Cookies/ Recipes/ Seasonal Recipes

vegan holiday sugar cookies

Remember when I told you the other day I was in charge of baking sugar cookies for the yoga studio’s holiday party?

I think it was a success. Lululemon frosting tanks and all.

But let’s talk first about the cookies.

Vegan? Check.

Simple to make? Check.

Sturdy enough to be tossed around by six year olds? Check.

Tasty and delicious? Check Check.

I have to admit, I had my doubts. Though I enjoy a vegan treat every now and then, I bake with butter. And eggs. And sometimes sprinkles of bacon.

It’s just who I am.

However, when posed with a challenge I don’t back down…especially when given the world’s cutest cookie cutters to work with.

The cookies themselves were pretty basic but involved some new, interesting ingredients!

I had never used this egg replacer before, though I have worked with “flax eggs” in the past. I was pleased with the overall result but don’t think I’ll be using it too often in my everyday baking shenanigans.

The cookies came out great! If you’re vegan (or not?) and looking for a great sturdy holiday cookie for children to decorate, these are for you.

I was a little worried they might break under pressure, but they definitely passed the test (don’t you hate it when sugar cookies crumble under the weight of frosting?).

Plus, they tasted great!

The kiddies loved them!

And the adults did too, apparently.

Pebbles wasn’t allowed…but I think he would have loved them, too!

Vegan Holiday Sugar Cookies

slightly adapted from this recipe

makes about three dozen cookies

1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread

1 cup granulated sugar

2 whole egg replacements

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (tofutti brand)

Cream together the buttery spread and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the “eggs” and the vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in two additions to the butter mixture and then add the vegan cream cheese and mix only until combined.

Chill dough for one hour (note that the dough will feel quite crumbly).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Work the dough with your hands so it’s less crumbly. Roll out to 1/4th inch and cut with cookie cutters to desired shapes and sizes.Β  Bake for twelve minutes, until light brown around the edges. Store in tupperware containers or freeze for up to two months.

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  • Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
    December 6, 2010 at 7:30 am

    How cute are those kiddos? I find that I love baking vegan or even sometimes raw treats because I find it to be a challenge and something out of my comfort zone. And sometimes… they are ever richer and delicious that non-vegan ones.

  • Stacy @ Every Little Thing
    December 6, 2010 at 7:38 am

    They look amazing! You should post more pics of your lululemon frosting clothing πŸ™‚

  • Heather (Heather's Dish)
    December 6, 2010 at 7:38 am

    i haven’t done a ton of vegan baking but would love to get more into it soon…i love that you can underbake or even eat a lot of it raw. YUM πŸ™‚

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman
    December 6, 2010 at 7:40 am

    A admit I’ve never made vegan cookies, but those look really good. Granted, I’d make anything with those cute cutters.

  • Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
    December 6, 2010 at 7:42 am

    Ahh they turned out so good! I am not a very good baker so I haven’t really ever tried to make vegan anything with baking!

  • Alina @ Duty Free Foodie
    December 6, 2010 at 7:45 am

    Very pretty cookies! I feel like these would make lovely little Christmas gifts.

  • RhodeyGirl
    December 6, 2010 at 7:50 am

    They are so adorable!!!!

  • Lauren at KeepItSweet
    December 6, 2010 at 7:50 am

    i LOVE those cookie cutters!!

  • Natalia - a side of simple
    December 6, 2010 at 7:50 am

    Aw this looks like so much fun!
    Although I do expect to see a cookie yoga tank made out of bacon in the near future… πŸ˜‰

  • megan @ whatmegansmaking
    December 6, 2010 at 7:56 am

    so cute! Love the pictures of the kids decorating. They look like a hit!

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite
    December 6, 2010 at 8:00 am

    I love seeing kiddos decorate cookies! It brings a big fat smile to my face πŸ™‚

  • Kjirsten- Balanced Healthy Life
    December 6, 2010 at 8:03 am

    What a great recipe. I love that they are so sturdy so kids can decorate them and they also taste great!

  • Krystina (Basil & Wine)
    December 6, 2010 at 8:03 am

    This is ridiculously adorable.

  • Brenna [fabuleuxdestin]
    December 6, 2010 at 8:06 am

    How cute! I wish I could make cookies with all of my students. Looks like fun!

  • Mary (Sisters Running the Kitchen)
    December 6, 2010 at 8:08 am

    these cookies look so cute! I love the cookie cutters too!

  • jessica
    December 6, 2010 at 8:10 am

    So cute! I’ve never used egg replacers only chia or flax eggs so maybe I’ll give these a try.

  • Jenn @ LiveWellFitNow
    December 6, 2010 at 8:29 am

    Those look mighty tasty girl. And I need some of them cookie cutters!

  • Hilray
    December 6, 2010 at 8:31 am

    What kind of dog is Pebbles? He’s a cutie.
    I loovee the Yoga shaped cookies, too awesome.

  • yolie
    December 6, 2010 at 8:43 am

    you used a rolling pin! πŸ™‚ by which i mean you didn’t use a wine bottle, lol! πŸ˜‰

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    December 6, 2010 at 8:45 am

    Nice work Jenna! I’m definitely going to look for those Betty Crocker tubes for my cookie decorating because the small tubes always run out too fast. πŸ˜€

  • Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun
    December 6, 2010 at 8:49 am

    There’s something so special about making and decorating sugar cookies for the holidays. I love the Lululemon frosting tank. LOL

  • grocery goddess jen
    December 6, 2010 at 8:50 am

    I love your decorations…lululemon tank, ha! I made sugar cookies this weekend and they were not vegan, nor as beautiful as yours. Delicious, though. Also, I would like to adopt Pebbles.

  • Carly
    December 6, 2010 at 9:01 am

    Would this recipe work if I deveganized it and just used regular eggs and butter?

  • Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
    December 6, 2010 at 9:01 am

    love the kid pictures! I’ve seriously been contemplating asking santa if he possibly would bring me a baby for christmas… πŸ™‚
    love,
    cathy b.

  • Nicole
    December 6, 2010 at 9:09 am

    So cute! The lululemon frosting tank is perfect! You are so creative. I’m glad the kiddies (and adults) liked them. I wrote about the yoga cookie cutters on Friday and gave you props.

    Check it out: http://blog.eyogabags.com/2010/12/03/finally-friday-fave-things-1/

  • Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner)
    December 6, 2010 at 9:12 am

    Mmm those look great! I don’t have any egg replacer though, so do you think these would work with flax eggs?

  • Steph@stephsbitebybite
    December 6, 2010 at 9:25 am

    I love all the pics of the kids! Decorating cookies is so much fun!

  • Camille
    December 6, 2010 at 9:28 am

    Those cookie cutters are the cutest things ever! Where did you find those!?

  • Amanda (Eating Up)
    December 6, 2010 at 9:39 am

    Aw this is bringing me back to my mom’s kitchen where my grandma and I would make sugar cookies. I was always too afraid to mess up the cookies though since my decorating skills weren’t up to par!

  • Tanya @ Vegan Faith
    December 6, 2010 at 9:45 am

    Is the Betty Crocker Frosting vegan too!? Get out of town! That just made my cookie party a lot easier!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin
    December 6, 2010 at 9:49 am

    I don’t do a lot of vegan baking either because it’s just easier to use eggs than to try to make chia/flax eggs. I think it would be fun to try though!

    Those kiddies are too cute. Decorating cookies is almost better than eating them!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey
    December 6, 2010 at 9:59 am

    I’m not sure why, but veganizing sugar cookies scares me a little – I just don’t think it would work out well… but it’s okay because I’m not really a fan of sugar cookies anyways!

  • Kim
    December 6, 2010 at 10:20 am

    Super cute Jenna!!!! I’ll definitely be making these for the holidays πŸ™‚ Thanks for the awesome recipe!

  • Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
    December 6, 2010 at 10:22 am

    What a great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing. My favorite cookie cookbook is actually “Vegan Cookies Take over Your Cookie Jar” –you’d never guess that they don’t have any butter in them πŸ™‚

  • Tasha - The Clean Eating Mama
    December 6, 2010 at 10:29 am

    I was just thinking about finding a vegan sugar cookie recipe – thanks so much!!

  • Kailey (SnackFace)
    December 6, 2010 at 10:35 am

    Can vegan shortbread be next?! Or would that just be a sin because shortbread is renowned for its ultimate butteriness? Probably! I’m not even vegan, so I have no idea why I’m dreaming about a vegan shortbread…

  • Cassidy @ takingmyplace
    December 6, 2010 at 10:37 am

    I’m totally going to try to make these. Since I started eating mostly vegan I’ve struggled to find a good vegan sugar cookie recipe. I think it might be since butter and eggs= goodness and earth balance and flax eggs= questionable results (at least for me). Thanks so much.

  • Christine (The Raw Project)
    December 6, 2010 at 10:51 am

    These look wonderful, I must try them for the holidays. Thanks! Cute pics and the cookie cutters are adorable.

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss
    December 6, 2010 at 10:59 am

    How cute!! Where’d you find those cookie cutters?? They’re perfect!

  • Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga)
    December 6, 2010 at 11:00 am

    these look awesome! and how lucky are the people at the yoga studio, kids and adults alike, that you made these for them!

    i have used that egg replacer and although it’s “fine”, I just don’t love egg replacers. I use flax eggs too. But as a vegan baker, I am more the raw unbaker type b/c eggs are just hard to replace in many things so by default, I have become raw in my baking πŸ™‚

    Anyway, both me and my almost 4 yr old little girl would love to help you decorate (or eat!) your cookies!

    πŸ™‚

  • AshleyH
    December 6, 2010 at 11:02 am

    I just made some delicious non vegan ones on friday from the Williams Sonoma online recipe. YUM! My fiance was doing a little dance he loved them so much.

  • Kim
    December 6, 2010 at 11:08 am

    That’s a really cute idea for a kid’s yoga class. πŸ™‚

  • Maria
    December 6, 2010 at 11:12 am

    Super cute cookies. They look tasty too:)

  • Val @ Balancing Val
    December 6, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    Perfect timing!

    I must CONFESS . . . my main reason for baking vegan cookies is so I can eat the dough without tummy issues . . . there . . . i said it.

    πŸ™‚

  • Lisa
    December 6, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    I haven’t made sugar cookies since I was a kid! In 2 weeks I’m hosting a cookie decorating party though so I will attempt my first sugar cookie as an adult!

  • Dee
    December 6, 2010 at 4:24 pm

    Seriously. Those are THE cutest cookie cutters EVAH! πŸ™‚

  • Lauren @ Fun, Fit and Fabulous!
    December 6, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    I might have to make an impulse buy, and purchase some of those cookie cutters! I don’t think I have ever seen anything so cute in my life!!! πŸ™‚

  • Nadine
    December 7, 2010 at 3:23 am

    Jenna, thank you SO much. Just before I came here I bought these cookie cutters as a gift for my brothers (vegan) gf, and now, I can attach your recipe to it !

  • kate
    December 7, 2010 at 10:54 am

    I cant get over those cookie cutters.

  • Courtney Reese
    December 8, 2010 at 7:32 am

    Great post, especially with the lululemon tanks πŸ™‚

  • Tamar
    December 8, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    Hey Jenna! Love the shapes. If you ever decide to try another vegan sugar cookie recipe Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar actually has an egg-replacer-less version. I just made them – they were very simple and delicious and you definitely can’t tell that they are vegan.

  • JenE
    December 31, 2010 at 11:28 am

    Jenna and everyone: I added 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar to this recipe, and made them w/ my daughter’s preschool class. I initially chose the recipe because Jenna noted that they were sturdy for little hands to work with, and there is one vegan family in my daughter’s class. I had no expectation of how they would taste but we LOVE them. I used basic powdered sugar frosting for the cookies, and store them in the freezer. THEY ARE MY KRYPTONITE for this holiday season. Super duper delicious!

  • Kelsey
    December 31, 2010 at 5:08 pm

    What kind of dog is that? I have one that looks similar.. Mine we’ve decided is a Jack Russel & Chihuahua

  • Larrah
    December 11, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    THANK YOU for this recipe! I host a monthly Vegan cook club and we made/decorated these cookies! I haven’t had sugar cookies in years and these were BETTER than the conventional kind- can’t wait to make them an annual tradition! πŸ™‚

  • Heather
    December 21, 2011 at 7:22 am

    Thanks for the recipe. My son helped me make these for co-workers and they were a big hit!

  • Polly
    December 25, 2011 at 9:43 am

    I made these to take to our family’s Christmas day gathering. I’m vegan, so I’m accustomed to the substitute ingredients like Earth Balance and Tofutti Cream Cheese. This was, however, my first time using Ener-G egg replacer. This will be my go-to recipe for gorgeous and yummy sugar cookies from now on!! I cannot tell you how nicely the chilled dough rolls out and isn’t sticky, cuts perfectly and transfers onto cookie sheets with ease!!! I use “reusable” parchment paper- its fantastic!! from my Central Market Grocery store. The vegan icing from http://www.johnandkristie.com goes so well with these cookies- it sets beautifully!! and is super easy to do! My cookies look gorgeous and professional and taste light and dreamy!! Taking them over to the family soon! Can’t wait… hopefully there are some left… Santa had quite a few!! πŸ™‚ Thanks!!

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    February 13, 2012 at 3:45 am

    […] guess what! This year, Adam announced that he is cooking me a five course dinner. I’m baking vegan sugar cookies for a family event at the yoga studio and then can’t wait to see what he has up his […]

  • Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes
    March 17, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    These look amazing!! Everyone needs a good sugar cookie recipe! Yours look delicious!