Vegan Christmas Cookies From One Reliable Dough

• Predictable cutouts: The chilled dough stays manageable for rolling, stamping, and transferring. Allow 10 minutes to mix and 30 minutes to chill; ingredients are $ budget-friendly pantry staples.
• Flexible finish: Use sanding sugar before baking, or add a simple plant-milk glaze afterward. Each option takes 5 minutes and ranges from $ to $$, depending on decorations.
• Make-ahead friendly: Refrigerate the wrapped dough overnight, then roll when the oven is free. That planning step costs nothing and turns decorating into a 20-minute project.

• 2 1/4 cups flour (281 g)
• 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
• 1/2 cup vegan butter (113 g)
• 1/4 cup applesauce (61 g)
• 2 tablespoons plant milk (30 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (1 g)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
• 3 tablespoons plant milk (45 g)
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup, optional (20 g)
• 1/4 cup red and green sanding sugar, optional (40 g)

Ingredient notes

• All-purpose flour gives these cookies enough structure for detailed cutters. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it, rather than packing; that small 2-minute habit helps prevent a dry, crumbly dough. Cost: $. Choose standard supermarket flour for the lowest-cost batch.
• Vegan butter supplies flavor and a firm, sliceable chilled dough; use sticks, not a tub spread. Let it soften for 20 minutes until pliable, because melted butter makes rolling slower. Cost: $$, depending on the butter. Choose unsalted when available, then keep salt as written.
• Unsweetened applesauce replaces the egg while adding moisture and a faint fruit note. Use plain applesauce, not cinnamon-sweetened, so the dough flavor remains easy to customize. Opening a jar takes 1 minute; cost: $. Refrigerate the remainder for another baking project later.
• Powdered sugar makes a quick glaze that sets with a smooth, pale finish. Sift it only if visibly lumpy, then add plant milk by drops; this 5-minute $ finish avoids a runny coating. Sanding sugar is optional and festive too.

1. 1Measure and plan

   Set vegan butter out for 20 minutes, then line two baking sheets with parchment. Measure the flour by spooning and leveling, and clear a refrigerator shelf for the dough. This 8-minute setup costs $ and prevents last-second searching once the mixer starts.

   

2. 2Cream the base

   Beat softened vegan butter and sugar until evenly combined and slightly lighter in appearance, about 2 minutes. Mix in applesauce, plant milk, and vanilla, scraping the bowl once. This 4-minute, $$ step creates the moist base that replaces a conventional egg mixture.

3. 3Mix a soft dough

   Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a second bowl. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until no floury streaks remain. Press the dough together with your hands if needed; this 5-minute, $ step should leave it soft, not sticky.

4. 4Chill until firm

   Divide dough into two discs, wrap each tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. For an overnight plan, refrigerate up to one day and let the discs sit briefly before rolling. This mostly hands-off $ pause makes the dough easier to handle without adding another ingredient.

5. 5Roll and cut shapes

   Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll one disc between parchment sheets to 1/4-inch thick, then cut shapes and transfer them to prepared sheets. Reroll scraps once for the neatest texture. Allow 12 minutes and $ for this stage, including a quick sprinkle of sanding sugar.

   

6. 6Bake and glaze

   Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops remain pale. Cool completely, then stir powdered sugar with plant milk and drizzle or spread it over cookies. This 20-minute, $ finish includes cooling time and keeps decorations simple.

• Keep one dough disc chilled while rolling the other. The 2-minute swap costs nothing and gives you a firmer surface for clean cutter edges.
• Roll between parchment instead of adding extra flour. This $ approach takes about 1 minute and avoids working additional flour into the scraps.
• Use similarly sized cutters on each baking sheet. Sorting shapes takes 3 minutes, costs nothing, and makes it easier to remove smaller cookies first if their edges set early.
• For tidy glaze, place cooled cookies on a rack over parchment. This 5-minute, $ cleanup trick catches drips and leaves the serving platter cleaner.

Arrange the cookies on one large platter rather than scattering them across several plates. Add a bowl of clementines or a few candy canes for color, then set out napkins nearby. Plan 5 minutes and a $ to $$ serving budget, depending on the extras. For gifting, stack fully cooled cookies in a parchment-lined tin, separating glazed layers with parchment so the finish stays neat during transport.