No-Spread Vegan Christmas Sugar Cookies | Christmas Recipes

The best vegan shortbread sugar cookies to make this Christmas and holiday season! Looking for a vegan Christmas cutout cookie recipe? Look no further! This easy Christmas cookie recipe will be your guests’ favorite and new holiday go-to.

This vegan shortbread sugar cookie comes together quickly and takes minimal prep. You can serve this Christmas cutout cookie with piece of mind knowing that your vegan guests and recipientss will be taken care of.

It has taken me a loooong time to find an easy Chrismas sugar cookie recipe that doesn’t taste dry or lackluster. So this Christmas, I vowed to try ONE more sugar cookie recipe. If it didn’t work out, I would officially resort to storebought cookies. 🙁

The verdict? I think Santa would approve! These are even better because: a). prep is easy and relatively quick b). they can be made vegan!

If you’re looking for more holiday desserts and treats, you have to check out my easy Pretzel Peppermint Bark!

Vegan Christmas Cutout Cookies:

Although I am not fully vegan, I like to cook and bake as closely to plant-based as possible. It’s just easier for you and your guests to not have to worry about using and consuming certain ingredients.

I have tried this recipe with both real butter and vegan butter. I found that they are identical in taste and consistency, but if using real butter, I suggest you use one with a higher fat content. This gives it flavor and texture.

The real secret to this cutout cookie recipe is chilling the dough. I know, I know, waiting for cookie dough to chill isn’t on the top of my list either. But chilling the dough allows for easier rolling and cutting when it is time to create your shapes. It also eliminates the huge headache of dealing with warm dough sticking to the countertops or rolling surface.

They are also so fun to make! Use any cookie cutter to create holiday-themed cookies. You can also easily use a round-rimmed glass to create circle-shaped cookies. I like this option when we are traveling to a relative’s house that does not have an insane Christmas cookie cutter collection. 😉

These cookies are no-spread, meaning the shape you cut out in the dough will be the shape they bake into in the oven. So, if you want circular or round cookies, make sure to form the size you want before baking because these will NOT spread out or get larger.

My favorite part of these cookies is the sprinkles! They really add a festive flair and kick the cookies up a notch… especially if you are making circle cutout cookies.

I simply just dipped the unbaked, circle-shaped cookie dough in a bowl of sprinkles and made sure the sprinkles adhered to the dough. Then I popped them in the oven for 12 minutes and they came out like a dream. Not one sprinkle fell from the baked cookie!

I can’t wait to make these in batches and hand out to people. And since they are vegan, wondering if the recipient can safely consume them is one less thing I need to worry about.

*Although I have not tried it, you could test this recipe with gluten-free flour for a gluten-free Christmas cookie.

Vegan Christmas Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• sprinkles

How to Make Vegan Christmas Cookies:

Step 1:

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2:

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add in vanilla extract and beat for an extra minute. Gradually stir in flour until dough forms.

Step 3:

Divide the dough in half and place each dough ball in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 4:

Once dough is chilled, remove one dough ball from refrigerator. Keep the other dough ball chilled while you’re working. Chilled dough is easier to handle and prevents the dough from becoming warm and sticky when rolling out.

If your cookie dough is crumbly, add a small splash (about 1/8 tsp) of water to reform the dough.

Lightly flour rolling pin and the surface where you will be rolling out your dough. Roll dough out 1/8″ thickness and use cookie cutters to shape cookies. Place sprinkles on a plate and dip cookies in sprinkles, ensuring tops are fully covered.

Step 5:

Place cookie shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are barely golden. Do not burn the bottoms. Allow to cool on a rack or plate.

Tips for making Vegan Sugar Cookies:

• If your dough is crumbly, add a small splash of water (about 1/8 tsp) at a time to form the dough together. Be careful to not add too much water!
• I like to divide the dough in half and chill each half in a separate ball of cling wrap. You can then work with one half at a time while allowing the other half to chill.
• It is important to chill your dough for at least 1 hour. This will allow you to have a better handle on rolling out the dough and make it less sticky.
• Don’t over flour your surface. Too much flour will make the cookies crispier and crunchier.
• Dip your cookie cutters or round glass rim in flour so the easily cut out the cookies in dough. This also makes it easier for the cookie cutouts to pop out of the cutters.

This vegan Christmas cutout cookie recipe is perfect for cookie swaps and holiday parties. If you make these cookies, tag me on Instagram @suchasweetheartblog! I’d love to see your photos. 🙂

I personally like my sugar cookies soft and chewy. No crisp or crunchy cookies over here.