Description
These ‘cream cheese’ sugar cookies are honestly the best sugar cookie you’re ever going to have. They are melt-in-your-mouth, richly tangy yet perfectly sweet, soft, “buttery” and oh so moist thanks to using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. We then frost with a dairy free cream cheese frosting for the perfect decorated cookie for all of your cookie baking needs! The best part- you don’t need any eggs nor dairy to make the dough. It’s entirely and secretly vegan!
Ingredients
Scale
Cream cheese sugar cookie dough:
- 3/4 cup (180 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup (57 g) dairy free yogurt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
Cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 2-3 cups (240-360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Vegan food coloring
- Vegan sprinkles
Instructions
- Prep: Read through all ingredients and instructions before beginning.
- Cream the butter and cream cheese: In a large bowl with hand mixer or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the vegan butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix again until you get a fluffy frosting.
- Finish the dough: Add in the dairy free yogurt, baking powder, and sea salt, and mix again on medium speed until combined. Then add in the flour, and mix on low speed until you get a sticky dough. This dough will be very creamy and sticky, which is ideal. Be careful not to over-mix the dough here! Scrape down the sides and mix gently until all ingredients are JUST combined.
- Chill the dough: Spoon the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, and wrap the dough tightly in a large rectangular shape to be chilled in the fridge, preferably overnight but at least for 4-6 hours.
- Roll out the dough: When ready to shape, preheat the oven to 350F, and line a large baking sheet (or two medium baking sheets) with parchment paper. Heavily flour a clean surface, and place the dough into the middle. Flour the top of the dough as well as the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to be about 1/2″ thick. This seems thick, but these cookies bake up lovely!
- Shape the cookies: Lightly flour the slicing side of whichever cookie cutters you decide to use, and press the cookie cutter into the dough to create the shape. Remove the cookie cutter (sometimes the dough comes with it- if so, just place the cut-out cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. If not, you can get it at the end!). Cut out as many cookies as you can, then remove the scraps of dough (to be rolled out again!). Carefully use a spatula to place the cookies about 1″ apart on the prepared baking sheets. Place that tray into the fridge while you re-roll the rest of the dough, using up all of the dough. I yield about 26 medium-sized cookies each time I make this recipe.
- Bake: Once the cookies are all on the baking sheet, I like to chill the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking in the oven. When ready to bake, place the baking sheets on the middle rack of the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are JUST starting to turn a light golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.
- Cool the cookies: Before making the frosting- you want to cool the cookies COMPLETELY. There should be no warmth to them whatsoever, or the frosting will slide right off.
- When ready to frost: Make the frosting by creaming together the vegan butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt, and mix again until you get a fluffy frosting.
- Decorate the cookies: Divide the frosting into your desired amount of bowls for colors (see blog post for tips on portioning out frosting for each color) and color the frosting. Pipe or smear the frosting onto the cookies!
- Serve and enjoy! Enjoy right away or let the cookies chill in the fridge for just 20 minutes to set the frosting OR freeze the cookies to enjoy later!
Notes
Gluten free: I recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour.
See blog post for all tips and tricks!