These eggless vanilla sugar cookies are light, airy with a shortbread texture that melts in the mouth. Perfect cookies to decorate with frosting or snack with a cup of coffee.
Table of Content
I have been making these for a while now. Mostly when I have a request for eggless cookies. The classic vanilla sugar and chocolate sugar cookies are very popular but they do have eggs so often these are on request.
Why make these cookies?
- They are light and airy with a soft, chewy mouthfeel.
- The best part is they are so simple, and easy to make with simple and easy to find pantry staples.
- The dough as well as the cookies have a great shelflife. You can prepare the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to a month. Perfect for the busy holiday season
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter - I use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt. You can use salted butter as well. If you do just omit salt from the recipe
- Powdered sugar - This adds lightness to the cookie dough. First, because we cream it until it's light and fluffy. So don't skip that part. And second, because powdered sugar has cornstarch added to it, which gives the cookies that shortbread texture that melts in the mouth. You can use one cup of regular sugar but you will compromise on the texture.
- Baking powder - If you notice, there is barely any. And sometimes I omit the baking powder when I need my cookies to be the exact size of the cookie-cutter after they are baked. This helps me decorate them with fondant.
- Milk - You may also use milk depending on how you measure the flour. I prefer water to keep it simple.
Step by step instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt - set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and mix some more
Pro tip - we do not have any eggs for leavening so you do want to cream and add a bit of air into our cookie dough to make them lighter (about 2 minutes) - Next, add flour in two batches and combine well but do not overmix. If cookie dough feels dry -add one tablespoon of water or milk.
Pro tip - you want the cookie dough to be a rollable consistency so if necessary add water or the cookies will be too crumbly - Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm.
Pro tip - you can flatten the dough on a baking tray and cover it well with plastic to expedite the chilling process when in haste. - Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 360 F.
Pro tip - The cut-out cookies will keep in the fridge for 12 hours or freeze for a month. Pre-heat the oven 10 minutes before baking. - Roll the chilled cookie dough about ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut cookies with cookie cutters of your choice. I've used 3-inch round cookie cutters.
Pro tip- if you live in hot and humid conditions, it may be best to chill the cookies for 15 minutes before baking. - Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake on the middle shelf for 8 to 10 minutes.
Pro tip - Depending on thickness these can take up to 12 minutes. You only need a slight color on the edges. - Cool on a cooling rack completely before you transfer to a cookie jar or decorate.
Pro tip - always decorate cookies only after they are completely cold otherwise the icing will melt.
Eggless frosting
- Sift the powdered sugar so there are no lumps.
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl until light and fluffy. Add more powder sugar or light corn syrup to bring to consistency.
- This icing can be colored for frosting. But, note that colors will affect consistency so you may need more powdered sugar.
Storage
- This cookie recipe can be halved or double without any issues.
- The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, or
- Frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen thaw in the refrigerator over-night before you roll out.
- The baked cookies will stay at room temperature for up to 2 weeks but best eaten within a few days.
More eggless cookies
- Rice Flour Sugar Cookies - Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
- Soft Almond Sugar Cookies
- BEST Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Crinkle Cookies (Eggless)
- Eggless Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Eggless Thumbprint Cookies
- See all cookie recipes
Frequently asked questions
Is it ok to chill cookie dough overnight? Do I have to make the cookies immediately?
Sugar cookies have a good shelf life, as a dough as well as cookies. The dough, if wrapped well, can usually stay in the fridge for 4 days before rolling and baking. Alternatively, you can roll the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray wrapped well with plastic wrap for about 3 to 4 days. Also, sugar cookie dough can be frozen for a month or more if wrapped well.
Can I reduce the chilling time for these eggless sugar cookies?
These cookies will cut and bake better when properly chilled. And, if you don't have enough time, I highly recommend using my recipe for no-chill sugar cookies instead (these are not eggless).
Can I add more flour to ensure these cookies do not spread?
I have tested and tried these cookies. So, if you follow the recipe and bake them at the right temperature they will not spread. You can also try my other no spread sugar cookies recipe (these are not eggless).
Why are my sugar cookies flat Why did my cookies spread?
Always, follow the recipe correctly unless you know and what the outcome is different. Adding extra flour will give you dry, crumbly cookies. And, too much sugar or butter can make the cookies spread and lose their shape when baking. Rolling the cookies too thin will give you hard flat cookies.
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Printable Recipe
Eggless Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 350°F / 180°C/ Gas Mark 4
Difficulty: Easy
Diet : Veg, Eggless, NF
Calories: 117kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 36 cookies
Description
These eggless vanilla sugar cookies are light, airy with a shortbread texture that melts in the mouth. Perfect cookies to decorate with frosting or snack with a cup of coffee.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
For the Eggless Vanilla Sugar Cookies
- 8 oz (226 g) Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) Powdered sugar
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 - 4 tablespoon Whole milk (or water)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Eggless Sugar Frosting
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Milk ((more if needed))
- 2 tablespoon Light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon Flavoring (Vanilla, Almond or Rose)
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt - set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and mix some morePro tip - we do not have any eggs for leavening so you do want to cream and add a bit of air into our cookie dough to make them lighter (about 2 minutes)
- Next, add flour in two batches and combine well but do not overmix. If cookie dough feels dry -add one tablespoon of water or milk.Pro tip - you want the cookie dough to be a rollable consistency so if necessary add water or the cookies will be too crumbly
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm. Pro tip - you can flatten the dough on a baking tray and cover it well with plastic to expedite the chilling process when in haste.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C/ Gas Mark 4 Pro tip - The cut-out cookies will keep in the fridge for 12 hours or freeze for a month. Pre-heat the oven 10 minutes before baking.
- Roll the chilled cookie dough about ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut cookies with cookie cutters of your choice. I've used 3-inch round cookie cutters. Pro tip- if you live in hot and humid conditions, it may be best to chill the cookies for 15 minutes before baking.
- Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake on the middle shelf for 8 to 10 minutes.Pro tip - Depending on thickness these can take up to 12 minutes. You only need a slight color on the edges.
- Cool on a cooling rack completely before you transfer to a cookie jar or decorate.Pro tip - always decorate cookies only after they are completely cold otherwise the icing will melt.
Eggless frosting
Recipe Notes & Tips
Storage
- This cookie recipe can be halved or double without any issues.
- The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, or
- Frozen for up to three months. If frozen thaw in the refrigerator over-night before you roll out.
- The baked cookies will stay at room temperature for up to 2 weeks but best eaten within a few days.
Notes
- Sugar cookies have a good shelf life as a dough as well as cookies. The dough, if wrapped well can usually stay in the fridge for 4 days before rolling and baking. Alternatively, you can roll the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray wrapped well with cling wrap for about 3 to 4 days
- Sugar cookie dough can be frozen for a month or more if wrapped well. A great dough to have on hand in the freeze during the busy festive season
- Most cookies will stay good at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. They can last for up to 2 weeks but are at their best in the first few days of baking.
- Leaving cookies out overnight will make them soft and stale faster. A good practice would be to keep them in the cookie jar as soon as they are cooled.
- Always, follow the recipe correctly unless you know and what the outcome different. Adding extra flour will give you dry, crumbly cookies. Too much sugar or butter can make the cookies spread and lose their shape when baking. Rolling the cookies too thin will give you hard flat cookies.
- These cookies will cut and bake better when adequately chilled. If you don't have enough time I highly recommend using my recipe for no-chill sugar cookies instead. You can also try my other no spread sugar cookies recipe.
- If you bake the cookies at a very high temperature or if you bake them for too long the edges will get brown quicker. 350°F / 180°C/ Gas Mark 4 is a guide I like to use but every oven is different so adjust temperature accordingly.
- If you have cookies baking quicker with most recipes then perhaps it's time to check if your oven temperature needs calibration.
- Overbaked cookies when cool tend to be dry and hard. This is why you need to bake them until they are just about to start getting some color on the edges. The cookies continue to cook and set as they cool too.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 117- kcalCarbohydrates: 16.28- gProtein: 1.32- gFat: 5.26- gSaturated Fat: 3.27- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.34- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0.2- gCholesterol: 14- mgSodium: 73- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 0.3- gSugar: 6.84- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Jess
There’s nowhere in the recipe that says to add the milk! So I rolled it out and it was way to crumbly. What a waste!
Veena Azmanov
The recipe does say - if the dough is crumbly add a little milk or water (2 - 4 tbsp in the recipe ingredients)
Kamal
Definitely the best no-spread recipe! And they taste fantastic. Maybe a bit too sweet but that is just preference!
Samriddhi
I just love ur recipes. Thank U for sharing them with us. I feel u to be a goto whenever I am trying anything new. I made this recipe today, with every measurement exact. But Cookies spread. I don't know what happened wrong. I chilled the dough, I chilled Cookies... Didn't skip a single step. But still it spreads. What should I do? Please suggest. I still have dough.
Veena Azmanov
Sorry to hear that, Samriddhi. Check the temperature of the butter, make sure it is not too soft when you cream it. Chill the cookies before baking.
Anila
Hi Veena, I had a quick question about the icing. I am making a DIY cookie kit with icing for my friends and family for Easter (for the first time) A total newbie when it comes to icing. Would this icing be good enough for the DIY kits? also, how long would it last at room temperature?
Also, with "milk" as an ingredient in the cookie how long can it stay at room temperature?
Thanks so much
Veena Azmanov
Anila. For this recipe and cookies, the icing should be more than enough. You can switch the milk to water in both the cookies and the icing for a longer shelflife. Make a note with your icing that they may need a drop of water to loosing the icing as it will dry out over time. They can also use color (not color and water both) for this icing. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any more questions. Thanks
Kristine
Hi! What can I substitute for light corn syrup? Also, does the frosting hardens/dries when cooled? Thanks!
Veena Azmanov
Kristine, you can use Glucose instead of LCS. And yes, it does firm up but not as hard as royal icing.
Kristine
Thank you. One more question before I try, I have not seen a set royal icing or the normal icing on cookie before, so when I use your icing recipe, can the cookies be placed on top of each other without sticking? Coz I'm planning to gift it for a friend and will place it in a plastic container on top of each other. Many thanks!
Veena Azmanov
Yes, Kristine, You can stack these between pieces of parchment paper. The parchment prevents the cookie crumbs from ruining the icing.
The longer you leave the icing to dry the firmer it will get. The moisture evaporates and the icing gets firm.
Hope this helps
Kristine
Thank you very much! You're very helpful! I'll come back for the finished results! x