These easy vegan sugar cookies are the perfect cookie for any occasion. This is the simple no-fail cut-out cookie recipe is the one that you've been looking for! Made in 1 bowl with just a few simple everyday ingredients. Easy to roll out and no need to refrigerate the dough ahead of time. Cut into any shape and decorate with frosting or royal icing and some sprinkles for holiday fun!
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 was born. Flaky and delicious yet durable enough to hold together during decorating.
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- the cookies aren't too sweet, so they are in perfect balance 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.
🧾 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 completely if you wish.
- Baking Powder - to make the cookies rise a little and make them 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, this helps the dough bind together.
- Vanilla Extract - or almond extract for flavor. (optional)
🥄 Instructions
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 divet 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.
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.
Step 9 - Allow cooling on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a flat surface.
Step 10 - After they have cooled to room temperature, decorate with vegan frosting, vegan royal icing, or smooth vegan icing.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- The dough looks a little wet and oily when you first start mixing it but don't worry, it will form into a nice soft workable dough once all of 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 the parchment that you rolled them out on.
- Form the scraps of the dough back into a ball and roll out again until you have used up all of 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 lovely pink color and an eggnog cookie flavor.
- To make this easy 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 up enough to spread on the cookies. It will be firm at room temperature.
Vegan Sprinkles - Many people don't know, but most sprinkles are not 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 Suprise brand is the best tasting. These star-shaped fancy sprinkles are equally tasty and very pretty for holiday baking.
Colored Sugar - Keep it easy and simply 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, like sprinkles, is not vegan since they have a confectioner's glaze in it. You can make your own by putting 1 drop of vegan food coloring into 1/4 cup of granulated vegan sugar and stirring until you have evenly colored sugar.
🥡 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 air-tight container and place a layer of parchment between layers to keep them from sticking together. If you want to frost and decorate the cookies before storing them, be sure to leave them uncovered overnight to dry the frosting out a little so they won't stick together before stacking.
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.
❄️ More holiday cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Creme de Menthe Squares
- Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Spritz Cookies
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan sugar cookie recipe
Vegan Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- rolling pin
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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. (190° C)
- Measure out the dry ingredients (1 1/2 cup flour, 3 tbsp sugar, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl).
- Stir the dry ingredients together and then form a divet 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 of 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 it but don't worry, it will form into a nice soft workable dough once all of 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 the parchment that you rolled them out on.
- Form the scraps of the dough back into a ball and roll out again until you have used up all of 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 up enough to spread on the cookies. It will be firm at room temperature.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you very much
Hi,
Would I be able to make the recipe, let refrigerate overnight then take it out and let it become room temp and shape?
Yes, that will work fine, Julia. Enjoy!
Can you make this recipe with gluten free flour?
They are not as light and flaky when made with gluten-free flour, but you can use a grain-based gluten-free flour mix.
Hi Monica. Could The icing decorated cookies be frozen?
Yes, it can be frozen. Just make sure that your icing drys out before stacking them. Enjoy! 🙂
Thnak you so much!
Of course! 🙂
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. 😁
I'm so happy that you liked them! They almost seem too easy, but they always come out great for me. 🙂
These look so perfect! My area doesn't sell coconut oil OR vegan butter so finding this recipe is such a good feeling. Do you think these will be good when shaped into other shapes like thumbprint cookies or ? I am planning to make a cookie box but I don't want to have to make 7 different doughs... Thanks so much in advance!
I'm glad that this recipe works well for you. I'm not sure how it would work for a thumbprint cookie. Maybe add a tablespoon of corn starch to the dry ingredients to keep them softer and chewier? Let me know how they come out! 🙂
Wow! These cookies came out great! I was a little worried that I didn't have to chill the dough first, but you really don't. This is my go-to cut out cookie recipe from now on. It's so much quicker than any others I have tried and they taste delicious!
I'm so happy that you liked the cookies, Mallory! 🙂
Hi Monica,
I am so looking forward to trying out this recipe. It looks terrific. I'm all for not needing to cream "butter" & sugar or having to refridgerate the dough. My question is this: I really like crisp cookies. Is there a way to modify this recipe so the cookies are closer to crunchy that cakey? Thanks so much,
Nikki
These are more crispy than cakey. If you want them to be extra crispy, leave them in the oven for an extra minute or two.