Vegan Sugar Cookies

If Santa were vegan, he’d want you to leave these cookies out for him. Soft, buttery, with crispy edges, these are the classic, quintessential sugar cookie, veganized and ready to bring to any of your holiday gatherings. Whether frosted, sprinkled, or eaten plain right out of the oven, we can't get enough of them.

These cookies are pretty straightforward, but if you’re not used to baking without eggs and butter, you might have some questions. We’ve got the answers!

What vegan butter should I use?

I tested with both Miyoko's Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. Both work, but try to get Earth Balance if you can. It's easier to bake with and the cookies had a slightly better texture. Whatever butter you use, don’t skip the almond extract. It gives these cookies a little something special that’s perfect for the holidays.

How do I roll out the dough?

Make sure your dough is properly chilled before rolling. If the dough isn't chilled, the cookies will be too hard to roll out and will spread while baking and not hold their shapes. A little trick I like to use is to roll the dough between two sheets of parchment before putting in the refrigerator to chill. When rolling out, try not to go too thin! Between 1/4" and 1/8" thickness is perfect. If you go too thin, you'll end up with crunchier cookies that might get too toasty with our cooking times. 

And now the best part: the decorating!

Using corn syrup in the icing makes it shiny and pretty. If you aren’t comfortable using it, you can omit it. Just be sure to add a bit more milk or even water to get the right consistency. Want decorating ideas? Check out our leg lamp cookies, our swirl Christmas tree cookies, or our Santa cookies.

What about food coloring and sprinkles?

Not all food colorings and sprinkles are vegan, though there are many available now. Be sure to read the ingredients before buying. If you don’t want to use food coloring, just go with a classic white frosting. If you can’t find vegan sprinkles, use organic coarse sugar, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs, or seeds (such as chia, hemp, or flax) instead.

Made these? Let us know how it went in the comments below!