Vegan Sugar Cookies (Easy)

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5 from 8 votes

Vegan Sugar Cookies (Easy)

These vegan sugar cookies are your ultimate all-season treat—soft, buttery, and ridiculously easy to make. Perfect for everything from holiday baking sprees to last-minute dessert cravings, they’re as fun to decorate as they are to eat. Grab your cookie cutters, some icing, and let’s make cookie magic happen!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: -50 cookies (depending on cookie cutter size)

Calories: 46kcal

Author: Michelle Cehn

Equipment

Handheld Mixer or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

⅓ cup coconut oil soft and scoopable (not solid or melted)
½ cup cane sugar + 1 tablespoon
¼ cup plant-based milk unsweetened at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water + 1 teaspoon, add more water as needed to get your desired consistency

Instructions

Add the coconut oil, cane sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer (or mix with an electric hand mixer). Cream the ingredients together on medium/high speed for a few minutes until it's well-combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the mixer and beat until it forms a dough.
Gently dust a clean work surface with flour. Transfer the dough to your work surface and knead it into a ball. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out until it is around ¼ inch thick. Try not to roll the dough too thin because then the cookies will be more crunchy rather than soft and crispy.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking trays with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Use cookie cutters to cut cookies out and place them on the baking tray. Form any dough scraps into a ball and re-roll and cut more cookies, until all of the dough is gone.
Bake the cookies on the center rack of your oven for around 10-12 minutes, or until they're golden brown on the bottom.
In the meantime, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water until smooth. Feel free to add vegan food coloring if desired. Set aside.
When the cookies are finished, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Once they're cooled, apply the icing onto the cookies. Allow the icing to dry completely before serving or storing.

Notes

Yields: This recipe makes about 35 to 45 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. If you’re using a mix of small and large cutters, you could end up with closer to 50 cookies.
Storage: After baking and icing, store your vegan sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to a week. If you’re stacking them, layer a sheet of parchment paper between cookies to prevent sticking or icing smudges.
Refrigeration: If your kitchen is warm or you’re storing them for longer, refrigerate the cookies to maintain their freshness. They’ll hold up beautifully in cooler conditions.
Freezing Dough: Got leftover dough? Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or stash it in a freezer bag, then freeze. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the fridge, roll it out, and get cutting!
Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked (and iced) cookies freeze like a dream. Freeze them in a single layer on a tray first, then transfer to an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Thaw at room temperature for cookies that taste freshly made.

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