These easy vegan cut-out cookies are perfect for any occasion.  This is the simple, no-fail cut-out cookie recipe you’ve been looking for, made in 1 bowl with just a few everyday ingredients.  Easy to roll out and no need to refrigerate the dough ahead of time.  Cut into any shape, then decorate with frosting or royal icing and sprinkles for holiday fun!

Vegan cut out cookies in Christmas shapes and decorated with brightly colored royal icing.

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I love using my vegan shortbread cookie recipe for making flaky, buttery cut-out cookies, but they are a little too fragile for young kids to cut out and decorate.  I wanted something as easy, durable, and delicious as my easy vegan pie crust.  So, with a few minor adjustments, this vegan sugar cookie recipe was born.  Flaky and delicious yet durable enough to hold together during decorating.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • The cookies aren’t too sweet, so they’re perfectly balanced when frosted.
  • It’s quick and easy to make with no special ingredients.
  • The dough is easy to roll out and won’t fall apart as you transfer it on or off the cookie sheet.
  • They’re perfect for any holiday or celebration since they can be cut into any shape.

Took a chance and made these for the first time to share with friends. I was surprised how perfect they came out. They just melt in your mouth with an amazing shortbread flavor. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. Perfect for me because I’m not a great cook and I’m a lazy cook. 

—SD

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Flour – white all-purpose flour works best.  You can use 1/2 whole wheat, but there will be flecks of brown in your cookies.
  • Sugar – white sugar will keep your cookies light in color.  You can use any granulated sweetener or even leave it out entirely if you wish.
  • Baking Powder – to help the cookies rise slightly and become flaky.
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • Cooking Oil – any neutral-flavored oil will work.  I use canola oil for the most neutral flavor.
  • Boiling Water – Be sure to use very hot water; it helps the dough bind together.
  • Vanilla Extract –  or almond extract for flavor. (optional)
Vegan sugar cookies cut into hearts and butterflies and decorated with royal icing.

How to make vegan sugar cookies

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 °C).

Step 2 – Measure out the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Step 3 – Stir the dry ingredients and then form a divot in the center of the flour.

Step 4 – Pour in the oil, boiling water, and vanilla extract and mix with a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated.

Step 5 – Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps of mixing the ingredients to make vegan sugar cookie dough and rolling it out between parchment paper.

Step 6 – Peel off the top layer of parchment and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.

Step 7 – Pick up the dough around the cookies, but leave the cookies on the parchment paper.

Step 8 – Transfer the parchment with the cookies on it onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375° F (190° C) for 10-12 minutes.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps of peeling off the parchment paper, cutting out the cookies, and baking them.

Step 9 – Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a flat surface.

Step 10 – After they have cooled to room temperature, decorate with vegan frosting, vegan royal icing, or smooth vegan icing.

Sugar cookies with vegan eggnog flavored icing.

Pro Tips

  • The dough looks a little wet and oily when you first start mixing, but don’t worry; it will form into a nice, soft, workable dough once all the flour is incorporated.
  • Don’t overwork the dough, or your cookies will become tough.
  • Once you cut out your cookies, leave them on the parchment paper and pick up the dough around the cookies.  Slide a cookie sheet under the parchment paper and bake directly on it.
  • Form the scraps of dough back into a ball and roll it out again until you have used up all the dough.
  • If you don’t want to frost them, be sure to sprinkle them with sugar or sprinkles before baking to make them pretty.  You can also mix small sprinkles into the dough for confetti cookies.
  • If you don’t have parchment paper, you can roll them out on a lightly floured surface.

Decorating options

Vegan Butter Cream Frosting – This is a butter-based frosting that is light, airy, and fluffy.  It’s probably the best-tasting way to frost anything, but it’s not easy to make intricate decorations.  If you want to use this type of frosting, you are best off frosting the whole cookie with 1 color and then decorating it more with sprinkles.

Vegan Royal Icing – this is great for smooth icing made into bright, beautiful colors with some vegan food dye added to the white base.  These look the most impressive, but royal icing just tastes sweet, not buttery.

Vegan Icing – Icing is smooth and flat, not soft and fluffy like buttercream.  However, it has a coconut oil base, so it’s deliciously rich and satisfying.  I love to add cinnamon and nutmeg to mine for a lovely pink color and an eggnog cookie flavor.

Vegan eggnog icing

  • Mix together 1/3 cup of melted refined coconut oil with 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg.
  • Decorate the cookies with the icing while it’s still warm, or pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it enough to spread.  It will be firm at room temperature.
Sugar cookies with eggnog flavored icing and sprinkles.

Vegan Sprinkles – Many people don’t know that most sprinkles aren’t vegan.  Many sprinkles contain confectioners’ glaze, which is made from crushed bugs.  If you want vegan sprinkles, you can usually find them at specialty stores like Whole Foods or Co-op, or easily order them on Amazon.  My family and I have ordered many different brands of vegan sprinkles and have determined that A Great Surprise brand is the best tasting.  These star-shaped fancy sprinkles are equally tasty and very pretty for holiday baking.

Colored Sugar – Keep it simple: sprinkle the unbaked cookies with colored sugar.  When you bake them, the sugar will stick to the top and make pretty colored sparkles.  If you choose this method, you won’t need to frost the cookies.  Note: Most colored sugar is not vegan because it contains confectioner’s glaze.  You can make your own by adding 1 drop of vegan food coloring to 1/4 cup of granulated vegan sugar and stirring until the sugar is evenly colored.

A sugar cookies decorated with colored sugar and no icing.

Storing and freezing

Storing – These cookies will keep well on the countertop for about 3 days or in the fridge for about 1 week.  Simply keep them in an airtight container and place a layer of parchment between them to prevent them from sticking together.  If you want to frost and decorate the cookies before storing them, be sure to leave them uncovered overnight to let the frosting dry a little so they won’t stick together when stacked.

Freezing – These cookies will keep well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.  To defrost, simply allow it to sit out at room temperature for an hour or 2 before serving.

Vegan sugar cookies cut out in the shape of snowflakes and stars and decorated royal icing.

More holiday cookies

Vegan sugar cookie recipe

Vegan sugar cookies with vegan royal icing and sprinkles on top.
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5 from 5 rating

Vegan Cut-Out Cookies

Yield: 18
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
An easy, no-fuss recipe to make vegan cut-out sugar cookies with simple ingredients.
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Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons vegan sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1/2 cup canola oil, or other neutral-flavored oil
  • 3 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or almond extract

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F. (190° C)
  • Measure out the dry ingredients (1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tbsp of sugar, 3/4 tsp of baking powder, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.)
  • Stir the dry ingredients together, then form a divot in the center of the flour.
  • Pour in the wet ingredients (1/2 cup oil, 3 tbsp boiling water, and 1 tsp extract) and mix with a spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
  • Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it's about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Peel off the top layer of parchment and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
  • Pick up the dough around the cookies, but leave the cookies on the parchment paper.
  • Transfer the parchment with the cookies on it onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375° F (190° C) for 10-12 minutes.
  • Allow cooling on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a flat surface.
  • After they have cooled to room temperature, decorate with vegan frosting, vegan royal icing, or smooth vegan icing.

Notes

  • The dough looks a little wet and oily when you first start mixing, but don’t worry; it will form into a nice, soft, workable dough once all the flour is incorporated.
  • Don’t overwork the dough, or your cookies will become tough.
  • Once you cut out your cookies, simply leave them on the parchment paper and pick up the dough around the cookies.  Slide a cookie sheet under the parchment paper and bake directly on it.
  • Form the scraps of dough back into a ball and roll it out again until you have used up all the dough.
  • If you don’t want to frost them, be sure to sprinkle them with sugar or sprinkles before baking to make them pretty.  You can also mix small sprinkles into the dough for confetti cookies.
  • If you don’t have parchment paper, you can roll them out on a lightly floured surface.
For the eggnog-flavored icing
  • Mix together 1/3 cup of melted refined coconut oil with 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg.
  • Decorate the cookies with the icing while it’s still warm, or pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it enough to spread.  It will be firm at room temperature. 
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 101kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 65mg, Potassium: 28mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg
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