You know those soft sugar cookies at the grocery store with frosting and sprinkles? These are homemade vegan lofthouse cookies, and they are just as delicious (if not more so) as the store bought version! Made with my all time favorite vegan butter, Miyoko’s, for a truly buttery flavor.
Who can resist a soft sugar cookie with pink frosting and colorful sprinkles? I went with pink because that’s the classic color of lofthouse cookies, but feel free to use any color you like and any type of vegan friendly sprinkles.
If you’re making cookies for the holiday season, feel free to use Christmas colors like red and green, and perhaps Christmas sprinkles. For the most amazing cut-out cookies, check out my popular Vegan Sugar Cookies! You’ll also love these easy Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars and Chocolate Sugar Cookies.
Thank you to Miyoko’s for sponsoring this post. It was just a few years ago I first tasted the European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, and since then I have been obsessed! It has the best flavor, with no weird chemical aftertaste like other brands. Now it comes in both salted and unsalted, which is just perfect for baking.
About Miyoko’s butter
Miyoko’s butter differs from other brands in a couple of ways. First of all, the flavor is spot on incredible. You won’t believe it’s made with plants. Second, it’s palm oil free. This is actually pretty rare for vegan butter, and it’s the only one I’ve ever found.
Miyoko’s is one of the only brands to actually be made from plant milk, in fact cashew milk is the second ingredient! Other vegan butters are just a blend of oils. It’s also gluten free, soy free and kosher. It seriously performs exactly like dairy butter, I’m not joking!
How to make vegan lofthouse cookies
This is simply an overview. See below for the full recipe.
First, soften your butter. Leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes, until it is soft but not melted at all. Avoid softening in the microwave, because it will melt too quickly.
Here are the next few steps:
- Cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the vegan sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Beat them in.
- Now add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap (or parchment paper) and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Roll the dough out and cut into round cookies.
Bake for 9-10 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool completely while you make the frosting.
For the frosting, beat the butter with a mixer until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk. Add a few drops of food coloring until a desired color is reached.
Frost the cookies, using either a butter knife or a piping bag and tip. Decorate the tops with sprinkles.
Tips & substitutions
- Don’t skip the cornstarch – It helps the cookies stay soft. You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot if needed.
- Make sure to use a vegan butter you like! Miyoko’s brand truly is best here, where the butter flavor stands out. You don’t want your cookies to taste like chemicals.
- Always chill your dough – If you don’t chill the dough, your cookies won’t keep their shape in the oven, and will instead spread out and become flat and crispy.
- Gluten free – If needed, substitute a gluten free all purpose flour. I like King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I prepare the cookie dough ahead of time? Yes, you can make the dough, wrap it well and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready, remove the dough, roll it out and bake cookies.
- How long do the cookies last and can they be frozen? Keep leftover cookies at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Are there other flavors I can add? Add a little lemon zest to the cookies and lemon juice in place of the milk in the frosting for lemon flavor. Or do the same thing with orange zest and juice. You could also add a little pumpkin spice mix to the cookies and frosting for a subtle warmness.
Want more festive holiday cookies?
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Vegan Lofthouse Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup Miyoko's European Style Vegan Butter, softened to room temperature salted or unsalted, see Note
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional but good!
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or 3/4 tsp if using unsalted butter
Frosting
- 1/2 cup Miyoko's European Style Vegan Butter, softened to room temperature add 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, as needed I used oat milk
- food coloring of choice
- sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment) until fluffy. Beat in the vegan sour cream, vanilla and almond extract, if using. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To the bowl with the butter mixture, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Mix on low until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use a 2-3 inch round cookie cutter to cut the cookies and place on parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are very lightly golden on the bottom. Do not over bake or the cookies won't be soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting and decorate
- In a large bowl (I use the same one I used for the dough, just wiped out or washed quickly), beat the vegan butter with a mixer until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk as needed if the frosting is too dry.
- If using food coloring, mix it in now a drop at a time, until a desired colored is reached.
- Frost the cookies with a layer of frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Miyoko’s has salted and unsalted vegan butter now, yay! You can use either here, I used salted. If using unsalted butter, simply add 3/4 teaspoon salt instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. And add about 1/4 teaspoon or a little more to the frosting.
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Leave out the almond extract for nut allergies, or if you don’t like the flavor.
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Storing leftover cookies – The cookies keep at room temperature, in a covered container, for a few days or a week in the refrigerator. They can be frozen for 3 months as well.
These cookies are now a family staple. They are delicious even without the frosting when we are too impatient to get that far.
Hi, thank you for this recipe! Am I able to add sprinkles to the batter without messing up how the cookies turn out? Have you made these without the frosting? I am wanting to do just a sprinkle sugar cookie. Do you prefer the sour cream or the yogurt? Any difference in results? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Thanks
You can add sprinkles to the cookie dough batter without messing up the cookies. They taste great without any frosting so I think your idea is a good one! I could not tell the difference between using vegan sour cream or yogurt actually, so either works great in my opinion. I hope they turn out fantastic, I’d love to know how it goes. 🙂
Thank you so much for replying okay will keep you posted. Thanks again. I have couple more questions, I cannot use the butter you suggested due to allergy. I have country crock vegan butter sticks… will this alter the results? Alos, does the yogurt or sour cream need to be room temperature? Thanks so much
Country crock works very well! The yogurt or sour cream does not need to be room temperature, cold is fine and how I add it. Thanks!
This recipe looks great! Out of curiosity, how do you think coconut oil would work instead of the vegan butter? Refined coconut oil has always been my go-to butter substitute
You can try it, it might work okay. Coconut oil can make cookies spread and burn more, so you just have to watch them. I prefer vegan butter myself for cookies, most of the time. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi there, would you be able to use a one to one gluten free flour?
Yes, you can do that. It works quite well.
Nora, thank you for all of your amazing recipes! These look wonderful and I can’t wait to try making them.
I usually put cream of tartar in sugar cookies because I like the tangy flavor — do you think that would that mess with these too much?
I think you could add a little bit if you like the flavor. I hope you love these!
Thank you so much! I added 1 tsp and they turned out beautifully! So delicious and the texture is great. Terrific recipe.
Thank you! I appreciate your wonderful review!
Hi Nora! I’ve used several of your recipes and I’m thinking of using this one for some galentines cookies this weekend but I’m not sure if I’d be able to use a heart cookie cutter with these? Do you think they’d spread too much and not be hearts anymore? Thank you ❤️
Hi Gaby. That should work! I’ve made these with cookie cutters and they kept their shape very well. Have fun and enjoy!
These were wonderful! I was feeling lazy so scooped the dough with a small ice cream scoop and chilled them. I flattened them with the bottom of a glass before baking. These were a little sweet for my taste so I will reduce the sugar in the cookie a bit, to offset the sweet icing, when I make them again. Which I will!
I’m glad you loved the cookies! Thank you for your wonderful review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Made these today with my 3 year old granddaughter. She asks for them saying the pink icing cookies 💕
Hi- These look great. Which sour cream do you recommend? I’ve tried a vegan sour cream before and didn’t love the taste (although maybe in the cookies it’s not noticeable??)
Thanks
Hi Valerie. I used Tofutti brand vegan sour cream. You can’t really taste it in the cookies. Hope that helps! Enjoy the cookies!
Thoughts on using arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch?
Arrowroot will work the same, no issue.
Hi Nora! Is it possible to somehow roll the cookie dough then bake instead of using a cookie cutter? I’m looking to make a thick sugar cookie (like your double chocolate cookie/ginger molasses). And can I use this recipe as a “base” recipe if I wanted differ t flavour of sugar cookies? Thank you!
Oh sure! I’ve done that before. Just roll into balls, flatten a bit and bake. You could certainly use the recipe as a base for all kinds of flavors.
Can you use a different vegan butter? Miyokos is made from cashews.
Yes! A nut free vegan butter should work just as well. Enjoy!
I made these for a St. Patrick’s Day party and of course, they turned out perfect, as to be expected from your recipes! I used Color Mill’s vegan food coloring and Sweetapolita’s vegan sprinkles. They look and taste great!
How fantastic the cookies turned out wonderful! They sound beautiful! Thanks for your awesome feedback and review!