Description
Delight in these easy cut-out vegan sugar cookies that are perfectly light, airy, and buttery with a tender crumb. Flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these plant-based cookies are frozen for a firmer texture, baked until just barely golden, and finished with a beautiful layer of vegan royal icing. Perfect for festive decorating and garnished optionally with dark chocolate or gold leaf, these 24 cookies are an ideal treat for vegan bakers seeking a classic holiday favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 150 g vegan block butter (room temperature, see note 1)
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 30 g Greek-style vegan yogurt or thick coconut yogurt (e.g., Alpro Greek-style)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Decoration
- 1 batch vegan royal icing
- Vegan dark chocolate (optional, for garnish)
- Gold leaf sheets (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, whisk the vegan butter and granulated sugar together using an electric whisk or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and airy. Add the Greek-style vegan yogurt and whisk again until well combined. Stir in the vanilla bean paste and almond extract until evenly mixed.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift the plain flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt into the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together gently until a cohesive dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and freeze for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight to firm up.
- Roll out the dough: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to approximately ½ cm thickness. Keep a small bowl of flour nearby to dust the cookie cutters to prevent sticking. Cut out cookie shapes and place them on baking trays lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the edges start turning very slightly brown. The cookies will look a bit underbaked – this is desired for a soft texture. Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the parchment paper with cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely for 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare the icing: Make a batch of vegan royal icing and tint it with your preferred colors. You can also melt some vegan dark chocolate if you want to add a bark effect on specific cookies like Christmas trees.
- Decorate the cookies: Fill a piping bag with the royal icing. Snip a small hole at the tip and pipe an outline around each cookie. For a fully coated look, pipe thinner consistency icing inside the outlines to flood the cookies. Garnish with gold leaf sheets if desired to create a festive tinsel effect.
- Store properly: Leave the iced cookies on a cooling rack to dry completely for 1-2 hours before storing. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature where they will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Use vegan block butter that behaves like regular butter to achieve the best texture.
- Freezing or refrigerating the dough before rolling helps prevent shrinking and keeps the shapes sharp.
- Cookies will look slightly underbaked when done; this ensures a tender texture.
- Adjust icing consistency for flooding vs. outlining techniques.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
