for flooding and piping details. It dries with a nice sheen and it doesn’t dry with a hard bite.
          In place of aquafaba use 4 tablespoons milk or water and 4 tablespoons corn syrup. Then if if it’s too thick for icing you can thin it down to flood consistency. Hope it helps.

    21. Hi, i was About to start this recipe but I accidentally melted my Earth balance do you think it will work? Thank you

      Reply

      1. Hi Melissa,
        As I suggested in my email, solidifying melted Earth Balance might do the trick. Have you tried solidifying melted earth balance? Did it work?

        Reply

    22. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m going to practice this one for my holiday cookies.

      In the video, you let the butter reach room temperature – what is the ideal temperature for this recipe? (I live in a hot climate, and I’ve noticed that the Earth Balance spread doesn’t perform well in cookies, etc unless I use it directly out of the fridge.)

      Reply

      1. Hi Samara, if you get best results with Earth Balance straight from the fridge with other recipes I’d suggest you try it with this recipe as well. Thank you!

        Reply

      1. Hi Brittany, this recipe is Vegan – egg, and dairy free. However if you look at the comments above, one reader (Christina) used Pamela’s Artisan GF flour successfully to make vegan and gluten free version.

        Reply

    25. Hello, i am considering using this recipe for selling baked goods. Am i allowed and would you like me to reference your name on packaging for a reference?

      Reply

      1. Hello,
        it’s really not necessary, unless you plan on publishing a recipe somewhere online. Then I’d ask for a link back to the original recipe. Thank you so very much for asking. Good luck with everything.

        Reply

      2. Hey! Going to make this and your vegan royal icing recipe for a baby shower. I want to make them in advance. I know you said they dry out quicker but if I heat seal these into bags do you think they’ll keep longer?
        Thanks!

        Reply

        1. Hi Megan, how much in advance do you plan on making them? I think sealed they should be fine for 2 weeks.

    26. Thank you so much! I have family and friends who are gluten free and vegan, and have always struggled with the right GF-V sugar cookie recipe. Many I am sure are great with the products other recipes suggest, but not all vegan products are readily available everywhere. I have had so many disappointing GF-V cookies.

      I just made this recipe using Pamela’s Artisan GF flour and am so impressed with how the dough handles – not sticky at all! By using the associated video I was able to judge, as with any other sugar cookie recipe, whether to add a bit more flour to get the correct consistency. The cookies are out of the oven and ta da!! No spread either!

      Do I have permission to cross post? I belong to a couple of GF-V Facebook baking groups.

      BTW the printed recipe does not include when to add the baking powder or optional extract. Just letting you know 🙂

      Reply

      1. Hi Christina,
        thanks for letting me know about the missing recipe stuff. I just updated that bit.
        Please when sharing include a link to the recipe on my blog. Thank you.

        Reply

    27. I’m making cookies for someone who is only allergic to eggs. Could I use regular butter for this recipe?

      Reply

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