Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies

BY SARA KIDD

These easy vegan cookies use ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard and bake in next to no time.


Prep Time: 30 Mins | Bake Time: 12 Mins | Makes 6 to 8 large cookies


The perfect vegan party cookie


Ingredients


125 g vegan butter

100 g light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 Tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 Tbsp water

220 g all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt
60 g icing sugar, plus more as needed

1 Tbsp soy milk

1/2 cup vegan sprinkles


Instructions


  • Beat together the vegan butter, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoonful of the vanilla bean paste.
  • Beat in the cornflour paste – don’t worry if the mixture curdles slightly.
  • In another bowl, sieve the flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix together using your hands. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add more flour and mix until a soft dough ball forms.
  • Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • Roll out the dough to 1.5-cm thickness on a clean, floured surface and cut out cookies using a large cookie cutter.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and the tops are just firm. Let cool.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the icing sugar, remaining vanilla bean paste, and soy milk to form a thick If needed, add more icing sugar.
  • Dunk the cooled cookies into the glaze and then into a bowl filled with the vegan sprinkles. Let set for 30 minutes before eating.

Top Vegan Cookie-Baking Tips


Great vegan cookies can solve almost any problem. They’re a wonderful gift, a way to make friends, and a great peace-making tool to use with that co-worker who “doesn’t like vegan food”. Here are some cookie-baking tips to make sure you nail it every time:

  • Preheat your oven so the cookiesbake evenly. If you don’t, they can end up under-baked in themiddle and over-baked on the outside.
  • For perfectly round cookies, place them in a silicone egg ring whilst baking. See this YouTube video for tips on getting perfectly shaped cookies.
  • Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature unless the recipe states otherwise.
  • Chill the cookie dough for at least an hour, or even overnight. This helps the fat solidify, meaning it will take longer to melt in the oven and the cookies will retain their shape better.
  • The best egg replacer for cookies is cornflour mixed with water to form a paste. One egg is equal to 1 tablespoonful of cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoonfuls of water.
  • If you’re rolling out the dough, don’t roll more than twice – otherwise, the cookies will have a tough texture.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Sara Kidd has completed courses with some of the best mainstream cake designers, including Thao Pham, Stevi Auble, Katherine Sabbath, Kara Andretta, Zoe Byres, and the trainers at The Australian Patisserie Academy in Sydney. She worked in the film industry for 15 years and has launched her own retro-themed baking show on YouTube called Vegan Bakes With Sara Kidd.