These vegan Christmas cookie recipes will bring everyone that holiday joy! Sugar, shortbread, gingerbread and more cookies that are dairy-, and egg-free, so the whole family can enjoy them.
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What famous Christmas cookies are vegan?
Unfortunately, most famous Christmas cookies are not vegan. However, there are many recipes available to make vegan versions of popular Christmas cookies like sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, candy cane cookies, and more.
Some store-bought Christmas cookies are accidentally vegan like some Christmas OREOs and Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s.
Find more vegan Christmas, see our vegan Christmas recipes, vegan Christmas desserts, vegan Christmas breakfast, Christmas drinks, DIY Christmas gift ideas, vegan stocking stuffers, and vegan gift baskets roundups.
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I adore apricot in baked goods, especially in Linzer cookies. Seeing that pretty golden-orange deliciousness through the little window is like looking at an edible sunrise.
If you’re cranking out Christmas cookies and you skip the gingerbread, people will be disappointed. These are easy and so pretty, so festive and so vegan!
Add a little taste of the American South to your Christmas cookies by swapping out those chocolate crinkle cookies for red velvet crinkle cookies. They are pretty and festive and taste divine.
These simple vegan butter cookies look like a million bucks. They’re piped into lovely circles which instantly gives them that swanky kind of feel. Dip them into chocolate and nuts and wow.
This cookie is two wins in one. Appearance — The raspberry jam looks festive and seasonal on any holiday cookie plate. Taste — totally amazing!
Here’s a new Christmas twist on a classic cookie — Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprints. The cookie part is awesome by itself but add a puddle of eggnog cheesecake and you’ll have a very merry Christmas.
Coffee Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Want some shortbread? Okay. Why not? How about coffee and hazelnut shortbread made with only six ingredients? Now you have my attention. These are de-li-cious and super easy to make.
Whether you call them Hazelnut Sandies, snowballs, Mexican wedding cookies or melt-aways — it doesn’t matter. They are the quintessential easy-to-make cookie and a nutty-must at Christmastime.
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Everyone has had their share of chocolate crinkle cookies but these guys are laced with peppermint. They’re extra special and extra worthy of that holiday cookie tray.
People forget about orange-flavored treats during the holidays. These cookies give a double dose of orange. They’re sweet and buttery orange with a scrumptious orange icing kiss on top.
Vegan Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies
Half cookies, half adorable little pecan pies — if you make a batch of these Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies for the holiday bake sale, they’ll all remember your name.
That time-honored combination of chocolate and mint is celebrated in this deceptively simple looking cookie. Consider making at least two batches — no one wants disappointed cookie fans.
Almond lovers, rejoice! Marzipan cookies covered in sliced almonds and dark chocolate will speak your language like no others have before. It’s nice to finally be understood.
Mint Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
What’s the best way to freak out an innocent cookie eating someone at Christmas? Make cookies that look like gingerbread men but are really mint chocolate gingerbread men.
Mandatory holiday edict — Each man, woman and child must consume a ridiculous amount of pumpkin spiced items each holiday season. Start working on your quota with these yummy vegan cookies!
How can you make totally legit vegan amaretti cookies? With aquafaba, that miracle ingredient that acts just like whipped egg whites. Psst. No one tell the kids that aquafaba is chickpea juice.
“What could be better than a cup of tea and a dark chocolate drizzled pumpkin biscotti?” she said, licking the chocolate drizzle off of her fingers.
When you combine ginger and black strap molasses, a special kind of magic happens. A rich, spicy sweetness that creates irresistible holiday aroma and flavor. These chewy cookies will be an instant hit!
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
White chocolate can be a little too sweet and cranberries can be a little too tart. Together, they mix it up and create total cookie harmony.
Vegan Italian Butterball Cookies
These luscious butterball cookies are accidentally vegan. How? The grandma who came up with this recipe made them vegan without even realizing it. Talk about a woman before her time!
Cookie Butter Pinwheel Cookies
These pinwheel cookies are a spiral of deliciousness. Their secret ingredient? The cookie butter is key but it’s really the vegan mayonnaise that does the trick.
Cranberry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
How do you give chocolate chip cookies a festive holiday makeover? Add dried cranberries and orange zest and then upgrade to dark chocolate. Your cookies will be ready for their close up.
There’s something especially seasonal about pistachios and cranberries. Is it the red and the green? You’ll never regret having these nutty and fruity biscotti on hand during the holidays.
Chewy Gingerbread Cookies (gluten-free)
Some people don’t care for gingerbread because it can be too hard and dry. Try this gingerbread! It’s chewy and soft, so don’t try making a house with it!
Want everyone to be jealous of your cookie making mastery? These stained glass sugar cookies are simple to make but they look like pieces of art.
Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
For a modern take on a thumbprint cookie, swap out the raspberry preserves and use salted caramel instead. It’s all the rage in baking circles and for good reason — it’s great!
Vegan Reindeer Gingersnap Cookies
Are you in charge of bringing cookies to a kid’s holiday party? These chewy gingersnaps might be the perfect choice. Super cute, easy to make and gluten-free!
Gluten-Free
Vegan Peanut Butter Linzer Cookies
Peanut butter and jelly in a Christmas cookie? Oh yeah! Homemade chia jam sandwiched between buck wheat and peanut butter cookies are healthy holiday treats you can feel good about.
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes. With minimal effort, you can be gorging on cranberry-pistachio gluten-free shortbread in a mere 30 minutes.
“A chocolate cookie,” you’ll hear them say, as they take one off the tray. One bite and watch their eyes go wide. “Why, this cookie hides an orange flavor surprise!”
Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies (paleo)
Who wants to settle for a regular old sugar cookie when you could have a Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookie? Like, did I even need to ask? These can be paleo and gluten-free.
Healthier
These are cookies you can feel good about eating. In addition to the almond butter, they are packed with nutrients thanks to the flour made from teff, that ancient and underutilized grain.
Cut-out sugar cookies are a holiday tradition. This version is not only vegan, it’s gluten, oil and refined sugar-free with only five ingredients. So healthy it’s almost not a cookie.
Chocolate Star Quinoa Cookies (GF)
Everyone needs a star-shaped cookie at Christmastime. These chocolate delights are gluten-free and vegan and sport a yummy chocolate glaze sure to entice all cookie-seeking souls.
Almond Cinnamon Christmas Cookie Stars (gluten-free)
Oh no! Someone asked me to make Christmas cookies without gluten, eggs, dairy or refined sugar. This recipe saved my life! With the almonds, cinnamon and orange flavors, you’ll never miss what they don’t have.
Looking for homemade holiday gift ideas? Look no further. Everyone loves the seasonal spices of speculoos cookies. Why not make a bunch and boom — your holiday to-do list just got shorter.
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FAQ
Vegan cookies are generally healthier than cookies that contain butter, milk, and eggs because they do not contain cholesterol and are typically lower in saturated fat. However, vegan cookies still usually contain vegan butter, oil, and sugar. You can make vegan cookies healthier by replacing the fat with applesauce or yogurt, or reducing the amount of sugar.
Vegan cookies are made of similar ingredients to any other cookie: vegan butter or vegetable oil, sugar or other sweetener, flour, egg substitutes, leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda, flavors, and add-ins like vegan chocolate chips, raisins, or coconut.
The best egg substitutes for vegan cookies are flax eggs, aquafaba, starches, and commercial egg replacers such as Ener-G Egg Replacer. These ingredients help bind the cookies and add a chewy texture while not affecting the flavor of the cookies.
Unfortunately, most famous Christmas cookies are not vegan. However, there are many recipes available to make vegan versions of popular Christmas cookies like sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, candy cane cookies, and more. Some store-bought Christmas cookies are accidentally vegan like some Christmas OREOs and Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s.
It depends on who you’re asking, but recipe data from General Mills shows that peanut butter blossoms (sugar-coated peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s Kiss pressed in the center) are the most popular Christmas cookie in most US states. Other sources place traditional chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookie cutouts in the #1 spot.
45 Fantastic Vegan Christmas Cookies for Everyone to Enjoy
Ingredients
- gingerbread spice
- coconut sugar
- aquafaba
- powdered ginger
Instructions
- Choose your favorite vegan Christmas cookies from the list.
- Click on the link to get to the recipe.
- Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
?? These are perfect for this year’s cookie exchange
Yumm
Delightful recipes, thank you
? So yummyy ?
I was having a difficult time figuring out what desserts to make this Christmas, but this collection has helped me a ton! Especially love all the gingerbread option listed!
Well my children loved it I personally chose the “Pumpkin Spice Cookies” for my kids Hana, Lana, and Ben. But for me I chose the “Oat Flour Cookies” yum yum yum Thank-you Kate!
Uh, one cookie I did not like at all but like the rest! yum yum yum in my whole tum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I could bake all of these:P so yummmm
I have made several of these cookies already, and all of them are wonderful! 5 stars.