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! I made this the other day and they were a hit!! Thanks for sharing
Would you be able to add cocoa powder in to make them chocolate flavoured? If so how much?
I haven’t tried it, but you might be able to replace 1/2 cup of the flour with cocoa powder. Glad you enjoyed them!
Followed the recipe exactly, and the cookies turned out perfect! The almond extract in the dough and the icing gave these cookies a “thumbs up” from everyone in the family. We will definitely be baking these again!
That’s so great to hear!
Would almond flour work?
Unfortunately, no. Almond flour doesn’t work the same way here, it is too moist so the cookies would be very flat and wet.
I have tried too many vegan sugar cookie recipes to count. And this one is by far the best!!!
Thanks!!
Hello, I am making this recipe for a family gathering, and after I started making the cookie dough, the dinner was cancelled. I have the dough in the fridge right now, but could I freeze the raw dough until I need to bake?
Yes, you could freeze the raw dough. When ready to bake, just thaw it a bit before cutting and baking. Thanks!
Hi Nora, Thanks for the lovely recipe, I am in NZ and we don’t have the Vegan Butter you recommended. I have found although the taste is great they do spread a little, what are your thoughts on reducing the Baking Powder to 1/4 teaspoon or omits g altogether? Would adding more Cornstarch help? I am baking the biscuits this week for my daughters 21st Birthday and would love your advice! Many thanks 🙂
Yes, the kind of vegan butter used will affect the recipe, but hopefully you can find something that works. 🙂 Or even coconut oil. You could reduce the baking powder I suppose, though I haven’t tested it. They might be quite flat. I would say the most important thing is to add a little more flour to the dough if it seems oily or wet. Then refrigerate as directed right before baking, that is the key to them not spreading. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for your quick reply! Added a little bit of extra flour and they have come out really well. Thank you for your help! 🙂
Hi Nora My granddaughters and I are going to make these cookies together for the first time! I couldn’t find temperature for the oven. Can you let us know. Thanks
I hope you all love them! It’s in step 6, 350 degrees. 🙂
I made this like 10 times already! It is amazing and brilliant. I do not follow exact measurements when it come to the frosting, but I use the ballpark.
I love how simple it is, yet super fun and delicious. We never have trouble finishing all of the cookies. It is a great pandemic hobbie to have!
What makes the royal icing harden like a candy? Or does it not harden? The only ingredients in it is powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, light corn syrup, and unsweetened almond milk.
Just wondering if these cookies will be stackable, or individually wrapped in goodie bags without ruining the design?
It’s just the combination, it’s a pretty basic sugar cookie icing, glossy and hard once it dries. Yes, they will be stackable once you give them time to dry, or you can individually wrap them, it won’t ruin the design. Hope that helps!
Fantastic! I’ll be trying these out for a birthday! Thank you so much Nora! <3
Amazing recipe!!!!! I use it all the time for my non vegan friends and family, they can never tell the difference! I would absolutely recommend this recipe for anyone who would like to try vegan baking-its so easy and tasty!
Thanks so much for the comment!!
This is one amazing recipe! I will be keeping it close and making it often!
That’s so great to hear!!
Could you make these sugar cookies in a pan spread out in a large triangle (for the base of a flag for Fourth of July dessert)?
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but I haven’t done it. Sounds fun!
Very solid vegan shortbread recipe! I used 2 cups of flour and they came out great. In terms of texture and flavor, they taste just like the real thing although they’re not super sweet. I didn’t frost them though so that could be easily remedied.
Hi, I haven’t tried this recipe yet but do you think Soy milk will work just as well as almond milk?
Yes, I use them interchangeably.
I haven’t tried these yet but can I make them with a vegan friendly shortening?
Thanks.
Yes, that should work fine, they will taste a bit different (not buttery so much).
How would these work with gluten free flour ?
I have never personally tried using gf flour in this recipe, but I have received feedback that it worked.
I Have a question can I use your vegan butter recipe instead of earth balance?
I’m pretty sure it will work, but I haven’t tested it just yet. I have used it in other cookie recipes and it worked very well, so I’m pretty sure it will be fine though!
Does this frosting dry like royal icing or does it remain wet? I’d like to be able to stack the cookies. They look so good!
It dries like royal icing and the cookies can be stacked once dry.
These are great! I did some hand cut shapes and they did not spread at all.
I’m so glad!
The simplest recipe, the dough acts just like it should, and if you didn’t know they’re vegan, you wouldn’t be able to tell. My sister is vegan and loved these since they didn’t make her stomach hurt after eating them, and the rest of my family happily scarfed them down with only good comments about taste and texture. This will definitely be a go to recipe for me!
That’s so great to hear!
is miyoko vegan butter okay to use with this recipe ?
Yes, it works great.
Just tried these and they turned out great, this will definitely be a staple in our kitchen now 🙂 Funny how accurate the play dough description is.
So glad they were great!
These came out great. The almond extract really makes them sing. I am not a decorating person usually, but your icing recipe worked really well and we had a ton of fun decorating! Thanks for making this fool proof, sugar cookies usually don’t go well for me. 🙂
You’re so welcome! So glad they turned out great!
Hi there I’m in the middle of making these cookies and my dough is very dry how would I fix that?
Add just a few tablespoons of non-dairy milk until it is easy to work with. You don’t want it to be very wet either or the cookies will puff up and spread in the oven. Hope that helps!
Wow! Just made these cookies and absolutely love them! How long will decorated or undecorated cookies last for?
Thanks Shannon! So glad you love them. I would say they will last on the counter for 4-5 days, longer in the refrigerator, undecorated or decorated. They can also be frozen either way.