Vegan Butter Cookies
These vegan butter cookies are a classic buttery treat made into a pretty design with a large piping tip. I love to dip these Danish butter cookies into melted chocolate and decorate them with sprinkles for a festive holiday look.
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Why make vegan butter cookies
These Danish butter cookies are very similar to my vegan spritz cookies, but they are a little bigger since they are piped rather than pressed. You can keep them simple and decorate them with sanding sugars, but I love the flavor, texture, and decorative feel that a bit of chocolate brings to these cookies.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan Butter – Use a high-quality vegan stick butter. I find that Country Crock brand plant butter or Earth Balance Sticks work well. You can also use the stick version of my vegan butter recipe.
- Sugar – any type of granulated vegan sugar will work.
- Flour – all-purpose white flour works best.
- Corn Starch – this is to make the cookies slightly soft and chewy. You omit it if you want a crunchier cookie.
- Salt – for flavor. You can omit it if you choose.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor. You can also use almond extract for a different flavor.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – (optional for melting) with a little additional butter or refined coconut oil to help the chocolate melt. If you’re a fan of chocolate in cookies, you can also check out my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies or Double Chocolate Cookies.
- Vegan Sprinkles – to decorate the cookies. Many brands of sprinkles contain confectioners’ glaze, which is not vegan. Be sure to look for sprinkles or sanding sugars that don’t contain confectioners’ glaze.
Helpful tools
Electric Mixer – this can be a hand mixer or a stand mixer. You can use a wooden spoon and stir a lot if you don’t have a mixer.
Piping Bag – You will need a strong silicone piping bag. Don’t use the thin plastic type that you would typically use for frosting. It won’t be strong enough.
Large Piping Tip – You will need a very large piping tip, like the Wilton 8B. You can also use the Ateco 849 or Wilton 1M tips.
How to make vegan butter cookies
Step 1 – Take the butter out of the fridge about 45 minutes before baking to allow it to come to room temperature.
Step 2 – Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C).
Step 3 – Add 1 cup of softened vegan butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy.
Step 4 – Slowly add 1 3/4 cups of spoon-measured flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt to the butter and sugar mixture and beat on low until combined.
Baking the cookies
Step 5 – Fill your piping bag with about 1 cup of dough at a time, then pipe it onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Step 6 – Bake the cookies at 375°F (190° C) for 9 -10 minutes. (They will still look doughy on the top but will be slightly brown on the bottom. If you start to notice the edges turning brown, take them out of the oven immediately.)
Step 7 – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a flat surface to cool completely.
Decorating the cookies
Step 8 – Once the cookies are cooled, melt 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Melt the chocolate by microwaving it for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring well, then microwaving in 30-second increments until completely melted. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
Step 9 – Dip a side of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, scrape off any drips, and set them on parchment paper. While the chocolate is still melty, add sprinkles or crushed candy canes, then allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens completely.
Pro Tips
- If your cookie dough is too soft and your cookies flatten when baked, add 1 more tablespoon of flour to the dough.
- If your dough is too firm to press through your piping bag, add an additional tablespoon or two of vegan butter.
- Be sure to spoon-measure the flour to ensure the proper flour-to-butter ratio.
Choosing a butter for vegan cookies
- Vegan butter cookies can be a little tricky, since there is a wide range in the quality of vegan butter. Depending on the type of butter you use, the cookies will come out a little differently. I highly recommend a stick version, such as Country Crock Plant Butter, Mikayo Vegan Butter, or Earth Balance sticks. Tub butter has a higher water content and can make the dough too soft to hold its shape.
- Since butter can change the dough a lot, I recommend piping 2-3 cookies and baking them to test and make sure they hold their shape before piping the whole batch.
Decorating the cookies
I like to dip a corner of these vegan butter cookies into melted chocolate and decorate it with sprinkles.
How to store vegan butter cookies
Countertop: These vegan spritz cookies will keep well on the countertop for 1 week in a sealed container.
Freeze: These cookies freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More vegan cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Macaroons
- Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Dairy-Free Blondies
Vegan butter cookie recipe
Vegan Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter, (2 sticks)
- 1 cup vegan sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups flour, (240 grams by weight)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
To decorate the cookies
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, (or refinded coconut oil)
- 2 tablespoons vegan sprinkles, or sanding sugars
Equipment
- Stong silicone piping bag
- Large piping tip
Instructions
- Take butter out of the fridge about 45 minutes before baking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C).
- Add 1 cup softened vegan butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy.
- Slowly add 1 3/4 cups of spoon-measured flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt to the butter and sugar mixture and beat on low until combined.
- Fill your piping bag with about 1 cup of dough at a time, then pipe it onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies at 375°F (190°C) for 9 -10 minutes. (They will still look doughy on the top but will be slightly brown on the bottom. If you start to notice the edges turning brown, take them out of the oven immediately.)
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a flat surface to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are cooled, melt 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Melt the chocolate by microwaving it for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring well, then microwaving in 30-second increments until completely melted. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Dip a side of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, scrape off any drips, and set them on parchment paper. While the chocolate is still melty, add sprinkles or crushed candy canes, then allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens completely.
Notes
- Vegan butter cookies can be a little tricky, since there is a wide range in the quality of vegan butter. Depending on the type of butter you use, the cookies will come out a little differently. I highly recommend a stick version like Country Crock Plant Butter, Mikayo vegan butter, or Earth Balance sticks. Tub butter has a higher water content, which can make the dough too soft to hold its shape.
- Since butter can change the dough a lot, I recommend piping 2-3 cookies and baking them to test and make sure they hold their shape before piping the whole batch.
- If your cookie dough is too soft and your cookies flatten when baked, add 1 more tablespoon of flour to the dough.
- If your dough is too firm to press through your piping bag, add an additional tablespoon or two of vegan butter.
- Be sure to spoon measure the flour to ensure the proper flour-to-butter ratio.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
These butter cookies baked up perfectly. I made them with my granddaughter, and we had a great time dipping them in chocolate and sprinkles. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad that you and your granddaughter liked them, Donna! 🙂
These came out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that the recipe worked well for you, Ben.
I made 2 batches of these for Christmas. No one knew that they were vegan! Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Sarah. I’m so happy that you liked the recipe!