The Best Vegan Christmas Cookies

By: Doug Hay

It’s not the lights, trees, or shopping that gets me in the Christmas spirit. 

It’s not the vegan eggnog either (although I do love vegan eggnog).  

I know I’m ready for Christmas when I’m rolling out cookie dough on Christmas Eve. 

For as long as I can remember, I have baked and decorated Christmas cookies together with my family, and for me, it embodies everything that’s beautiful about the season — family, tradition, sweets, and laughter.  

So now — just a few days before Christmas — it’s time to start baking.

Below are two cookie recipes perfect for Christmas. 

The first is the classic Christmas sugar cookie, just like the ones I’ve grown up decorating for years.

The second is a twist on Stepfanie Romine’s famous Calorie Bomb Cookies from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook, perfectly transformed into a Christmas energy delight. 

Enjoy!

Vegan Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

These simple sugar cookies were created by Plant Bites founder Izzy Fischer and allow for a few key variations that will give the recipe an extra boost.

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce, pumpkin, or banana
• 2 tablespoon coconut milk or dairy-free creamer
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup flour of choice (see Variations below to mix it up!)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Variations: 

1. Make these cookies gluten-free substituting the flour with a gluten-free flour mix of your choice. 
2. Add a boost of protein substituting the flour with 1/2 cup Complement Protein + 1 1/4 cup flour of choice. 

Frosting

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups powdered sugar (Note: Store-bought powdered sugar isn’t vegan, but you can make it yourself by just grinding vegan sugar in a high-speed blender)
• 3-4 tablespoon almond milk

Options for natural coloring:

• Beet juice
• Berry powders
• Matcha
• Spirulina

Steps:

1. In a stand mixer cream together the brown sugar, cane sugar, and vegan butter.
2. Add the fruit purée (this acts as an egg replacement!).
3. Add vanilla extract and coconut milk/creamer and mix all together with a spoon.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flours/protein powder, baking powder, and sea salt. 
5. Add 1/4 cup at a time the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined and crumbly but can be pressed together.
6. Press together into a dough ball and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
7. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Roll out chilled dough until about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters or glass and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges and bottom are golden brown. Let cool until room temp.
8. While cooking, make the frosting by whisking together powdered sugar and almond milk – optional to make it a buttercream by adding 1/2 cup of vegan butter. Add your plant coloring of choice and frost your cookies! 

Chocolate Candy Cane Calorie Bomb Cookies

Need a treat that will sustain you through a busy day of family and presents? Check out Erin Frazier’s twist on the Calorie Bomb Cookies. 

This recipe makes 24 cookies and stay fresh in the freezer for months.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup raw sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4 chopped candy canes; separated as 2 to mix in and 2 for topping

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (rolled oats, oat flour, almond flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and salt).
3. Stir into the dry ingredients the macademia nuts, dark chocolate chips, and 2 of the chopped candy canes. 
4. Combine the bananas, sugar, oil, water, ground flax seeds, and vanilla extract in the blender or food processor. 
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until incorporated.
6. With wet hands, form the dough into balls that are about 1/8 cup in size. Flatten them to 1/2 inch thick and sprinkle the remaining 2 chopped candy canes on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are slightly firm to touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Wrap in parchment paper for on-the-go-eating.