1-Bowl Vegan Sugar Cookies

Recipe idea & credit from: Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

Cookies

½ cup vegan butter, softened (we like Earth Balance)

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 flax eggs (you can find them here), or try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce – this acts as the egg replacement

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ¾ all purpose flour

½ TBSP cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1-2 tsp dairy free milk  - *Mix 2 tsp hot water with 1 tsp Coconut Cloud Original coconut creamer powder for a quick, singer serve substitute

Frosting

½ cup vegan butter

2.5 – 3 cups powdered sugar

Splash of vanilla extract

2-3 TBSP of non-dairy milk  *Can use the same trick above, with the reconstituted Coconut Cloud creamer powder.

 

Directions:

1. Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl and cream with a mixer.
2. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, flax eggs (or applesauce), and beat for 1 minute.
3. Sift together your dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder), right over the butter/sugar bowl mixture.
4. Mix until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Then add non-dairy milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. Switch to a wooden spoon if it gets too thick. If it appears to wet, mix in a bit more flour.
5. Cover and freeze dough for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30-45 minutes (up to overnight).
6. Five minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
7. Scoop out heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of chilled dough and roll into balls. Alternatively, roll out between two pieces of wax paper, lightly flouring the bottom layer, remove top layer, and cut out shapes. NOTE: If you’re doing shapes, freeze them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking to ensure they keep their form while baking.
8. Arrange cookies on a baking sheet 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. If you’ve rolled the dough into balls, dip a glass into cane sugar and gently smash down into a disc to help them cook more evenly.
9. Bake on the center rack for 10-12 minutes or for 8-10 for cutout shapes.
10. Remove from oven and let rest on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Prepare frosting in the meantime.
11. FOR FROSTING: Wipe/rinse your mixing bowl clean and add softened butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix once more.
12. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Drizzle in a little non-dairy milk to thin. You want this frosting to be pretty thick so it will hold its shape once on the cookies, so only add a little milk and add more powdered sugar if it gets too thin.
13. You can also add food coloring here if you’d like to use colored frosting.
14. Once cooled, frost cookies and enjoy! Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a few days. Freeze for longer-term storage (up to several weeks).