Vegan Sugar Cookies!
Vegan sugar cookies with just a few ingredients! Gluten-free sugar cookies! Paleo-friendly, grain-free! Lots of tips and an easy vegan icing recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (Recipe for homemade baking powder on this blog)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- Icing:
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar (gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon almond milk (add enough milk to get the consistency of spreadable icing)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add almond flour, tapioca starch/flour, and baking powder and mix well. (I usually whisk these ingredients well as almond flour can have lumps. Whisk all the lumps out.)
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Next, add vanilla, maple syrup, and sea salt and mix well.
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Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out. Cut out cookie shapes and place cookies on a prepared baking sheet. (Sprinkle a little almond flour if the dough is sticking).
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Bake for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. Edges should be just ever so slightly browning. Cool on a rack and wait until completely cool to decorate.
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For the icing - place powdered sugar and almond milk in a bowl and stir until completely mixed and the consistency you want. If too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little almond milk.
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You will yield one pan of cookies.
Recipe Notes
*Cook time will vary depending on the size of your cookies. Most will bake in 5-10 minutes. Check often so they do not burn.
*See notes in the post on how I created natural orange and green icing!
Vegan Icing Recipe:
- In a bowl, 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons dairy-free milk (start off with a tablespoon and add as needed). Can substitute water for dairy-free milk. Mix well with a small whisk or spoon until you get the right consistency.
- Add liquid until you get the desired consistency of icing for decorating the cookies. You'll need a bowl of icing for each color.
- Or make a big batch of icing and add to the individual bowls.
- For colors, use all-natural colors, Whole Foods has a 365 brand.
Icing Tips:
- If you do not want to use dyes for the coloring, I've used one tablespoon of cooked orange sweet potato to the icing to create the color for the pumpkin below.
- The green for the stem is a teaspoon of frozen chopped spinach. I added to the mini-food processor with the icing to get a smooth consistency.
How do you make icing harden?
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator for a few hours and the icing will set and harden.
What to use for decorating cookies?
- small bowls
- cookie cutters
- natural food coloring for icings
- squeeze bottles or piping bags,
- sprinkles, and other natural decorations
Can you freeze gluten-free sugar cookies:
- Yes, these cookies can be frozen for several weeks. Try to put something like parchment paper or wax paper between cookies so they don't stick. However, I have stacked them on top of each other and just let them thaw to pull apart and then decorate.
How do you make gluten-free cookies less crumbly?
- If you find the dough crumbly, first try mixing to combine the dough more thoroughly, and then if needed, add a bit more maple syrup.
Do you need xantham gum in gluten-free cookies?
- Some cookies will need xantham gum, but this recipe does not.
Do sugar cookies puff up?
- Depending on the cookie recipe, some will puff up. This sugar cookie recipe does not puff up very much.
What can I use in place of eggs in sugar cookies?
- In some recipes, flax eggs or chia eggs will work very well in place of eggs.
How do you get sugar cookies to hold their shape?
- For this recipe, rolling the dough to a good thickness (not too thin) will help the cookies hold their shape as you move them to the baking sheet and as they bake.
Can I rebake undercooked sugar cookies?
- It's better to remove the cookies a little bit underdone than to have them be overcooked and burnt. You can return the cookies to the oven for a few more minutes if needed.