These vegan sugar cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious. They only have a few ingredients, and don’t require a stand mixer, hand mixer, or any special equipment. Plus, not only are they vegan, but they’re gluten-free too!
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Updated December 2022
The Best Gluten-Free, Vegan Sugar Cookies
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 my 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 vegan, 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.
What 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.
- Almond flour – Make sure to use superfine blanched almond flour.
- Sugar-free maple syrup – You can also use pure maple syrup if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract – Be sure to use 100% pure vanilla extract.
- Almond extract – Also make sure to use 100% pure almond extract, as you don’t want artificial ingredients in these cookies.
- Sea salt – This is an optional ingredient, but it really brings out the flavors in the cookies.
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.
- 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.
How to Store Vegan Sugar Cookies
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.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
Absolutely! You can keep these cookies in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
More Vegan Cookies to Bake
I’m a huge fan of vegan cookies. If you liked this recipe, then be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes.
- Vegan gingerbread cookies
- Vegan skillet cookie
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan thumbprint cookies
- Mexican wedding cookies
- Keto ginger molasses cookies
These gluten-free, vegan sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas. They're chewy, soft, and flavorful, and only use a few ingredients.
- 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.
Did you try this recipe?
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!