Sugar cookies are a once a year baked good for me, and preferably baked with my best friend in tow. Perhaps it's because I generally prefer a cookie that's chocolate and decadent. But, you can't go wrong with a beautifully decorated sugar cookie. Though unconventionally made without butter, egg, or even regular flour, these cookies are sprinkled with all the holiday tradition - and perhaps an even better taste - of childhood memory and lasting friendship.
Here's the recipe.
Vegan and Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Cookie Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea brine)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 2/3 cups gluten free flour blend
2/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
Method
In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the vegan butter and beat until creamy and smooth (about 1 minute). Add sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then add the aquafaba and vanilla and mix again.
At low speed, add the baking powder and sea salt. Once those are mixed in, add the flours, a little bit a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add almond milk and mix once again.
The dough should be thick. Transfer the dough to the fridge and chill for 15 minutes. Or, you can make this dough a few days in advance and store it in the fridge, bringing it to room temp for 30 minutes before rolling out and baking.
After the dough has chilled, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a well floured surface. I like to tape wax paper to the counter and roll it out on that to help clean up the flour when I'm done.
Using cookie cutters, cut the cookies and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies appear fluffy and the edges look done. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks.
You can enjoy the cookies plain or frosted with the recipe below. Once cooled, cookies can be stored at room temp for 4 days, or frozen for up to a month.
Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups sifted organic powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vanilla non-dairy milk
Natural food dyes
Method
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the vegan butter for about 1 minute until it's soft and fluffy. Then, add the powdered sugar in small increments and continue mixing. At the halfway mark, add the vanilla extract. At the end, add 2 tablespoons of milk alternative and you should have the consistency of frosting.
I doubled the recipe and split into three portions, dying one bowl red, one green, and leaving the other a natural white for holiday cookie decorating.
Transfer the frosting into a ziploc bag and refrigerate until you're ready to frost the cookies. Remove from fridge about 10 minutes before you want to frost the cookies and snip a small slit in the corner of the bag for easy piping and decorating.
Enjoy!
Note: This recipe was adapted from one found at the minimalistbaker.com. If you haven't checked out that site, you should as there are tons of great recipe ideas posted!
Here's the recipe.
Vegan and Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Cookie Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea brine)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 2/3 cups gluten free flour blend
2/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
Method
In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the vegan butter and beat until creamy and smooth (about 1 minute). Add sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then add the aquafaba and vanilla and mix again.
At low speed, add the baking powder and sea salt. Once those are mixed in, add the flours, a little bit a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add almond milk and mix once again.
The dough should be thick. Transfer the dough to the fridge and chill for 15 minutes. Or, you can make this dough a few days in advance and store it in the fridge, bringing it to room temp for 30 minutes before rolling out and baking.
After the dough has chilled, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a well floured surface. I like to tape wax paper to the counter and roll it out on that to help clean up the flour when I'm done.
Using cookie cutters, cut the cookies and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies appear fluffy and the edges look done. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks.
You can enjoy the cookies plain or frosted with the recipe below. Once cooled, cookies can be stored at room temp for 4 days, or frozen for up to a month.
Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups sifted organic powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vanilla non-dairy milk
Natural food dyes
Method
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the vegan butter for about 1 minute until it's soft and fluffy. Then, add the powdered sugar in small increments and continue mixing. At the halfway mark, add the vanilla extract. At the end, add 2 tablespoons of milk alternative and you should have the consistency of frosting.
I doubled the recipe and split into three portions, dying one bowl red, one green, and leaving the other a natural white for holiday cookie decorating.
Transfer the frosting into a ziploc bag and refrigerate until you're ready to frost the cookies. Remove from fridge about 10 minutes before you want to frost the cookies and snip a small slit in the corner of the bag for easy piping and decorating.
Enjoy!
Note: This recipe was adapted from one found at the minimalistbaker.com. If you haven't checked out that site, you should as there are tons of great recipe ideas posted!