Vegan Sugar Cookies

These vegan sugar cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. After a quick chill in the fridge, they're ready to be shaped with your favorite cookie cutters. Top them with an easy icing and be the star of your Hanukkah party!

I'll be honest: I'm not usually a fan of decorated sugar cookies. They're often dry, crumbly, and not very flavorful. But these vegan sugar cookies are different. Adapted from Sally's Soft Cakey Sugar Cookies, they have a tender and chewy interior, crisp edges, and go perfectly with an easy, classic icing that can be used as is or enhanced with food coloring. Need a dessert for your Hanukkah party? Done.

Interested in other cookie recipes? Check out my Almond Butter Cookies (Passover-Friendly), Vegan Mandel Bread, or Mini Black and White Cookies!

How to Make the Vegan Sugar Cookies

Gather your ingredients.

Make the Vegan Sugar Cookie Dough

In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Place the room-temperature non-dairy butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and well-combined. Add the non-dairy milk, non-dairy sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the wet ingredients and beat with the hand mixer until completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat to combine, 1-2 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Gather one half of the cookie dough into a loose ball and place it on top of the parchment paper, then cover with another piece of parchment paper, and gently flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough (on top of the parchment paper) to about ¼" thick. Transfer the parchment paper and dough to a half-sheet pan. Repeat with the other half of the cookie dough, and place both pans in the fridge for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place the parchment paper and dough on a flat surface and remove the top sheet of paper. Use your preferred cookie cutters to shape the cookies, and place them on the pans.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the sugar cookies are just barely golden brown around the edges. Allow them to cool on the sheet pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Icing

Combine the powdered sugar with the non-dairy milk and light corn syrup in a medium bowl and whisk well until smooth. If desired, add food coloring to the icing and whisk until the color is consistent. Using an icing spatula or small offset spatula, carefully spread the icing onto each cookie. You can now add sprinkles, decorating sugar, or other toppings. Allow the icing to fully set before enjoying.

Variations

Any brand of vegan sour cream should work here. The light corn syrup adds a nice shine to the icing, but can be omitted.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.

This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.

This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids' Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.

Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.

Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page.

Also! Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO, meaning OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2023, up to $100,000. Whatever money we raise will automatically double on our fundraising page!