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.
Hey Nora! Just made the dough for the first time, the texture is amazing!
I have a question, Can I freeze the dough before i back the cookies?
Or its better to freeze them after the baking?
Thanks a lot 🙂
I mean bake of course… sorry!
You could freeze the dough, yes. I would roll it out like I suggest in the instructions, or it will be very difficult to ever roll it out before the dough gets too warm. Hopefully that makes sense! Thank you.
Hello, I’m excited to make these but I was unable to find the earth balance butter any stores around me. I have to Cook’s Country plant based butter made from Almond Oil. Should I adjust anything else since I’m using different butter? Thank you!
I haven’t personally used that brand, so I’m not sure how it will work in baked goods. If I see it in stores, I’ll test it out! Hopefully it will work the same, you don’t need to adjust anything else.
Made my third batch and they turn out amazing every time. Freeze really well and I use bobs 1-1 GF flour.
Love love your recipes!!
Thank you for the great comment! I’m so glad they work well for you!
Have made this recipe numerous times, it really is perfect.
Thanks so much! I’m glad it’s a winner for you. I love it too!
Hands down best sugar cookie! I when I pulled them out of the oven at 8 min they looked very raw but I let them cool and they came out to be the perfect consistency. I didn’t decorate them but they taste amazing on their own. (I followed the recipe but didn’t add almond extract)
Glad you liked them and that they turned out well for you!
The best vegan cookies I’ve ever made!
Two questions:
How do I keep the parchment paper from sliding around on the counter as I try to roll the dough? ?
And
What will happen if I completely forgot to add the salt and baking powder? ?
If the parchment paper is being very slippery on the counter, you could instead place the dough onto a floured counter or other surface while you roll it. Then transfer the flattened dough to the parchment paper, stack and chill. The salt won’t matter too much as vegan butter usually has salt added, but the lack of baking powder will likely make them pretty dense and not great, sorry!
I was wondering if I could substitute the butter for applesauce as I typically do in baking. I.e. half the butter amount replaced in applesauce. Thanks in advance! Ive looked everywhere as I lost an old recipe, which may have very well been one of yours lol.
Subbing applesauce for oil/butter often works for baked goods like breads and muffins, but for cookies it doesn’t work quite as well. You could try it, but I’m afraid it will greatly affect the texture and flavor of the sugar cookies!
There is nothing wrong with grocery store corn syrup. The one to avoid is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP-a completely different substance!!! HFCS is also ONLY AVAILABLE TO COMMERCIAL BAKERIES LIKE SUNBEAM. you don’t use it, the local store can’t carry it, and even local bakeries don’t have it. People need to understand that there is a difference, and stop being afraid!
I just baked these-my sister is vegan because she is allergic to everything, but since going vegan has only been hospitalized once this year! The test was my two boys and these cookies passed with flying colors!! I can taste the difference between them and my regular sugar batch, but I don’t think any one else would! great Recipe!
Does the icing dry and easy to work with like the royal icing using meringue powder?
Yes it does dry and then you can easily stack them.
Hi Nora! I just made these cookies for my son. And they turned out fantastic! They hold their shape and were pretty simple to make! My son has food allergies which is what lead me to this recipe so I had to omit the almond extract! And I used water instead of milk. Do you think I should add more vanilla and a bit more sugar so they have a bit more flavor? They were good as is but I think because of the adjustments I had to make could use a little something? Also can I freeze this? Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Thanks Tiffany! I would use soy/coconut or another non-dairy milk instead of water, and yes you could add a little more vanilla for flavor. You could probably add a bit more sugar but not too much or it will affect the cookie texture. Did you use the icing? I find with the icing they are so sweet that the cookies don’t need more sugar. You can freeze the cookies, yes.
Hi! I’m a food allergy mom, too! Just a heads up: most almost extracts don’t actually contain almond! McCormick uses apricot pits in their pure vanilla extract. Check their website for details!
Hi i bought a Halloween cookie pan. It has 12 different shaped cookies in the pan. Do you think this recipe would work in the pan?
Yes, I think that would work just fine! Enjoy.
Do you think I could try this with gluten-free all purpose flour?
Yes, I think there is a good chance it would work out well. I haven’t tested it myself though. Let me know if you try it!
I made a gluten-free batch of these today, using garbanzo flour, oat flour, and tapioca starch (about 2:2:1 respectively). The dough was a little oilier (maybe due to the floor replacements, and maybe due to the less refined sugar I used), and it was a challenge to keep the cookies in one piece, but they turned out tasting very good and with a great texture. I rolled them a little flatter and baked 9 minutes.
I don’t have any cornstarch, will these still work?
Yes, they will still work without it. They may be a little crispier rather than soft though. If you have arrowroot or tapioca starch, that would probably work as well. Thanks!
So far the dough is amaaaazzing 🙂
Wondering, can i make ahead the dough just as a ball or does it need to be rolled out? How long can i keep in fridge before baking?
You can refrigerate it as a ball, but then you will need to let it warm up a little or it will be crumbly when you try to roll it out. I have found it is much easier to roll it out first, then refrigerate. That way you can cut them cold and get the cookies right in the oven before they have a chance to warm up. It makes for much better cookies that don’t spread or puff up. You could keep the dough in the fridge for probably 2-3 days before baking. Thanks and enjoy!!
Incredibly tasty! I’m no pro at making homemade cookies, but these turned out amazing! All the nonvegans loved them too. Only change was I used soy milk instead of almond. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy everyone enjoyed the sugar cookies, thank you!
Hi Nora
I am thinking of doing this recipe as a mix in a jar as a gift for my daughter. Any suggestions on how to alter the recipe as all the dry ingredients will be mixed in the jar?
Sounds like a wonderful gift idea! The instructions would slightly change, but it should work out well! You might want to leave the sugar separate, as it kind of needs to be creamed together with the vegan butter, I’m not sure it would work without that step… But other than that, you could beat the vegan butter, add the sugar, then add the milk and extracts. After that, gradually add in the dry ingredients. Hope that helps! And again, it may work to add the sugar with the rest of the dry ingredients, but I’m not so sure!
I usually don’t leave comments on recipes, unless they are truly amazing one of a kind recipes. That is the case here.
Perfect, fantastic cookies. The texture was so perfect I was able to cut and print out patterns on them.
Ok doing them again today (twice in two weeks, I have a feeling they will become a favorite here at my home)
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies and will make them more in your home, that makes me so happy. Happy baking!
Making these cutout cookies with my three year old daughter was literally a dream come true for me! Because of this recipe we were able to make three batches of Easter cookies that she and her cousins got to decorate and eat. It was so much fun!
I used Miyokos butter. I did find that a much shorter chill time worked better for me. Other than that, the recipe was perfect. The dough was a pleasure to work with. Thank you!
Would this work as a scoop and bake instead of cutting them out? Thanks.
Yes, they do work that way as well. 🙂
I made these today for my boyfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift/treat, I used heart shaped cookie cutters. I hadn’t made vegan sugar cookies before, And I’ve been following you on Instagram and I decided to try this recipe out. I’m really glad I did as it was an easy recipe to follow and they came out great! They turned out so cute too. I used pink food coloring for the icing and drizzled it on top of the cookies. The cookies were great even without the icing.
Yum. I made these for my daughter. Hesitantly, I tried one. They were as good as my “regular” sugar cookies. Super easy to make
Yes and Yes! After a few vegan cookie flops these came out so perfect. Same consistency as my non-vegan recipe!. I substituted 2tsp lemon extract and lemon zest for flavor. I also omitted the salt because I personally find earth balance very salty. Thank you for this super easy and delicious recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the sugar cookies, thank you! Lemon extract and zest sound like a wonderful addition.
Hi Nora I love how these cookies look like they can really hold their shape! So excited to try it however I have one problem… can I still achieve this amount of perfection mixing the dough without stand/hand mixer? Please let me know what you think! ??
I think it could work, yes! You will get quite an arm workout. 🙂 I would just use a good, large wooden spoon if possible. You may even need to use your hands towards the end, to make sure it comes together. Good luck!
Does the icing set like royal icing? I need to put these cookies in cellophane or plastic wrap and I don’t want them to stick to that. I’m really excited by the comments and can’t wait to try this cookie!
Yes, it does. If you give them several hours to dry you can stack and wrap them with no problem. Enjoy!