These sugar cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, and 100% vegan. The pumpkin puree can be substituted for apple sauce. Perfect for the kids or as a midnight snack for Santa.
Baking with the kids is a beautiful tradition, but it can get complicated fast. If you have been making the same basic vegan chocolate chip cookies for the kids, you can give these a try for something different. Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies are fun to decorate too! Decorated sugar cookies look beautiful on the plate, sat by the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa.
To make this recipe, you first need to prepare the cookie dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 mins, but while that happens, you can make the frosting, so it’s ready to go when the cookies are done. These sugar cookies are a great choice when baking with the family.
The good news about the classic sugar cookie is that you can cut them with any cookie cutter shapes, Christmas trees, stars, or candy canes; there are no rules on how creative you can be. Try placing the icing between two cookies to make a sugar cookie sandwich, or set some aside for the grown-ups and cover them with a decadent coffee icing. Furthermore, this recipe is easy, using pumpkin puree and a few baking pantry staples.
Ingredients Needed
- Vegan butter
- Sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Non-dairy milk
Recipe
Cookies
- Step 1: Add 1/2 cup of soft vegan butter to a large mixing bowl and cream with a mixer.
- Step 2: Add 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, and beat for 1 minute.
- Step 3: Sift 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of baking powder into a bowl. Stir with a spoon and sift over the butter-sugar mixture, and mix everything.
- Step 4: Add 1-2 tsp of non-dairy milk. Now you can mix everything until you can form a dough.
- Step 5: Cover the dough and leave it in your freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Step 7: Take your dough out of the freezer and small balls.
- Step 8: Place the cookies on a baking sheet.
- Step 9: Bake on the center rack until golden brown. (Usually no longer than 20 minutes)
- Step 10: Place the cookies onto a cooling rack.
Frosting
- Step 1: Add 1/2 cup of soft vegan butter to a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla (optional) and mix.
- Step 3: Add 2 1/2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar and continue mixing.
- Step 4: Drizzle in a little non-dairy milk to thin.
- Step 5: Add food coloring to create the desired color and add to baked and cooled cookies.
Baking Tips
If you don’t have time to decorate with icing sugar or frosting, don’t worry, you can quickly dust these cookies with powdered sugar.
To ensure the cookies keep their shape while baking, I like to freeze the cookies on a baking sheet.
Swap pumpkin puree for apple sauce for a variation.
When mixing the batter switch to a wooden spoon if it gets too thick.
Serving Suggestions
- Store leftovers are covered at room temperature for up to a few days.
- Freeze for up to a few weeks.
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