Over the last few years, there’s clearly been a shift in supermarkets aiming products toward becoming more plant-based, or even vegan items on shelves. Interestingly though, this transition only elicits a few products and not a large selection in most stores. In fact, vegan shoppers mostly need to create their own recipes to enjoy common snacks (cookies, dips, granola bars, cakes, etc.). One of my dear friends is vegan and over the years, my circle of friends has developed a liking to vegan treats. I recently found a fantastic recipe for vegan sugar cookies. They’re such a staple for holidays, as they can match any theme and are appropriate for any occasion.
They, of course, don’t have binding or softening agents like eggs or butter, but they maintain all the soft sweetness you could want. Let me share his recipe with you!
Disclaimer: This recipe is not my own, I’m simply sharing a staple recipe that I use for every event requiring desserts. The original recipe website can be found here: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-sugar-cookies/
THE BEST VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES
Serves: 24 cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
▢ 3/4 cup vegan butter (earth balance preferred), slightly softened
▢ 3/4 cup granulated sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but so good)
▢ 2-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (correctly measured)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy icing:
▢ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
▢ 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (can omit, but it makes the icing very shiny)
▢ 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Instructions:
In a large bowl either using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter for about 1 minute until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and light.
Now add in the almond milk, cornstarch, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat on high until it is all fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add 1 cup of flour to the wet mixture. Sprinkle the baking powder and salt on top of the flour. Mix on low speed, until just combined. Now add 1 more cup of the flour and continue to mix on low until just combined; don’t over mix. The dough should feel similar to play dough when you work it in your hands, but it will look crumbly in the bowl. If it seems too wet for rolling, add another 1/4 cup of flour. You want the dough to be thick, but not dry. I always use the full 2 1/4 cups of flour. If the dough is too wet, your cookies will spread.
Using a spatula, scoop all of the dough out of the bowl; use your hands if needed to push it all together. Divide the dough in half and roll it into two balls.
On a flat surface, add a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle a little flour on it, then add half the dough. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top. Repeat for the second ball of dough, and then stack them with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Once the dough has been chilled, set it on the counter for 10 minutes while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Continue re-rolling the dough until it is all used.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, in the middle rack of the oven, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. They will appear underdone, but they will firm up considerably as they cool. Let them cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely before icing.
Icing:
Whisk all icing ingredients in a bowl. If it seems too thick, add a little more almond milk. It should be smooth, glossy, and not runny. If too runny, add more powdered sugar. You can dip the cookies in the icing, or use brushes, spoons, or a squeeze bottle. See this helpful video on how to decorate sugar cookies with icing.
*If you want really pretty cookies, first make the icing thicker, by using only 1 tablespoon of almond milk. Using a decorating tip, outline the cookies with thicker icing. Then add a little more milk to thin it and flood the inside with icing. This way the icing doesn’t spill over the cookie edges.
Decorate with sprinkles as desired. The icing will take several hours to harden completely. The cookies will stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature.
Notes:
- Try to get the earth balance sticks if you can; they are easier to bake with. Results will vary with other brands of vegan butter.
- Almond extract is optional but it adds a very good flavor to both the cookies and the icing, so use it if you can.
- To correctly measure flour, make sure to spoon and level by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with the back of a knife. If you don’t correctly measure the flour, you can end up with way too much flour and the dough will be dry!
- If you aren’t comfortable using corn syrup, you may omit it. I rarely use it, but it makes cookie icing pretty and shiny and it’s just 1 tablespoon.
- Baked sugar cookies freeze well, but don’t freeze them once frosted.