If looking through holiday recipe round-ups makes you mildly sad because you can’t eat some of the ingredients that typical confections are made of, you are not alone. But fear not, I’m on a mission to convince the world that gluten free and vegan baking can be delicious (if not better) than the conventional stuff, regardless of dietary preferences, food intolerances, or allergies. These holiday cut out cookies are no exception. In addition to being absolutely delicious, these easy vegan and gluten-free sugar cookies are perfect for gifting, sharing at a holiday potluck, or enjoying for yourself.
The first step to successful gluten free and vegan baking is investing in quality ingredients. There are hundreds of ways to make your own gluten free flour blend, but for convenience I have the best luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. As for replacing butter, Earth Balance baking sticks are the gold standard.
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the flax egg by combining water and ground flax seeds in a small prep bowl, let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge. Then cream vegan butter and powdered sugar.
When the flax egg is ready, add it along with vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar.
Next add half of the dry ingredients and incorporate with a handheld mixer. Incorporate the second half by kneading with your hands. A ball should form (if the dough is sticky, knead in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time).
Place the ball of dough into the fridge for 45 minutes.
After dough is removed from the fridge, place it on top of a piece of wax paper and begin to flatten with your hands.
Place another sheet of wax paper on top of the flattened dough and begin to roll with a rolling pin until approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Remove wax paper and start cutting out shapes. Take the scraps and form into a ball of dough once again and repeat steps 5-7.
Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Bake cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
Once cookies are cooled, decorate with glaze or royal icing. If you’re down for the homemade frosting route, check out this recipe.