Author: Soft, buttery, and and oh-so-delicious-these Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies are a long time fan-favorite recipe. With simple ingredients, this classic sugar cookie dough creates the best cookies for cut-out shapes that hold perfectly in the oven. Whether you're making Christmas cookies for decorating or just craving a sweet treat, this recipe will become your go-to for every occasion. 🎄💕✨
FEATURED COMMENT:
Look no further! It took years for us to find the best vegan sugar cookie and these are them! These taste delicious and the kids enjoy decorating them. - Jennifer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I just LOVE these cookies. Unlike many sugar cookie recipes that look great but taste bland, these vegan sugar cookies are full of flavor and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The key is to balance the flour, vegan butter, and sugar just right in combination with both vanilla and almond extract. The result? A light, soft, sweet cookie that's so delicious you'll be reaching for seconds (or thirds!). With a 5-star rating from over 100 reviews, these cookies are tried, tested, and loved.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Cut-Outs: The dough holds its shape beautifully, making it ideal for detailed cookie cutters.
- Tastes Amazing: Soft, buttery, and full of flavor, they're as good as they look.
- Easy to Make: Just 9 pantry ingredients and a straightforward method.
- Customizable: Perfect for any holiday or occasion-Christmas, Valentine's day, birthday parties, Halloween, or just because! Use your favorite cookie cutter shape and decorate however you like.
Common Questions
Can I Prepare the Cookie Dough Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Yes! These cookies freeze beautifully. You can freeze them plain or fully iced. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet or store them in an airtight container. They'll keep for up to 3 months.
Can These Be Made Gluten-Free?
Absolutely! Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour 1-to-1 baking blend. Make sure to chill the dough well to help it hold its shape when rolling and cutting.
What Vegan Butter Should I Ues?
I like to use Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread (the kind in a tub) as it's reliable for baking. Other brands will also work well-just ensure that the butter is firm when cold (not super soft like margarine) for the best result.
What Vegan Food Coloring Should I Use?
Some food coloring includes ingredients such as carmine (which is crushed bugs! ew). Be sure to use vegan-friendly food coloring. I like this one or this one.
Can I Omit the Almond Extract?
Yes! If you prefer not to use almond extract, simply replace it with an equal amount of vanilla extract. The cookies will still be delicious but with a slightly different flavor profile. Alternatively, you can experiment with other extracts like lemon, orange, or peppermint for a unique twist!
Can I Make a Roll of Cookie Dough and Slice It?
Yes, this dough works well for slice-and-bake cookies! Form the dough into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). When ready, slice into rounds about ¼ inch thick and bake as directed.
How Do I Get Perfect-Looking Icing?
Ensure your icing is nice and thick. Adding too much plant-based milk will make the icing runny and fall off the cookie. Use piping bags or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off for precise designs. For extra-white icing, I find using full-fat coconut milk as the plant-based milk makes it the brightest white (oat and soy milk tend to have a beige tone to them). Double the icing recipe if you plan to go all out with decorating and make several different colors to play with.
How To Make Vegan Sugar Cookies:
Preheat your oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Prepare the chia or flax egg: In a small bowl, mix together the ground chia or flax and warm water and set aside to thicken. Chia thickens almost instantly, while flax may take up to 10 minutes to thicken.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the vegan butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the thickened chia or flax egg, then mix again until well combined.
Form the dough: Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to form a dough. If the dough does not come together, add water 1 teaspoon at a time (up to 3 teaspoons total) until it just comes together.
Roll out the dough: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough onto a large baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes, until firm.
Cut out shapes: Once chilled, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Re-roll any remaining dough and repeat until all the dough is used, chilling as needed.
Bake the cookies: Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
To make the icing: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of plant-based milk and stir until smooth. You want the icing to be quite thick so that it holds it's shape well. If needed, add more plant-based milk 1 teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
For colored icing, divide the icing into separate bowls (if using multiple colors), and stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired colors are achieved.The icing recipe makes enough to lightly decorate the cookies. If you want to heavily decorate them (like I did), double the recipe.
Decorate the cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate as desired with the prepared icing.
Storage: Store your decorated vegan sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. For longer storage, freeze the cookies (with or without icing) in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Frozen cookies keep well for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Gifting: These cookies make perfect gifts! Once the icing is completely set (12-24 hours to harden fully), stack them carefully in a decorative tin or wrap them individually in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon. For a festive touch, add a personalized tag or card. Keep the cookies cool and dry during gifting to preserve their shape and freshness.
This Vegan Sugar Cookie Recipe is...
- easy to make
- oh-so-delicious
- perfect for cookie cutters
More Vegan Cookie Recipes to Try:
- Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies (Lofthouse inspired)
- Easy Vegan Gingersnap Cookies
- The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Vegan Shortbread
- Chewy Vegan Molasses Cookies
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Sugar Cookies
Servings: cookies (depending on the size of your cookie cutters)
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 tablespoons ground chia or ground flax
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, (or sub gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour blend to make them gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup vegan butter, cold (I used Earth Balance)
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
For the icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 teaspoons plant-based milk, (such as coconut, oat, or soy)
- vegan food coloring, (optional)
- vegan sprinkles, (optional for decorating)
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- Preheat your oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the chia or flax egg: In a small bowl, mix together the ground chia or flax and warm water and set aside to thicken. Chia thickens almost instantly, while flax may take up to 10 minutes to thicken.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the vegan butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the thickened chia or flax egg, then mix again until well combined.
- Form the dough: Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to form a dough. If the dough does not come together, add water 1 teaspoon at a time (up to 3 teaspoons total) until it just comes together.
- Roll out the dough: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough onto a large baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes, until firm.
- Cut out shapes: Once chilled, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Re-roll any remaining dough and repeat until all the dough is used, chilling as needed.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
To make the icing:
- Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of plant-based milk and stir until smooth. You want the icing to be quite thick so that it holds it's shape well. If needed, add more plant-based milk 1 teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency. For colored icing, divide the icing into separate bowls (if using multiple colors), and stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired colors are achieved.The icing recipe makes enough to lightly decorate the cookies. If you want to heavily decorate them (like I did), double the recipe.
- Decorate the cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate as desired with the prepared icing.
Lisa Boudreau says
These are great and so easy! Everybody loved them! Thank you.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Lisa, yay!! So thrilled to hear that everyone loved them 😊 Thanks so much!
K says
So delicious! Tender and light, full of flavor and so easy to make. My child helped and had the best time cutting shapes. Great recipe!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi K! That sounds like so much fun and I love that your child helped too 🥰 So happy you enjoyed them!
Kenzie says
Would I be able to use egg replacer ?bobs red mill? I have regular chia not ground and can’t find my flax 😩
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Kenzie, I haven’t tested Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure how it would work. You can grind your chia seeds in a blender or with a motor and pestal. I hope that helps!
Cat Hallowell says
These turned out incredible! I've tried several other recipes and the cookies come out pale or crumbly or tasteless no matter what I try. But, not these. These cookies turned out crisp enough to hold form but soft enough to decorate and enjoy. And they taste great!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Cat, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback! So happy you enjoyed them so much 🙂
Mrs. Plant says
This is the third year we’ve made these cookies for our annual family Christmas cookie decorating event. They are absolutely delicious and come out awesome!!! The texture and flavor is THE BEST! I wish I could show you the photos we took. The only thing I would recommend is to use a GOLDEN ground flaxseed. We used a darker one, so they were little dark flecks in the dough, which nobody even mentioned. However, I think a lighter one would work better. I also used Earth Balance, which I think is probably the best one for this recipe. Finally, it is pretty imperative to refrigerate the dough or freeze it for a bit before you try to cut with your cutters. The dough has to be at the right temperature to cut and lift onto your tray. The first year, I didn’t chill it because we were under time constraints, and it was not working as well as it has the past two years when we chilled it properly. Your hands are warm, so when you touch the dough at all, it’s going to soften the butter. So, keep your hands off the dough as much as possible.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you so much for sharing all those helpful tips, Mrs. Plant! I love hearing how this recipe has become part of your holiday tradition 💛
Angie says
Has anyone used Splenda for Baking or any other sugar substitute? I'm trying to cut down on my sugar intake (terrible time to be doing that, I know!). If so, what do you recommend, if anything, and how did it taste? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Angie! I haven’t tested sugar substitutes in this recipe, and sugar affects both texture and spreading, so I can’t guarantee results. If you experiment, I’d start with a baking blend made for 1:1 swapping and try a half batch first 😊
Mary says
Would I be able to use applesauce as a substitute for the chia or flax egg?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Mary! Applesauce won’t work well here as a substitute for the chia or flax egg. It can make the cookies too soft and spready. I recommend sticking with the chia or flax for best results.
Elaine Mandalakas says
Can I use JU
ST egg as the egg substitute
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Elaine! I don’t recommend using JUST Egg here because it adds too much liquid and won’t bind the dough the same way. The chia or flax egg is what gives these cookies the perfect rollable texture, so I’d stick with the recipe as written for best results.
Anne Känel says
Almond milk is great if you wish to create fine white colors in dough and custards….it might be have a pleasing taste too.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great tip Anne!
C says
For some reason, these came out looking a little wonky. I think the flax seeds might have made the surface of the cookie dimpled, though I'm not sure why. I ended up having to flip them over and ice the bottoms. But everyone who tried them really loved the flavor (said they tasted like vanilla cupcakes!)
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're happy the flavour was delicious! Was it ground flax or whole flaxseed? It shouldn't happen when making a flax egg with ground seed but there could be a variety of other reasons they came out looking odd but delicious. 🙂
Tiffany says
lots of non-vegan cookies end up with little bumps all over the tops, its usually from the baking powder or eggs causing little air pockets inside the cookies, you can even whip a bit of air into the butter which can make this difference.
after baking you can take a flat item and smooth out the tops of your cookie. if you have it a flat icing/fondant smoother is commonly used, but the bottom of a glass is super easy to grab and works great.
Emily A says
I usually buy Sweet Loren's cookie dough to make my annual melting snowman cookies, but wanted to try making my own dough this year. I saw lots of recipes online, but they did not seem to hold their shape once baked. This recipe was absolutely perfect! The cut-outs held their shape and the flavor was wonderful. The almond extract complimented the vanilla so well. The icing was also just the right texture and not too sweet. I will be making these again next year and none of our relatives thought they tasted "vegan" (even though I only bake and cook vegan lol).
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's so wonderful, thrilled you loved the cookies so much Emily! Thank you for the review 🙂
Nella says
I made this and it’s absolutely the most delicious recipe. The almond extract somehow boosts that vanilla flavor. Definitely follow this to the “T” - you won’t be disappointed. Also made a second batch and hiding it in the freezer for myself lol❤️
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, love it!! So very happy you love the cookies so much Nella, thank you for the lovely review 🙂
Suzy says
Made the gluten free with Bob's Red Mill AP gluten free flour. this is truly excellent! I added a little almond extract 1/8 tsp and vanilla extract 1 tsp to the glaze icing for flavor. Yum!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Suzy, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cookies and that they turned out perfectly gluten-free! Thank you so much for your review 🙂
Ariana says
I make this recipe multiple times a year, and I am gearing up to make them again for the Holidays. I love these cookies so much. The almond extract addition is perfection and tastes nearly identical to my Great-Grandma’s cookies she made during my childhood. Each bite is a serious hug and taste of nostalgia for me. Thank you, Sam!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Oh I love that!!! What a wonderful memory. So thrilled you love these cookies! I just updated the photos and answered some common questions as well, so hopefully you enjoy the fresh look 🙂
EmW says
My go to recipe for sugar cookies.
Even made them with margarine this time as I was out of block Naturli. Deffo a more gooey cookie dough, but with a floured board, we managed.
It was so fun and feral, with flour everywhere and making up shapes as we went, the 8 year old was in heaven!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww I love that! I have many memories of baking cookies as a kid. So happy you love the recipe 🙂
Reena says
I made the cookies from another recipe I had, but I tried to make the icing. I put in a little more milk and then put the icing in piping bags to make it look nice on the cookies. But, the icing barely came out of the piping bags!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the icing recipe. If the icing is mixed thoroughly, you can control how runny you make it before you put it into piping bags and then you can also control the size of hole in the piping bag. Wish we could help troubleshoot better than that!
Jessie says
does this icing dry so the cookies can be bagged?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes it does! Allow several hours (depending on how thick you coat the cookies) for the icing to dry before bagging.
Cece says
For the butter, does it need to be melted a bit in the microwave? Or be room temperature? Or used straightly from the fridge (cold)?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
No need to melt the butter as it will be creamed with the sugar.
Rochelle says
Worked a treat! No need to refrigerate, I was able to bake straight away
Jennifer says
Look no further! It took years for us to find the best vegan sugar cookie and these are them! These taste delicious and the kids enjoy decorating them.