This is the only recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies you’ll ever need! Easy to make and with soft, melt-in-your-mouth bites, these perfect cookies are almost as much fun to eat as they are to decorate with vegan icing and sprinkles.
More sugar cookie-themed desserts you’ll love: Vegan Lofthouse Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars and Chocolate Sugar Cookies!
My Vegan Sugar Cookies are a holiday staple and for good reason! These cookies are soft and buttery with delicate flavors and elaborate icing decoration. My family and I have a ton of fun every holiday season cutting them out with different cookie cutters and playing around with the easy vegan icing and sprinkles!
They’re truly the vegan Christmas cookies of my dreams not only because they’re too sweet and delicious to resist, but also because they’re easy to make. The cookie dough comes together in a pinch and stays soft from beginning to end. Say goodbye to dry and crumbly cookies!
Saving the best for last, the easy vegan icing in this vegan sugar cookie recipe is as shimmery and sweet as traditional royal icing. Customize it with as much food coloring as you like, then pipe it onto the cookies. Just like me and my family, I know you’ll have a ton of fun and make new memories with all of the fun decorations you like.
Why these are the best vegan frosted sugar cookies
- The ultimate vegan Christmas cookie recipe – Just like classic sugar cookies, my vegan sugar cookies are delicate, soft, and a must-have treat for the holiday season. Plus, they keep their shape in the oven.
- Fun to decorate with icing – Make the easy royal icing dupe, add food coloring, and pipe it onto the cookies to make each one more eye-catching than the last.
- Easy to make – This vegan sugar cookies recipe comes together easily using less than 10 ingredients!
- 200+ 5-star ratings! It’s official–these cookies are a hit! Here’s what my readers have been saying…
“I absolutely LOVE this recipe & have made it again & again & again. The cookies are so buttery & delicious, almost like a shortbread, but better!” – Julianne
“I’ve made this recipe now for two years – Holiday cookies, Halloween cookies, Easter cookies … you name it. Perfect. It’s the best Vegan sugar cookie adaptation I’ve found. THANK YOU NORA! Huge for us!” – Karin
”I’ve made these a few years in a row now and they’re so soft and delicious every time! Best sugar cookie ever!” – Sarah
How to make vegan sugar cookies
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy and smooth. Beat in the sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Next, mix in the plant milk, cornstarch, vanilla, and almond extract until combined.
Slowly mix 1 cup of flour along with the baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients. Add 1 more cup of flour and continue to mix until the dough feels like play dough in your hands (it will still look crumbly).
If the dough feels too wet to roll, mix in another 1/4 cup of flour. I always end up using the full 2 1/4 cups of flour.
Scoop the dough out of the bowl and push it together with your hands. Divide it into two balls.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle a little flour on top. Add one dough ball to the parchment paper, sprinkle some flour on top, and roll it out with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thickness. Cover with another sheet of parchment on top.
Repeat this step with the second ball of dough, then chill the flattened dough in the fridge.
After chilling, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut fun shapes out of the sugar cookie dough. Lay the cookies onto the lined baking sheets.
Continue re-rolling the scrap dough and cutting it into shapes! Nothing goes to waste here.
Bake the cookies until they’re just starting to turn golden.
Set them aside to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Make sure they’re completely cool before decorating with icing.
How to decorate sugar cookies
You can either get really fancy and pipe the icing onto the cookies with a piping bag and fine tip or keep things simple by spreading my Vegan Buttercream or another frosting on the cookies with a spatula! Below, I’ll show you how to decorate the prettiest sugar cookies:
- Make a thick batch of icing by only using 1 tablespoon of milk so the icing doesn’t spill over the cookie edges.
- Scoop the icing into several bowls and stir 1 to 3 drops of gel food coloring into each portion.
- Transfer the colorful sugar cookie icing to one or multiple piping bags (I used Wilton Bags) fitted with a fine tip.
- Trace the cookie edges with your icing, wait for it to set, then fill in the center with more icing. Add some sprinkles as well and have fun!
Check out this helpful video for more guidance and sugar cookie decorating tips.
They will look like this when they come out of the oven. See how they don’t puff up a bunch or spread like some sugar cookie recipes do? Cookie perfection.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, chilling is a must! If you skip this part, the sugar cookie dough will be too soft and sticky, which will make the cookies hard to work with and cause them to spread in the oven. Luckily, I found that rolling out the dough onto parchment paper is the secret to a quick chill time (about 1 hour) so you can cut the cookies and bake them as fast as possible!
Yes, I have had good results making these cookies with King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten-free flour. If you don’t use this brand, use another quality gluten-free baking flour.
My go-to food coloring brand is Watkins, which is vegan-friendly. Several Wilton brand gel food colorings are vegan, too. Always read the label carefully to ensure the brand you’re buying doesn’t contain any animal products. Or, you can try making your own vegan gel food coloring.
Absolutely! Once the dough has come together in a ball, wrap it in a layer of plastic and store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight and set it on the kitchen counter for a few minutes so it can soften before you roll it flat.
Place the leftover vegan sugar cookies in an airtight container (or gift bags if you’re gifting them for the holidays) and store them at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. The baked and unfrosted cookies freeze well for about 3 months, too.
Want more vegan Christmas cookies?
- Ginger Crinkle Cookies or Vegan Ginger Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Snowball Cookies
The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, slightly softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk soy, almond or oat milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional, but good
- 2-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (can omit, but it makes the icing very shiny)
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In a large bowl either using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter for about 1 minute until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and light.
- Now add in the milk, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extract (if using). Beat on high until it is all fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 cup of the flour to the wet mixture. Sprinkle the baking powder and salt on top of the flour. Mix on low speed, until just combined. Now add 1 more cup of the flour and continue to mix on low until just combined; don’t over mix. The dough should feel similar to play dough when you work it in your hands, but it will look crumbly in the bowl. If it seems too wet for rolling, add another 1/4 cup of flour. You want the dough to be thick, but not dry. I always use the full 2 1/4 cups of flour. If the dough is too wet, your cookies will spread.
- Using a spatula, scoop all of the dough out of the bowl; use your hands if needed to push it all together. Divide the dough in half and roll into two balls.
- On a flat surface, add a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle a little flour on it, then add half the dough. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top. Repeat for the second ball of dough, and then stack them with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Once the dough has been chilled, set it on the counter for 10 minutes while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Continue re-rolling the dough until it is all used.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, in the middle rack of the oven, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. They will appear underdone, but they will firm up considerably as they cool. Let them cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely before icing.
Easy Icing
- Whisk all icing ingredients in a bowl. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. It should be smooth, glossy and not runny. If too runny, add more powdered sugar. You can dip the cookies in the icing, or use brushes, spoons or a squeeze bottle. See this helpful video on how to decorate sugar cookies with icing.
- *If you want really pretty cookies, first make the icing thicker, by using only 1 tablespoon of plant milk. Using a decorating tip, outline the cookies with the thicker icing. Then add a little more milk to thin it and flood the inside with icing. This way the icing doesn't spill over the cookie edges.
- Decorate with sprinkles as desired. The icing will take several hours to harden completely. The cookies will stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature.
Notes
- Try to get vegan butter sticks if you can; they are easier to bake with. I always use salted vegan butter; if you use unsalted, add a pinch more of salt. Any brand will work, though Miyoko’s is my favorite in terms of flavor.
- Almond extract is optional but it adds a very good flavor to both the cookies and the icing, so use it if you can.
- To correctly measure flour, make sure to spoon and level by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with the back of a knife. If you don’t correctly measure the flour, you can end up with way too much flour and the dough will be dry!
- If you aren’t comfortable using corn syrup, you may omit it. I rarely use it, but it makes cookie icing pretty and shiny and it’s just 1 tablespoon.
- Baked sugar cookies freeze well. You can also freeze the dough.
Is there something I can use instead of cornstarch?
Tapioca starch or arrowroot. You can leave it out if needed.
I love many of your recipes. I really wish you could provide how much flour you use in grams. It would be so much easier and helpful.
Thank you.
Hi Laura. I’m glad you are loving my recipes! I appreciate you using them! The recipe instructions area of each recipe contains a metric tab. When this tab is selected, all ingredients are shown in metric measurement. The metric tab is located beside the Ingredients title. I hope this helps! Happy cooking!
What gel dye do you use that’s vegan? I tried the Watkins brand you’ve linked but it’s liquid food coloring which came out incredibly pastel no matter how much I used. Love the cookie recipe, though.
I believe this is the brand I used for these photos for richer colors (it was several years ago I took these pictures!) – Chefmaster. I also use Sweetapolita food coloring these days and I’m happy with the colors – Sweetapolita Rainbow Dreams.
These are the best sugar cookies! I make them all the time – they’ve become a staple in my family. Even the people who are “anti-vegan” can’t get enough. I like to top them with a vegan royal icing made with aquafaba that allows for intricate decorations!
Hi Hannah. I’m thrilled you loved the cookies! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! Happy cookie baking!
Thank you for the recipe. Where do you get the decorations? I know they often are not vegan.
You are welcome, Sara. I took these pictures quite a few years ago now and I wish I could remember what brand they were! I now often use Sweetapolita, which makes beautiful sprinkles that are vegan. Enjoy!
Watkins is a good brand for coloring and sprinkles. It didn’t have red 40 or any of the bad colors.
I love this recipe! These sugar cookies’ almond extract and buttery sweet flavor are unbelievable! They are not too sweet and they melt in your mouth. SO YUMMY! Thank you for posting all these amazing recipes. I love them all! Eating dairy and eggs all my life and then learning I was allergic was hard, but these recipes make this journey easier and an adventure. I can never tear myself away from your recipes. They all look so good!
Thank you!😍
-Bethany
Hi Bethany. I am so glad you are able to once again enjoy the foods you love. Allergies can be challenging for sure. I appreciate you trusting and using my recipes! Thanks for your fantastic review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I’ve used this recipe 2 yrs in a row for a good friend of mine, I can’t rave enough and thank you enough!
Wondering about a gluten free version of this recipe. Would this just be swapping out the flour for gluten free flour?
I should really try them again gluten free. I know I tested it a few years ago and they worked quite well, but results will vary depending on the brand of gf flour you use. I really like Better Batter for cookies, but King Arthur Measure for Measure flour is pretty good too.
How do you find out how many calories are in the cookies?
The nutritional information is in the bottom of the recipe card, but keep in mind it is an estimate only. The amounts are for 1 cookie IF you get 24 cookies, however with cut out sugar cookies this will depend on your cookie cutters and such.
Cookies were good but I got butter f*cking everywhere with the mixer
Will your homemade vegan butter recipe work for these cookies?
I think it will work quite well, though I’m not sure I’ve tested it with these cookies in particular.
How long will these be safe if stored at room temperature? I’d like to mail some to my deployed husband, but shipping can take a few weeks.
Hi Nicole. The cookies will stay good for 3-5 days at room temperature. I would say they start getting stale around day 4. Thank you both for your sacrifice, and may your reunion, when it happens, be sweet!
how long do i have to wait for the icing to harden? i want to ship these yummy cookies
It usually takes a few hours for the icing to harden. Enjoy!
Could I substitute All Purpose Flour for Gluten Free flour?
You can. The results will depend on the brand of gluten free flour you use. I can’t guarantee it will work exactly the same, but people have done it with success.
Can you use whole wheat flour? Thank you!
I’m not sure that will work well, but you could try. They might be too dry and they will definitely taste like whole wheat.
Hello, I made these before and they turned out great. However I was going to make them for an event where I will be short on time and was wondering if I would be able to let them chill or freeze them overnight after being cut into the shapes? That way I can just pop them in the oven. Let them cool and decorate them the next day, I was wondering if you think this would make them dry out too much or if it should be fine
I think that should be fine. The cookies might need just a few extra minutes in the oven if they’ve been frozen overnight.
Just wondering, how long can the dough be stored in the refrigerator? Does it also freeze well? Also, if I wanted to decorate with just nonpareil sprinkles, would it spread if I rolled into balls and then baked? Or would it be best to cut out circle shapes and press in sprinkles?
Hi Jeannie. The dough can be wrapped up and chilled in the fridge for about 2 or 3 days. The dough also freezes well, for up to 4 months. Depending on the quality of the sprinkles, they may melt if mixed into the dough. Happy cooking!