Description
These Foolproof Crisp Vegan Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tender, and perfect for holiday decorating. Made with vegan butter and simple pantry ingredients, they bake up crisp and golden with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Ideal for festive occasions, the cookies can be adorned with vegan royal icing, buttercream, and sprinkles for a charming presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Decoration
- Vegan royal icing
- Vegan buttercream
- Vegan sprinkles
Instructions
- Prep: Gather all ingredients and equipment including a round, ridged cookie cutter suitable for Linzer cookies.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and arrowroot starch until well combined. Set aside.
- Make the Dough: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Sift the flour mixture into the bowl and fold it gently with a silicone spatula until fully incorporated into the butter mixture.
- Chill the Dough: Transfer the dough onto parchment paper or plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until completely cold.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: While the dough chills, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Lightly flour your surface, dough, and rolling pin. Roll the dough to approximately 1/3 inch thickness. Use the cookie cutter to cut cookies, then carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies at least 2 inches apart. Repeat until all dough is used, yielding about 32 cookies.
- Chill Cookies: Place the cookie sheets with cut dough into the freezer to chill while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake: Once the oven is preheated, bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and set. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to solidify.
- Decorate: After cooling completely, dip the cookies into vegan royal icing and pipe decorative Christmas tree designs. Finish with vegan confetti sprinkles for a festive touch.
Notes
- Ensure vegan butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming.
- Do not overwork the dough after adding flour to keep cookies tender.
- Chilling the dough and cookies before baking helps maintain shape and achieve crisp texture.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating to prevent icing from melting.
- For gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour of choice.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: Vegan shortbread cookies, vegan cookies, crisp cookies, holiday cookies, decorated cookies, vegan baking
