These vegan sugar cookies are perfect for holidays, parties, and special occasions. They’re soft, hold their shape, and are fun to decorate. With this foolproof recipe, you’ll have perfect sugar cookies every time.
I love making and decorating sugar cookies and vegan gingerbread cookies for my Christmas tins.
Although these vegan sugar cookies are made with no eggs, they still deliver that classic sugar cookie taste. They’re not too sweet and bake up soft with a hint of vanilla.
Plus, these rolled cookies are great for all occasions. Use your favorite Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, or birthday cookie cutters. Decorate with frosting and sprinkles for a fun sweet treat any time of year.
Ingredients You'll Need
The eight ingredients below (plus powdered sugar for the frosting) are all you need to make vegan sugar cookies.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – Any all-purpose flour will work. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 ratio GF baking flour. To measure, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the flat side of a butter knife.
- Sugar – I used cane sugar for this recipe, but any granulated sugar is fine.
- Vegan butter – Stick butter is best for baking. Use any brand you prefer for the cookies. Don't use butter from a tub. It's too soft. I like to use Earth Balance Buttery Stick cut into cubes for the cookies and Miyoko's Plant Milk Butter for the frosting.
- Plant milk – Use unsweetened and unflavored vegan milk. I use almond milk, but soy, oat, or cashew milk will work.
- Cornstarch – This acts as the egg and helps bind the cookies so they don't crumble.
- Vanilla extract – This gives the cookies their classic vanilla flavor. You can leave it out or substitute it with almond extract, however, it will change the flavor.
- Baking Powder – This helps the cookies slightly rise. I do not suggest replacing it.
- Salt – Use your preferred salt. I like to use Himalayan pink salt.
- For the frosting – You'll need vegan butter (I like to use Miyoko's butter because its light color keeps the frosting white), vanilla extract, plant milk, and powdered sugar to make the frosting.
How to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies
Follow the ten easy steps below to make the best sugar cookies.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Add the plant milk, vanilla extract, and cornstarch and beat on low speed until well combined.
Add 1 cup of flour the the bowl. Sprinkle in the baking powder and salt.
Mix on low speed, increasing the speed as needed, until the ingredients are well combined.
Add the remaining 1 cup of flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed and gradually move to medium-high speed until the ingredients are fully combined.
The dough should be soft and easily stick together and there should be no dry flour in the bowl.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Use your hands to bring one of the portions together into a ball. Repeat with the other portion. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap them in plastic wrap.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Lightly dust a large work surface with flour. Place the dough in the center and lightly dust the top with flour.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. I use these rolling guides (affiliate link) to get an even thickness every time.
Tip: To keep the dough from becoming too dry, roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper and skip flouring the surface and dough.
Dust your desired shape cookie cutters with flour. Cut out as many cookies as you can from the dough.
Then, gather the extra dough from around the cutouts and repeat the process.
Place the cookie cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned.
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely before frosting.
To Make The Frosting
- Add the butter to a medium bowl. Use a handheld mixer to beat the butter until creamy.
- Pour in the vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of plant milk, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- Mix on low speed until the powdered sugar is well combined with the other ingredients.
- Pour in another tablespoon of milk and the last cup of powdered sugar. Mix at low speed to combine and add more milk as needed. The frosting should be soft and spreadable, but stiff enough to hold its shape.
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
To frost the cookies, spread the frosting across the top flowing with its shape. Decorate with your desired sprinkles. I used these natural-dye red and green sprinkles (affiliate links) and other Christmas-colored sprinkles I picked from an all-occasions bag.
For colorful frosting, divide the frosting between several small bowls. Mix in a few drops of food coloring to achieve your desired color. Decorate the sugar cookies as desired.
Tip: If your frosting seems soft, pop it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
Storage and Freezing
Store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container with a layer of parchment paper between the cookies. They can be kept at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze the cookie dough, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, as shown in Step 6 above. Place them in an airtight container or bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 4-6 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
Baker’s Tips
- Frosting consistency – Add more milk if it is too dry, more powdered sugar if it is too thin, or place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes if it is too soft.
- Cookie dough consistency – If the dough is too dry, add a splash of milk. If it is too sticky, add 1 Tablespoon of flour.
- Measuring the flour – Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the flat side of a butter knife. Using this method helps avoid adding too much flour.
- To avoid dry dough – Instead of dusting your work surface and the cookie dough with flour, roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper. This will keep the dough from sticking to the surface and drying out from the extra flour.
- For a quick cutout – Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with the other portion, then place them stacked on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes or until you're ready to cut out the cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chilling the dough will produce the best-shaped cookies. The cold dough holds its shape while handling and baking.
With that said, when I’m in a hurry, I don’t always chill it and the cookies can become slightly misshapen while transferring them to the baking sheet. However, they hold their shape while baking and won't spread.
The dough should be rolled out to ¼-inch thickness. I use these rolling guides (affiliate link) to get an even thickness every time.
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Recipe
Vegan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter stick, such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, or tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup vegan butter stick, I use Miyoko’s Plant Milk Butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 Tablespoons unsweetened and unflavored plant milk, I use almond milk
Instructions
For The Cookie Dough
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Pour in the vanilla extract, plant milk, and cornstarch and beat on low speed to mix. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add 1 cup of flour to the bowl and sprinkle in the baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and mix on low speed, then gradually move to medium-high speed until the dough is fully combined. The dough should be soft and easily stick together and there should be no dry flour in the bowl.
- Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disc. Wrap them each in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Rolling And Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Set the dough in the center and dust the top with flour.(Or, skip the flour and roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid over-flouring it.)
- Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin. (If it is too firm to roll let it sit for 5-10 minutes)
- Dust your desired shape cookie cutters with flour. Cut out as many cookies as you can from the rolled dough.
- Then, gather the extra dough around the cutouts and repeat the process.
- Transfer the cookie cutouts to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to lightly brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool fully before frosting.
For The Frosting
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Pour in the vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon of plant milk, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Slowly mix in the remaining powdered sugar and add more milk as needed. The frosting should be soft and spreadable, but stiff enough to hold its shape.
- Frost the fully cooled cookies and decorate as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
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