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.
Help my dough is not smooth it’s falling apart
If it’s too dry add a little non-dairy milk, even just a tablespoon or two. It will help!
Nora thank you so much for this recipe! My son and husband can’t have dairy products but still wanted them to enjoy sugar cookies, and these were perfect! We will be making them again today ?
You’re so welcome!
I don’t have any corn starch; do I need to go get some or will they be ok?
You can leave it out, I think they will be just fine.
Thank you for great recipe. I am fasting at Christmas time, an d my kids are lactose intolerant. And we could eat sugar cookies!!!! I made 4 batches of them, brought some to work. It was easy and fun to put icing and decorate. Two batches of dough I made with some additions – one with lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and finely chopped fresh mint, another one – with orange zest, fresh orange juice and crushed earl grey tea (my daughter’s idea), I added less almond milk in both cases.
I also wanted to thank you for chocolate cake recipe. I made it for my youngest daughter birthday, she is very picky eater, and she loved that cake.
Merry Christmas!!!
Merry Christmas to you too!
I found that corn starch makes the cookies more brittle and by omitting it, the sugar cookies came out perfectly soft and chewy! This recipe is amazing!
These were delicious! Should I store in fridge or out on the counter?
I just store them on the counter, they stay good for several days that way.
Can I use cornstarch powder in stead of the syrup?
No, not in the icing. Just leave it out if you don’t have it.
2020 and so many new things! This was a first for me to make vegan cut out cookies and fist time in 20 years to make my own cut outs (we have a 27 year cookie exchange and I leave this fussing to others). But it worked so well!
Dough is easy to work with. Taste is a little light and almost like a cracker, so goes very well with the frosting. Love the tip to add corn syrup for a shinier finish.
Thank you! Made for a glorious time decorating with the family.
That’s great to hear!
Fantastic cookie for anyone! Bonus if you are baking for dairy free or vegan eaters.
I had to fiddle with my oven to dial in the time and temp. (Went down in both, but I am at 5000′ elevation). Drizzled with chocolate and got rave reviews
Can I chill the dough overnight without rolling it out first?
Can I make the icing ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge?
If you chill the dough overnight without rolling it first, it will be very difficult to work with. It’s possible, but it will go much more smoothly if you first roll it out, then chill it. That way the cookies are cold going into the oven, which helps them not spread or puff up too much. The icing is fine to make ahead.
The best! My little girls and I had a blast making these. So good! Thank you!
Hey quick questions, how should I go about replacing the butter with oil?
Sorry, I don’t think that would work! You could try coconut oil that is semi solid, but I don’t know how they will turn out.
We did it! We wanted our trees to be green so we mashed the greenest part of an avocado into the icing and a squirt of lemon juice to keep it vibrant! Thank you!
How fun! Thank you!
So yummy! And the almond extract is truly a game-changer. Rolled out great and didn’t spread at all
This was my first attempt at ANY from scratch cookie and they were great! Followed the recipe exactly as stated. My son had fun decorating them.
That’s so great!
I made these for both my vegan and non-vegan family for Christmas. They were such a hit! 😀 I used a paintbrush to frost the cookies with the icing recipe and I was able to do a lot of pretty details. My family absolutely loved them and couldn’t stop eating them.
Can i make these gluten free?
I haven’t tested it myself, but a gluten free mix should work quite well.
Is this icing “royal icing” vegan version?
Yes, it is.
This recipe ingredients says two, 2 1/2 C of all purpose flour (which would equal 4 1/2 C) but the directions only seem to indicate 2 1/4 C…? Which is correct? Thanks!
Sorry if that is confusing! The ingredients say 2-2 1/4 cups flour, meaning 2 to 2 1/4 cups, not a total of 4 1/2 cups. The most you will use is 2 1/4 cups, but some people find the dough is too dry using the full 2 1/4, so that is why I give a range and explain it further in Instruction #3. Hope that helps!
Hi, can I use dairy butter if I cannot find vegan butter?
I’m sure it will work the same, yes.
Sorry if this has already been asked, but can I use soy or oat milk instead of almond milk? And oat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Soy or oat milk is fine, but I’ve never tried them with oat flour. I don’t think it would work very well. Thanks!
Hi! I think I used your recipe with oat flour and they actually turned out pretty decent! I think the only way to know is to try. The oats absorb water so I think more almond milk would be needed, I can’t remember for sure though.
Could you use soy milk instead of almond ?
Yes, no problem.
Out of curiosity, do you have the weighted measurements for the above?
Hi! Yes, if you see under the ingredients list there is a “metric” button, if you push it you will get the conversions. Thanks!
What would you recommend as a substitution for the cornstarch in the cookie recipe?
Arrowroot or tapioca starch would work.
Can u use maple syrup then corn syrup?
I would just leave it out instead of subbing maple syrup.