Easter Egg Sugar Cookies (Vegan & GF)

These Easter egg sugar cookies are vegan and gluten-free but you won't be able to tell! Buttery and slightly soft, just like the classic sugar cookies we grew up eating.

They're decorated with vegan icing using evaporated oat milk and natural food coloring too! If you're looking for delicious vegan Easter treats, these are for you!

I'm so thankful to be collaborating with Nature's Charm. All opinions are my own.

Vegan Easter cookies

Move over tasteless cookies decorated with synthetic colors! These vegan sugar cookies are iced with a glaze icing that's colored using natural food color powders.

Although these Easter cut out cookies are plant-based, these cookies taste like classic sugar cookies! You know, the ones our moms and grandmas made; buttery, sweet, crisp edges and slightly soft in the middle.

The base of these vegan Easter treats is the gluten-free sugar cookie recipe that I use in my cranberry thumbprint cookies!

Ingredients

• Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend - Make sure your 1-to-1 or measure-for-measure flour blend includes xanthan gum!
• Almond flour - Adding almond flour gives the cookies a tender crumb, as well as depth to the flavor.
• Salt - A little salt is necessary to balance the sweetness.
• Vegan butter - For best results, use vegan butter sticks rather than the butter spreads in tubs.
• Refined coconut oil - Make sure to use flavorless refined coconut oil, and not virgin or extra virgin coconut oil which has a strong coconut flavor.
• Granulated sugar - Essential in any sugar cookie recipe!
• Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract, and not imitation or artificial extract.
• Evaporated oat milk - The oat milk goes into both the cookie dough and the icing!
• Powdered sugar - Be sure to sift it first to get rid of any clumps.
• Natural food coloring - I made four colors using matcha powder, butterfly pea powder, beet powder, and ground turmeric.

How to make Easter sugar cookies

1. In a bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter, melted coconut oil, and granulated sugar. Add the evaporated oat milk, and vanilla extract, and mix again.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until you don't see any dry bits of flour. Cover and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
4. Take the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper, cover that with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll it out to ¼ inch (½ cm) thickness. Put it in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Take the chilled rolled-out cookie dough out of the refrigerator and cut out shapes using an egg-shaped cookie cutter.
7. Put them on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Re-roll any leftover cookie dough and bake more cookies, until you have no more cookie dough left.
9. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet before taking them onto a wire rack.

How to make vegan glaze icing & decorate the cookies

1. In a bowl, mix together sifted powdered sugar and evaporated oat milk.
2. Separate the icing into smaller bowls and mix in natural food color.
3. Dip in the top surface of each cookie and set on a wire rack to let it dry.
4. Put the rest of the icing in individual piping bags with a small piping tip. Decorate the cookies by drawing lines and dots with the icing.

Recipe pro-tips

Make sure your gluten-free flour blend includes xanthan gum

It is very important that the flour blend you use contains xanthan gum! Xanthan gum is what gives the cookies structure, so without it, the cookies won't hold together.

Roll out the dough before you chill

If the cookie dough is at room temperature, the dough will be too soft and you won't be able to transfer it onto the baking sheet. For beautiful egg-shaped cookies, make sure to roll out the dough first, chill it, then use your cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and put them on the baking sheet.

Cool the cookies completely before icing

If the cookies are warm, the icing won't set properly. Patience is a virtue, so make sure you let them cool completely!

Add a little extra evaporated oat milk to your icing if you're using powdered food coloring

Powdered food coloring tends to soak up the moisture in the icing, so add ¼ teaspoon of extra evaporated oat milk at a time and mix it until it reaches its original consistency.

Let the base color set before decorating

If you don't let the base color set before adding dots and lines, the decorations won't be as crisp and clean. Make sure you wait about 15 to 20 minutes after dipping the cookies into the icing to let it dry, before going in with your piping tips to draw stripes.

Fix the icing while it's still wet!

If you see any air bubbles in the icing, you can poke it with the tip of a toothpick while its still wet! If your icing starts dripping down the sides, you can easily wipe it off with your finger!

Substitutions

Gluten-free flour blend - I used Bob's Red Mill's Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe. You can substitute this with your favorite gluten-free blend! I've had success using King Arthur's Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour as well.

If you don't eat a gluten-free diet, you can substitute this with regular all-purpose flour!

Vegan butter - If you consume dairy, you can substitute the butter and coconut oil with regular dairy butter. Use 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter to replace the vegan butter and coconut oil.

Storage directions

Keep cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

How to freeze it

Wrap each cookie individually and put it in a freezer bag or airtight container. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Let the cookies defrost in the refrigerator overnight to avoid condensation.

Dietary adaptations

These cookies are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and egg free!

Tools and gadgets needed to make this recipe

To make these Easter cookies, you will need a rolling pin, baking sheets, parchment paper, an egg-shaped cookie cutter, piping bags, and small piping tips.

The egg cookie cutter I used was 2.5 x 2.75 inches (6.35 x 7 cm), and I used the Wilton piping tip 1 for all my decorations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between icing and frosting?

The main difference between icing and frosting is fat. Frostings have some form of fat in them, usually butter, while icings do not. Icing is made from powdered sugar and liquid (e.g., milk, juice, egg whites, etc.), which is why it's runnier than frosting.

What's the difference between royal icing and glaze icing?

Royal icing uses whipped egg whites or meringue powder, while glaze icing does not. Royal icing is harder, thicker, and shinier than glaze icing.

While royal icing makes cleaner and more detailed decorations, egg-free glaze icing is naturally vegan, making it perfect for vegan cookie decorating!

Can I decorate cookies using buttercream frosting?

Absolutely! If you feel more comfortable working with buttercream frosting than icing, you can color your buttercream and use it to decorate your vegan sugar cookies.

How can I roll out my cookie dough evenly?

To make sure your cookie dough is rolled out evenly, you can use measuring rings on the ends of your rolling pin.

Can I make different shapes?

Yes! You can use cookie cutters of any shape you want. Use a rabbit cookie cutter to make Easter bunny sugar cookies!

Can I skip the decorations?

Yes! These cookies are delicious on their own, without any icing on them.

If you want to skip the decorations because you feel intimidated by the idea of using piping tips, just dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and add some sprinkles!

More Easter treats!

• Easter cupcakes baked in eggshells
• Easter bird's nest cookie cups (GF & V)
• Carrot cupcakes with lemon frosting

SAVE IT ON PINTEREST FOR LATER!