Description
Delight in these Easy Cut-Out Vegan Sugar Cookies that combine a tender, buttery texture with the perfect hint of vanilla and almond extracts. This vegan-friendly recipe uses plant-based ingredients like vegan block butter and Greek-style vegan yogurt, making it a guilt-free treat. The cookies are rolled thin, cut into festive shapes, baked till just golden at the edges, and then decorated with optional vegan royal icing, dark chocolate, and gold leaf for a stunning finish. Perfect for holiday celebrations or anytime you crave a classic sugar cookie!
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 150 g vegan block butter, room temperature
- 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
Decorations
- 1 batch vegan royal icing
- Vegan dark chocolate (optional, for garnish)
- Gold leaf sheets (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: Add the vegan block butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and airy. Then, add the Greek-style vegan yogurt and whisk again until fully combined. Whisk in the vanilla bean paste and, if using, almond extract until smooth.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt directly into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc shape, and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
- Roll out the cookies: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly flour a clean countertop and roll out the chilled dough to about ½ cm thickness. Keep a small bowl of flour nearby to dust your cookie cutters before pressing them into the dough to prevent sticking. Transfer the cutout cookies onto baking trays lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, watching for very slight browning at the edges; the cookies should look a bit underbaked in the center. Remove from oven and allow them to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper with cookies onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare the icing and decorate: Make a batch of vegan royal icing and tint it with your preferred food coloring. Optionally, melt some vegan dark chocolate for decorative effects. Transfer royal icing to a piping bag, snip the tip, and pipe an outline on each cookie. For fully coated cookies, flood the interior by piping thinner icing inside the outlines. Decorate further with gold leaf sheets for a festive tinsel look if desired.
- Dry and store: Place iced cookies back on a cooling rack and allow the icing to dry completely for at least 1-2 hours. Once dry, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Using vegan block butter at room temperature helps achieve the best texture in these cookies.
- For the yogurt, Greek-style vegan yogurt like Alpro works best due to its thickness.
- Chilling the dough is critical to make it easier to roll and cut and to prevent spreading during baking.
- Baking until edges are just slightly brown ensures the cookies stay soft and tender.
- Royal icing should be completely dry before storing to avoid smudging.
- Cookies can be frozen before baking; roll, cut, and freeze the dough discs or cutouts, then bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two to bake time.
