The Best Vegan Holiday Cookies

I have searched high and low for the perfect holiday cookie, and every recipe I found was overly complicated, overly sweetened, and overly not-vegan! I created this recipe to be the opposite of those three things; easy, perfectly sweet, and of course, free of eggs and dairy. These chocolate-dipped sugar cookies take just fifteen minutes to mix up. They include simple, every-day ingredients that you probably have in the pantry already. I’ve cut the sugar in half and added in coconut sugar so you still have all of the sweetness but less of that post-cookie-tummy-ache. And because I’m extra like that, I added a crunchy dose of candy cane to give these vegan holiday cookies that festive look and taste.

Let’s start with the cookie itself, shall we? It’s not your traditional sugar cookie since it’s made with half regular sugar and half coconut sugar. In fact, it almost reminds me of a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips! (Chocolate chip cookies are often made with half regular sugar and half brown sugar.) This recipe also uses coconut oil instead of vegan butter, although you could surely substitute vegan butter if you have one you like to bake with.

The wet ingredient in these vegan holiday cookies is New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk. If you’ve read my blog before, you know how much I love this brand, and specifically this product. Made with filtered water, organic almonds, organic acacia gum, and sea salt, it’s as close as you can get to home-made, without the mess! No yucky additives, unnatural flavorings, or preservatives, like you’ll see in most almondmilks on the shelf. The unsweetened variety is a staple in my house; in the mornings, I use it in my smoothies, coffee, matcha lattes, and oatmeal. At night, I use it in savory applications like pureed veggies, soups, and of course, sweet applications like baking! I will actually dip these cookies straight into a mug full of New Barn almondmilk (any flavor!). SO GOOD. Check out New Barn’s store locator to find it near you. (Pssst, get 10% off a case price at Whole Foods when you buy six bottles!)

The next component to these deliciously vegan holiday cookies is our chocolate-dipped goodness. It’s so simple, you’ll wonder why you aren’t dipping everything you eat into chocolate! Two ingredients: chocolate chips and coconut oil. You can use another vegetable oil if you prefer, but I’m using coconut oil here since it’s already part of the recipe. One less item to put away later! The oil keeps the chocolate from drying out while you heat it up, so don’t skip it!

And finally, the best part of all, the candy cane crunch! I have to be honest, I’m not generally a huge candy cane fan. But for some reason, the combination of cookie, chocolate, and candy cane just WORKS. I chose not to put candy cane pieces or peppermint extract in the cookies themselves because I didn’t want them to be peppermint cookies. The little hint of peppermint combined with the chocolate is just the right amount to please every palate.

This recipe is simple, not-too-sweet but sweet enough, and makes for the perfect cookie to bring to a holiday party! Or, no judging, it’s the perfect cookie to make a batch all for yourself. They’re that good. (Oh, and they last a whole week in a tupperware too!)

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions. And as always, let me know if you try this recipe by tagging me @hashtagvegan and using #hashtagvegan on Instagram so I can see your creations! 

For the animals,

The Best Vegan Holiday Cookies

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time1 hr 3 mins

Yields: 14 cookies

Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dipping Chocolate

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
• 1/4 tsp coconut oil

Candy Cane Sprinkles

• 1 full size vegan candy cane, crushed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Cream coconut oil, sugar, and coconut sugar with an electric mixer or by hand with a fork. Do not overmix.
• Combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) and then slowly add to the sugar and oil mixture.
• Add the New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk, and mix well to combine until a dough ball is formed.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Using your hands, form the dough into small balls (1 heaping tablespoon of dough each) and place at least two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate & Candy Cane Topping

• Microwaves chocolate chips and oil in a heat-safe bowl at 20 second increments, stirring between each round. (Careful, the bowl will be hot!) In my microwave, this took a total of one minute and 20 seconds, but ovens vary! You are better off under-melting and stopping when there are still a few chips whole; they will continue to melt after you stir.
• Once cookies are completely cooled, dip each one halfway into the chocolate mixture and place back on cooling rack.
• Sprinkle each cookie with crushed candy canes before the chocolate has hardened.
• Allow chocolate layer to harden. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

Coconut oil should be a butter-like consistency. If your home is too warm and coconut oil is already melted, place in refrigerator beforehand to harden. If your home is too cold and coconut oil is rock solid, microwave at 5 second increments until it is softened, but NOT melted.

If you are low on time, you can skip cooling the dough, but beware your cookies will spread more, so you'll need to leave more room between each piece of dough and you will end up with a crunchier, thinner cookie. I have tested it both ways; they will be just as delicious!