On my first attempt, I filled the muffin pans to the brim with batter. It was then that I realized the excess had baked into the perfect consistency of a sugar cookie! At that moment, I knew vegan cookies were within reach.
This recipe is simple and quick! It’s easy and fast! Just one bowl and a simple method. One hour from start to finish. They taste just like the sugar cookie of your childhood but without any (real) milk, butter, or eggs. Huzzah!
Below is a recipe for a vegan buttercream that has been infused with pumpkin and spices. This buttercream is the perfect addition to these fluffy gems, and it brings out the pumpkin flavor.
Ingredients
COOKIES
- Half a cup of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance softened*/ 1 stick = 1/2 cup)
- Cane sugar organic, 1/2 cup (plus extra for topping).
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin*
- Use up to 1/3 of whole wheat pastry instead of 1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
- Use 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch powder or arrowroot powder to thicken/bind.
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp almond milk (or another non-dairy alternative)
FROSTING
- Half a cup of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance softened*/ 1 stick = 1/2 cup)
- Use store-bought pumpkin butter or 1 1/2 Tbsp Pumpkin Butter*
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- Sugar powder 2 1/2 to 3 cups
- Ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice, 1/4 tsp
- Non-dairy Milk 1 Splash
Instructions
- Mix butter and cream in a large bowl for one minute.
- Add brown sugar, vanilla, and sugar. Beat for another minute. Add pumpkin and continue mixing.
- Set your sifter on something that will catch the fallout, and add dry ingredients. Stir butter and sugar with a spoon, then add the dry ingredients.
- Mix until well combined, but do not overmix. Add almond milk, and continue mixing until you have a soft dough. Then, freeze the dough for 15-30 mins (or until it is cold), or chill for 30-45 mins (or overnight). Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and place a rack at the center.
- Roll the dough into balls by scooping out 1 Tbsp of dough. Place the balls on a clean baking sheet, 2 inches apart. This will allow them to spread. Then, gently smash down the cookie disc with a glass dipped in cane sugar (see photo). If the cookie dough sticks to the glass, you can drop the glass in flour and then sugar before smashing.
- Bake in the middle rack for 10-12 mins or until very lightly golden.
- Rest on the pan for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. In the meantime, prepare frosting.
- TO FROST: Cleanse/rinse out your mixing bowl and add butter that has been softened. Beat until fluffy and light. Add vanilla, spices, and optional pumpkin butter and continue mixing.
- Add 1/2 cup of powdered sweetener at a time and continue to mix until the mixture is thick and creamy. Pour in some non-dairy liquid to thin. This frosting should be wide to hold its shape on the cookies. Add a small amount of milk if necessary and more powdered sweetener if needed.
- After the cookies have cooled down, sprinkle them with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Cover leftovers and store them at room temperature for up to several days. Freeze for longer-term storage.
