Easy Vegan Drop-Style Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

These perfectly soft drop-style sugar cookies are made unbelievably dairy free and without eggs, yet have the most deliciously crisp outer edges with chewy middles. Different from my cut-out vegan sugar cookies, this drop-style version is quick and easy to make (no chilling required!) for your new favorite vegan Christmas cookie recipe!

Why you’ll love this easy sugar cookie recipe:

Don’t get me wrong. Cut-out sugar cookies are quintessential Christmas cookies, and absolutely deserve to be baked and decorated each year.

But when you’re assembling several cookie boxes for homemade holiday gifts, or trying to come up with one more quick and easy recipe for your holiday cookie exchange, you need a simple, hassle-free recipe.

Enter in these classic drop-style vegan sugar cookies. The dough is made in just 5 minutes, and you don’t even need to chill them (though you totally can to bake at a later date, so they’re fresh!).

Plus, these vegan drop-style sugar cookies are iconically soft and chewy. We’re talking just the right amount of chewiness with crisp, lightly golden outer edges. Buttery sweet with vanilla and just slightly nutty from the almond extract.

As a vegan baking cookbook author, I’ve had a few cookies in my day, and these are basically, Christmas cookie heaven in a bite.

Leave them plain or roll them in decorative sugar or sprinkles, and bake!

And they pair SO well with my copycat Pillsbury vegan Christmas cookies, vegan shortbread, raspberry thumbprint cookies, and vegan Linzer cookies!

Simple ingredients:

• Flour: You can use all purpose flour (plain flour outside of the U.S.) or gluten-free baking flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum!).
• Sugar: Make sure it’s vegan-certified or organic!
• Powdered sugar: This is my key secret ingredient to the most perfectly soft and chewy vegan sugar cookies. I learned this trick from my childhood best friend’s mom, who would always bake sugar cookies with us growing up (before I went vegan!). A little powdered sugar tenderizes the flour, creating that chewy texture.
• Vegan butter: I recommend Miyoko’s vegan butter. It tastes nearly identical to traditional butter, and bakes just the same.
• Dairy free yogurt: Another key secret ingredient to all of my vegan cookie recipes, and my favorite vegan egg substitute. It works way better than flax egg or even applesauce!
• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract
• Cornstarch: This helps to achieve that super chewy cookie texture. You can also sub in arrowroot starch instead!

See Also

Quiche Recipe - with Frozen Pie Crust - 10-Minute Prep!Artisan Bread Recipe25 Leftover Ham Recipes30 Second Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

How is this recipe different from cut-out sugar cookies?

This is a great question! So this recipe is NOT to be confused with my classic vegan sugar cookie cut-outs. It’s actually an entirely different recipe, and I developed it not even using my original sugar cookie recipe.

I’d say these cookies are more closely related to a chocolate chip cookie, but without the light brown sugar.

It definitely cannot be rolled out, and is designed to be your go-to easy cookie recipe for all of your cookie baking and cookie box needs!

Key tips for how to make drop-style sugar cookies:

• Make sure you’re using a kitchen scale: Like with all of my baking recipes, I really recommend using a kitchen scale over using cups. You’ll be less likely to over-measure the flour or under measure another ingredient
• Use high quality ingredients: Ingredients matter a lot in baking, whether it’s for texture, appearance, or taste. Using high quality ingredients is key for the best tasting sugar cookies!
• For thicker sugar cookies: Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes for a thicker cookie!
• Make them gluten free: If you’re in need of gluten free vegan sugar cookies, swap in King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend (it’s my go-to flour blend for gluten-free!).

Can I still ice this sugar cookie recipe?

Because these cookies are more like a chocolate chip cookie rather than a cut out cookie, your best bet is icing my cut-out vegan sugar cookies. The tops of these cookies won’t be smooth enough for icing.

However, you can also make these into sugar cookie bars, and use my vegan royal icing or vegan frosting to decorate!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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