These vegan sugar cookies are everything a classic holiday cookie should be: perfectly soft, a tiny bit crisp around the edges, and perfectly sweet. They are so easy to make and stay soft for days, making them ideal for holiday cookie decorating. Whether you’re baking for friends and family or just craving a nostalgic favorite, this is the sugar cookie recipe you’ll come back to every time.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Vegan butter. Our favorite brand for baking is Country Crock, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Sugar. White sugar only is used in this recipe to give our sugar cookies that classic texture.
- Vanilla extract. Two whole teaspoons give these cookies their base flavor.
- Almond extract. Optional, but I like the extra little flair the almond gives these cookies.
- All-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch. To help the cookies bind and make them more tender.
- Nondairy yogurt. Adds moisture without making the dough too wet.
- Baking soda and baking powder.
- Salt.
How to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar. Make sure you keep creaming until the texture is creamy and fluffy.
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
- Mix the wets and the drys. Mix the wets and the drys until thoroughly combined.
- Chill dough. For the perfect bake, pop your dough in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Roll into balls. Shape into balls and roll in white sugar.
- Bake. And enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While easier with a hand mixer, you can absolutely mix these by hand. Just make sure to vigorously whisk the butter and sugar in order to cream it. Then you can switch to a rubber spatula to incorporate the rest of the ingredients.
I have not personally tested this, but generally I have good results when making cookies with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (the one in the blue bag). It’s a simple 1:1 substitution. Let us know if you give it a try!
Storing Leftover Cookies
Your leftover vegan sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the dough and bake the cookies at a later date. Just portion them out and roll them into balls before freezing. Then when you’re ready to bake, roll in sugar and pop in the oven.
More Vegan Cookies
- Snickerdoodles – The cinnamon-dusted cousin of normal sugar cookies.
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – A holiday staple! Brownie-like and fudgy with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar.
- Snowball Cookies – Another holiday staple. Buttery and nutty little poppable cookies.
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Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy)
Equipment
- silicone baking mat or parchment
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup nondairy yogurt or sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Rolling
- 3 tablespoons white sugar use coarse or turbinado sugar for an extra sparkle
Instructions
- Cream butter: Add softened vegan butter and white sugar to a mixing bowl and beat together until creamy and fluffy. (Make sure to cream long enough. Go past the stage where the mixture is crumbly.) Add in the yogurt, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat together to combine.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Add dry ingredients into creamed butter and stir with a spatula to combine. Avoid over-mixing.
- Chill dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to give the flour a chance to hydrate.
- Prep: Near the end of the chill time, preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Optionally, line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment. Note: A silicone mat will help insulate the bottom of the cookie so it doesn't brown or crisp up, so it's ideal to use one if you prefer very soft cookies. If you prefer a slightly crisp and more well-done cookie, try using just parchment or even baking directly on the cookie sheet.
- Roll in sugar: Place 3 tablespoons white sugar into a small bowl for rolling the cookies. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons per cookie (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and roll into smooth balls. Roll each cookie ball into sugar to coat. Arrange on a baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space between them.
- Bake: Bake cookies in preheated 350°F oven for 11-13 minutes. For crisp cookies, bake until the bottoms are lightly browned. The cookies will be a little soft when they come out, so let them cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
