These Vegan Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, SO flavorful, and topped with the creamiest homemade vegan buttercream frosting!

General
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
How to decorate
Why are my cookies flat?
Can you make cut-outs?
How to store
Nutrition information

Vegan or not, these might just be the BEST sugar cookies I’ver ever made. These vegan sugar cookies are chewy and have such an incredible flavor – almost like a graham cracker!

Ingredients

This simple ingredient list makes the BEST sugar cookies – vegan or not!

Ground Flaxseed Meal and Water – mixed together to form the flax “egg” which binds the ingredients together so the cookies can hold their shape. A flax “egg” needs time to set, which takes about 15 minutes in the fridge — so plan ahead!
Vegan Butter – sugar cookies are typically made with unsalted butter, so today, we’re using a plant based butter to keep these cookie free from animal byproducts. I tested this recipe with Country Crock Dairy Free Plant Butter Made with Avocado Oil but any vegan stick butter should work. I don’t recommend margarine, but you’ll miss out on that rich buttery flavor.
Coconut Sugar – a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap that adds sweetness and a warm, molasses-y flavor. You could use a mix of organic granulated sugar and organic brown sugar (non-organic sugar is often processed using animal by-products), but I actually prefer the flavor and texture from the coconut sugar.
Vanilla Extract – gives flavor depth and a touch of warm sweetness. Vanilla is like the salt for sweet recipes…without it, the cookies will taste bland. Feel free to use imitation or pure vanilla extract.
Almond Extract – this is what takes any sugar cookie to the next level. Without it, I find sugar cookies to be very bland. Almond extract has a strong, sweet flavor that almost resembles cherries.
All-Purpose Flour – the most commonly used flour because of its mild flavor and versatility. Flour gives the cookies structure and depending on its ratio to the other ingredients, will make the cookies chewy, fluffy, cake-y, crisp, or crumbly. Today’s ratio of ingredients makes a chewy cookie. I don’t recommend substituting another flour.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – our leavening agents. The combination of the two gives the best “lift” to the cookies while maintaining a pleasant flavor. Too much baking powder and you’ll end up with a bitter cookies.
Salt – a must for any cookie! Salt enhances other flavors in the cookies while also balancing out the sweetness from the sugar and frosting.
Vegan Buttercream Frosting – this homemade vegan frosting takes just 5 minutes to whip up and is so worth it! If you’d like, feel free to use a store-bought variety. You can also dye the frosting a fun color!
Sprinkles – for garnish! These are optional, but they look really pretty. 😉

Pro tip

Don’t make any substitutions. This is one of those recipes where you really do need to follow the recipe to a “t”. If you’d like to mix it up, play around with the frosting – try adding in some cocoa powder for a chocolate variety!

How to make

Other than making a flax “egg”, these cookies come together just like any other sugar cookie recipe!

In a small bowl, stir together ground flaxseed meal and water. Set aside in the fridge for 15 minutes. This is the flax “egg”.
Place vegan butter and coconut sugar into a large bowl, then beat until fluffy.
Beat in flax “egg”, vanilla, and almond extract then add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined.
Line 3 baking sheets with silicone baking mats, then use a large cookie scoop to portion out 21 dough balls (7 on each baking sheet). Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, bake at 375ºF for 8-10 minutes, cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.

Pro tip

The dough must be chilled to prevent spreading and don’t forget to cool completely before frosting.

How to decorate vegan sugar cookies

To decorate: simply spoon and spread frosting onto cooled cookies OR place frosting into a piping bag that’s been fitted with a star piping tip then pipe starting in the center and moving clockwise toward the edge of your cookie. Top with sprinkles and enjoy!

We’re decorating these vegan cookies with a homemade vegan buttercream frosting and vegan sprinkles. You can even dye the frosting a different color if you’d like (be sure to check that the dye is vegan). I kept it simple with white buttercream so the sprinkles could really “pop”! Feel free to use any vegan frosting (homemade or store-bought).

Why are my cookies flat?

There may be a couple of reasons as to why your cookies came out flat:

You melted the butter. You want the butter to be softened to room temperature to incorporate into the dough. Not melted; melted butter causes more spreading.
Your leavening agents are expired. Double check that the baking soda and baking powder you use are fresh. If they’re too old, they won’t work.
You didn’t chill the dough. Don’t forget to chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge before you bake the cookies. This helps the cookies hold their shape as they bake.
You didn’t line the baking sheet. I recommend lining your baking sheet with a silicone mat before you bake the cookies. This prevents the dough from spreading too much.

Can you use vegan sugar cookie dough for cut-out cookies?

No, I don’t think they would hold their shape. This dough is designed to produce soft, fluffy, yet chewy cookies. Typically, cut-out sugar cookies are thinner and crunchier.

How to store

Leftover unfrosted cookies will last at room temperature for 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Leftover frosted cookies will last in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. I actually prefer these chilled in the fridge anyway!

To enjoy again, thaw in the fridge if frozen.

– Jennifer