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.
Chervonne says
Hi, what kind of sugar are you using? I’ve been told regular white sugar isn’t vegan.
Thanks in advance!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Chervonne,good question! A lot of brands of white sugar are totally vegan. Using bone char to refine sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US as far as I know, but I do check the sugar I buy to make sure. The standard brand I use here in Canada is Redpath and they say on their site that the sugar is indeed vegan-friendly. So you just want to check the brand you’re purchasing. And a helpful tip is that all organic sugar is always vegan-friendly! Hope that helps
Clarrissa says
Also all organic sugar is vegan, so if you don’t want to reset h the brand just buy organic.
Sueanne says
Hi Sam,
Would it work to make this dough, wrap it tightly in cling film to freeze for use later? I was planning on doing that this evening, but maybe it wouldn't suit this recipe? Thanks for any advice.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sueanne, yes, I think that should work fine. Enjoy!
Kat says
Hi, Sam! I plan on making these tomorrow and I’m on my way to the store to pick up ingredients. Is food coloring vegan? I’ve read that the red one uses bugs. Please let me know at your earliest convenience. I really look forward to trying these!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kat, some food colouring is vegan while others aren't. Some contain carmine, which also goes by the names Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Carminic Acid, and Natural Red #4. Carmine is code for beetles! Ew! Wilton brand doesn't use carmine in their food colouring. Enjoy!
Kindra Thackeray says
Can I use another type of oil instead of vegan butter?
Sam Turnbull says
You can use coconut oil when it's in the firm state, but the cookies won't have that buttery flavour, and they may be a bit trickier to work with as coconut oil melts so easily.
Pareeta says
Hi! I just tried these but they were a little crispy. Are they supposed to be? I've made the non-vegan recipe and they weren't crispy. These tasted delicious!
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Pareeta, they should be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. There are lots of different versions of sugar cookies. I will add a not to make soft sugar cookies this upcoming winter season 🙂
Fuchs says
Could I use egg replacer instead of the chia or flax?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it myself, but it should work just fine 🙂
Dylan Henthorne says
Does the batter need to be chilled, or can that be skipped? How influential is that step in the overall process?
Dylan Henthorne says
I clicked too soon; I meant to rate the recipe 5 stars. They looks so good!
Sam Turnbull says
And thanks for the rating 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
You roll out the dough between parchment paper then chill it in the fridge before using the cookie cutters. Enjoy!
chlorine says
Hey! We did these as a last minute thing and they were given to seven non-vegans who all loved them, complimented them, and didn't have the faintest idea they were vegan. I really appreciate your clear instructions and the simplicity of the recipe--the first couple Google results wanted to sub in a whole bunch of stuff (pumpkin???) that isn't in regular sugar cookies, but this was really perfect and exactly what I was hoping to find! Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! Thrilled everyone loved them 🙂 Yes, I try to keep my recipes as simple as possible with easy for find ingredients and no weird stuff. Haha. So happy you appreciated that!
K Robinson says
What type of nondairy milk do you recommend do you recommend unsweetened nondairy milk? Would sweetened nondairy milk be ok? I am considering using soy milk. Thoughts?
I am looking forward to making these with our daughters. We have a cookie baking tradition for Christmas Eve.
Please reply ASAP as I am shopping today.
Sam Turnbull says
Unsweetened. While sweetened may work it would make the cookies sweeter than intended. My go to is Silk Unsweetened Soy Milk. I hope you and your daughter enjoy them!
Maggie Gilmer says
I really enjoy your fun ideas and recipes, but it is a little off-putting to see adds for Oscar Meyer bacon and other meats pop up while on a vegan site.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Maggie, glad you enjoy my site! When it comes to ads, I do have blocks on animal-product ads but sometimes they manage to sneak through. It's difficult to catch the ones that sneak through because everyone sees different ads depending on their device, location and search history. I put in a notice to block Oscar Meyer ads to my ad manager, and if any other offensive ads come up, please feel free to contact me and send me the link the ad takes you to when clicked so I can have it properly blocked. Thanks!
Amy Morris says
These look delicious! And the perfect little intro to vegan goodies for my family this holiday season. And that watch? GORGEOUS!
Sam Turnbull says
I know right? I thought the watch was so cute. 🙂 I hope you and your fam enjoy them!
Bethery says
Oh Sam! These are great. I'm saving it for next year. You're amazing with a plastic baggie and some icing. I've never gotten such vibrant colors out of natural food coloring. I'll check out yours.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha well thank you Bethery. The colours I used weren't labled as natural, but they just happened to be vegan. I couldn't find them on Amazon, but I wanted to link to a vegan food colouring to help people find something suitable. Also, I worked as a paint colour mixer at one point in my life, so mixing colours is a bit of a skill I have. None of these colours came straight from the bottle like that... a little bit of colour sorcery was involved! Muhahahaaha.
Bethery says
Holy schmoly, I bought the one you linked to at our Co-op, but I'll try my best with it. You're a wicked colorist. Hahaha.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha thank you 🙂
Vee says
Do you think it would be possible to do this recipe with just a whisk since I don't have a mixer or hand beater?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! You might just want to let the vegan butter soften at room temperature for a bit so it's easier to beat together. Softened, not melted! Enjoy!
Wendy says
These turned out great thanks for the recipe. Rolled out well and cut out well. I made some for my son's first birthday and will make more next week for Christmas!
Sam Turnbull says
That was fast! So happy you loved them Wendy 🙂
Mariana says
Do you think bobs red mill 1to1 would translate well in this recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Mariana,
I've heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, but never actually tried baking with it myself, so I'm not sure. That said these cookies are fairly simple, so I would think it would likely work. If you give it a go, let us know how it works for you 🙂
Tammy Church says
Does the icing go hard?
Sam Turnbull says
Not rock solid, but yes it hardens. 🙂
Seren says
Hi Sam!
The "groud flax" and "chia" are supposed to be seeds or more like grinded? I can't wait to try this recipe :p
Thanks, you're awesome 😀
Sam Turnbull says
The seeds that are then ground. White chia is my preference (just because it gels faster), and you can either grind it yourself or buy it pre-ground, like here on amazon. 🙂
Lynne says
Awwwww...more sugar! I'm sure it's possible to be a vegan without stuffing your food full of sugar, but maybe not here.
Well written, good photography, but the recipes always seem full of sugar, even the "savoury" ones.. Bad news for health. Maybe think about The health risks? DIabetes? Major killer.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Lynne,
There are lots of health-focused vegan recipe blogs, but that's not the focus of this blog. I just like to make scrumptious recipes that are just like the original animal product based recipes... except better!
Carolyn says
SOOOOO gorgeous. You make everything look easy. It is except for the amazing creativity. How about those chocolate and vanilla square cookies you once made!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, I guess the art degrees paid off. Haha, I'll keep those in mind 🙂
Delia Fey says
Just in the nick of time! I just bought a giant assortment of cookie cutters and a triple tray of cookie racks to bake up some Christmas cookie goodness with my son - hopefully this weekend.
Thank you! I really look forward to making them with the vanilla and almond extracts.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Perfect. I really hope you enjoy them 🙂
Claudia says
Is the ground chia/ flax suppose to be like an egg
Sam Turnbull says
Yep!