Vegan Christmas Cookies
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My vegan Christmas cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with vegan candy buttons! Perfect for cookie exchanges, gifting, and more.
During the holiday season, my family takes baking to a whole new level. Like clockwork, we go into cookie-making mode, and our kitchen becomes a cookie factory.
With so many of our friends and family having dietary restrictions, it only makes sense that we include them in our cookie exchanges, too (hello, keto Christmas cookies and gluten-free Christmas cookies!).
My vegan Christmas cookie recipe is for anyone who can’t have eggs or dairy (or animal products) but wants a delicious, festive cookie that does NOT sacrifice flavor.
I took inspiration from my popular vegan chocolate chip cookies, but added some festive candy buttons for decoration. It took a little bit of testing to get the dough just right, but I’ve nailed it, and even non-vegan friends and family can’t tell the difference!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. I’m talking pantry staples only.
- Quick chill time. Unlike other cookie recipes that call for several hours or overnight chilling time, these need just one hour.
- No egg replacements. No flax eggs, chia eggs, or egg substitutes are needed. This is my #1 non-negotiable with any kind of vegan cookie.
- Easy to make ahead. You can prep the dough in advance and even freeze it to bake it up later. I think I even have some left from last Christmas!
- Perfect texture. These cookies are perfectly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. They are perfectly sweet, and you are guaranteed that every mouthful will have plenty of chocolate in it!
What people are saying
★★★★★ – “Just made these! Added some cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a bit of a Christmassy flavour… turned out great!” – Nina
Ingredients needed
- Vegan butter OR coconut oil. I prefer using vegan butter, but softened coconut oil can be used as well. If you choose to use the butter, opt for sticks or blocks, not spreads. In terms of brands, I adore Miyokos.
- White sugar and brown sugar. A combination of both sugars will yield the perfect texture- Crisp edges and perfectly soft centers.
- Non-dairy milk. I used soy milk, but almond, coconut, oat, and other plant-based milks will work.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie.
- All-purpose flour. Also known as plain flour. Be sure to sift the flour thoroughly to remove any clumps.
- Baking soda. Gives the cookies some rise and helps prevent them from overspreading.
- Salt. A pinch of salt balances out the flavors and brings out the natural sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Candy buttons. A mix of green and red candy buttons! There are a handful of vegan-friendly candy buttons on the market, including Choco No No’s and Unreal Chocolate.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but I enjoy adding some vegan chocolate chips to the dough for extra pockets of chocolate throughout.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How to make vegan Christmas cookies
Step 1- make the dough. Start by adding the sugars and butter to a mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, cream them together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold through the candy buttons and chocolate chips.
Step 2- chill the cookie dough. Next, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the dough for an hour.
Step 3- shape the cookies. Now, divide the dough into 12 portions. Using your hands, roll into balls.
Step 4- Bake the cookies. Place them onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the sides just firm up. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tip
- Chilling the dough for an hour before baking the cookies prevents them from overspreading and yields a perfectly gooey center. I know it’s hard to resist, but trust me, it makes all the difference.
- Do not over-bake the cookies, as they continue to firm up as they cool down. I like to remove them around the 12-minute mark.
- Avoid refreezing the unbaked cookie dough. The candy buttons bleed into the dough and become crumbly once thawed.
Storing instructions
To store: Leftovers keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Make ahead: You can prepare the dough up to 5 days in advance before baking it. Simply cover the prepared dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Once ready to use, let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can swap them out for other candy, nuts, or seeds. You can also just leave them out entirely and enjoy a plain cookie.
These cookies hold well when mailed by postal mail. Aim to have them baked and mailed within 2 days of baking.
More vegan Christmas cookie recipes
Perfect Vegan Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milk of choice I used soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan candy buttons * See notes
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vegan butter, white sugar, and brown sugar, and using a hand mixer, cream together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Gently stir through the dry ingredients until just combined and no flour pockets remain. Fold through the candy buttons and chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and divide the dough into 12 portions. Using your hands, roll them into balls and place them on the lined sheet. Press down lightly on each one.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just begin to firm up.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Hello! I would love to make this! It’s so colourful and full of Christmas 🥰 However, I’m a vegan so finding christmas candy buttons in-store are not easy……. could I add candy cane bits instead?
I will put here M&Ms buttons. It is very famous here. It should be still vegan?
I am not vegan but I can really do this for Christmas. Just to try hehe.
Just made these! Added some cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a bit of a Christmassy flavour… turned out great!
These look so so good. Gonna give them a try this weekend. Is there any chance of subbing the butter for coconut or olive oil instead?