These Vegan Sugar Cookies, are a delightful gluten-free and plant-based twist on a holiday classic cookie featuring wholesome almond flour, pure maple syrup, and vanilla. They’re easy to make with just 3 ingredients and promise a sweet symphony of flavors without compromising on your dietary choices.
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Updated December 2023
Vegan Sugar Cookies: A Plant-Based Delight for Your Sweet Tooth
Nothing says winter quite like cookies. It’s always so special when the holidays roll around and you can start making and decorating cookies. These vegan sugar cookies are one of our favorites for baking, decorating, and eating. They’re so simple to make, with just a few ingredients and no special equipment needed. And they’re egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. What more could you possibly ask for in a cookie?
Oh yeah, and they also taste fantastic! They’re soft and chewy, with a subtle maple flavor. They’re super buttery, even though they don’t have any butter or butter substitutes in them. These really are the ultimate vegan Christmas cookie.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make these vegan, gluten-free sugar cookies. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact amounts of each ingredient.
- Superfine Blanched Almond Flour: The star of our recipe, providing a nutty richness to our cookies. For a nut-free option, feel free to substitute with tiger nut flour or gluten-free finely ground oat flour.
- Pure Maple Syrup: A natural sweetener that adds the perfect touch of sweetness to our cookies. You can also experiment with other sticky liquid sweeteners like date syrup, vegan honey, or brown rice syrup. For a lower sugar option, consider using sugar-free alternatives such as Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup, allulose, or yacon syrup.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adding a burst of classic vanilla flavor to elevate the taste of our sugar cookies.
- Pure Almond Extract (Optional): For those who want that signature sugar cookie flavor, the almond extract is the secret ingredient you’ll love.
- Fine Sea Salt (Optional): Just a tiny pinch enhances the overall flavor and helps balance out the sweetness.
How to Make Vegan Sugar Cookies
Here’s how to make these super quick and easy holiday cookies.
- Make the cookie dough. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until the dough comes together. Then knead the cookie dough until it forms a large ball
- Chill the dough. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the cookies. Remove the cookie dough and place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough until it’s about ¼-inch thick.
- Shape. Use your favorite cookie cutters to shape the dough, then place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies until they’re a little golden brown on the bottom. This should take about 20-25 minutes, and you should rotate the baking sheet halfway through.
- Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool for 15 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
- Decorate and eat. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Then eat the cookies!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tricks and tips for making these gluten-free holiday cookies.
- Flour: Ensure your almond flour is finely ground for a smoother cookie texture.
- Liquid: Precision matters when measuring liquids; a well-measured sweetener ensures the right balance of sweetness.
- Parchment Paper: When rolling out the dough, use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup a breeze.
- Don’t over bake. These cookies are wonderfully soft and chewy, but like all cookies, they can become dense and dry if over baked. Keep a close eye on them, and pull them out of the oven as soon as they’re getting nicely golden brown on the bottom. Remember that they’ll keep cooking for a few minutes after you take them out of the oven.
- Let them cool entirely. Letting these cookies fully cool will allow them to firm up and become a perfect texture. But more importantly, if you try to decorate these gluten-free, vegan sugar cookies while they’re still warm, the cookies will melt the icing. Make sure that they’re cooled to room temperature before you start decorating them.
- Chill the dough. This recipe calls for chilling the dough for 15 minutes before rolling it out. However, if you have the time, the dough will be even better if you chill it for longer than that. I like to chill my cookie dough in the fridge for a few hours, or even overnight. This will make the dough a chewier, firmer texture, while also allowing the flavors to meld more.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Cookie Cutter: Experiment with different cookie cutter shapes for various occasions.
- Flavored Extracts: Swap almond extract with other flavored extracts like lemon or orange for a citrusy twist.
- Spices: Add a dash of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough for a festive touch during the holidays.
- Nuts: For a crunchy texture, roll cookie dough balls in chopped nuts before baking.
- Chocolate: Spread or pipe some melted chocolate over the cookies for a delightful chocolatey treat.
Serving Suggestions:
- Ice Cream: Enjoy these vegan sugar cookies on their own or with a dollop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
- Sprinkles: Decorate with vegan icing or sprinkles for special occasions.
- Cookie Sandwich: Sandwich two cookies with dairy-free frosting for an indulgent treat.
- Festive Drink: Pair with vegan hot chocolate, tea, coffee, peppermint mocha or gingerbread latte for a cozy dessert experience.
- Holiday Gift: Share as a homemade gift during the holiday season
- Festive Platter: Create festive dessert platters or Christmas Cookie Boxes with a variety of fudges, chocolates, and candies for a visually appealing and delicious spread.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions:
Refrigerator: You can store these vegan cookies in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. Make sure that the cookies are fully cooled before placing them in the container.
Freezer Instructions: Freeze fully baked cookies in a single layer before transferring them to a freezer-friendly container. They can be stored for up to three months. To enjoy warm cookies anytime, freeze shaped cookie dough and bake directly from the freezer. Adjust baking time as needed.
Make-ahead: The cookie dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking. Shaped cookie dough can be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag for on-demand baking.
More Vegan Cookies to Bake
If you liked this recipe, then be sure to check out some of our other favorite recipes.
- Vegan gingerbread cookies
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan thumbprint cookies
- Mexican wedding cookies
These Vegan Sugar Cookies, are a delightful gluten-free and plant-based twist on a holiday classic cookie featuring wholesome almond flour, pure maple syrup, and vanilla. They're easy to make with just 3 ingredients and promise a sweet symphony of flavors without compromising on your dietary choices.
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup OR pure maple syrup for paleo
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp pure almond extract – optional but adds that signature sugar cookie flavor
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt – optional but if you add just a tiny pinch it helps to enhance the flavor and balance out the sweetness
- MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sweetener, vanilla, almond extract and salt. Mix until a dough starts to form. Knead dough with your hands and form into a large ball.
- CHILL: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Chilling the dough is essential since freshly made cookie dough is too warm to work with and will cause your cookies to spread.
- PREP THE BAKING SHEET: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper,
- ROLL OUT DOUGH: Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1/4″ thickness in between two large pieces of parchment paper.
- CUT INTO SHAPES: Use cookie cutters to cut out into shapes – carefully lift and place cookies onto lined baking sheet. Use a silicon spatula as needed. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
BAKE: Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom.
COOL: Let the cookies cool for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool fully.
Recipe Video
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, in the fridge for 10 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Janice -
Yum, made these with my daughters yesterday and we are making them again today. So good, thanks!
Samantha -
These were amazing! My daughter loved them. Thank you!