Ready to make some vegan sugar cookies?! These cookies are so flaky and delicious. PLUS, THEY ARE VEGAN! This was the first time I made any type of vegan cookie and I must say...I am very proud of myself. My frosting skills need some work but they turned out so good.
You can make these with friends or bake them up yourself one night. Cook and bake time will take an hour.
Disclaimer: This post, Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies is sponsored by Walmart. As always, all opinions are my own.
I found this recipe on Minimalist Baker's website and adapted it a little. I got the ingredients via Walmart's Online Pick-up & Delivery. Pick up is free can you get the same low price found in stores but online. Walmart does do the shopping and picks the freshest items or your money back. They even load the car for you! You can choose a convenient pick-up time, location, and shop on the fly.
As a law student, shopping online at Walmart is great because it is more much affordable than shopping at other grocery stores. For example, my normal grocery basket at Walmart compared to Kroger is much more affordable! I shopped online and got the same items at both grocery stores. I got the most savings by shopping at Walmart!
You can see my Kroger cart below. My cart at Walmart was $27.33. That is a savings of $5.57.
You can shop all the ingredients for this recipe in this post.
See the recipe and instructions below! If you make this, leave a comment on this post or tag @whattaylorlikes on Instagram! I would love to see your easy vegan sugar cookies.
Instructions (pre the Minimalist Baker)
Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl and cream with a mixer.
Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, applesauce, and beat for 1 minute.
Set your sifter over something that will catch fall out and add dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and baking powder). Use a spoon to briefly stir, then sift over butter and sugar mixture.
Mix until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Then add almond milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. Switch to a wooden spoon if it gets too thick. If it appears to wet, mix in a bit more flour.
Cover and freeze the dough for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30-45 minutes (up to overnight).
Five minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Scoop out heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of chilled dough and roll into balls. Alternatively, roll out between two pieces of wax paper, lightly flouring the bottom layer, remove the top layer, and cut out shapes. (NOTE: For shapes, to ensure they keep their form while baking, freeze them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.)
Arrange cookies on a clean baking sheet 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. If you’ve rolled the dough into balls, dip a glass into cane sugar and gently smash it down into a disc to help them cook more evenly.
Bake on the center rack for 10-12 minutes for (8-10 for cutout shapes // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), or very slightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and let rest on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Prepare frosting in the meantime.
FOR FROSTING: Wipe/rinse your mixing bowl clean and add softened butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla (optional) and mix once more.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Drizzle in a little non-dairy milk to thin. You want this frosting to be pretty thick so it will hold its shape once on the cookies, so only add a little milk and add more powdered sugar if it gets too thin.
To add natural food coloring, finely grate a raw beet into a clean dish towel and then squeeze it over the frosting and whisk.
Once cooled, frost cookies and top with sprinkles (optional - vegan ones can be difficult to find). Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a few days. Freeze for longer-term storage (up to several weeks).
Notes *Vegan butter sticks are best for baking, as the tubs often contain water to make them spreadable, which can affect the final product. *I froze the cookies before baking, refrigerated them after baking and after frosting to keep their shape and help the icing set.