These Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies are eggless and dairy-free, use fresh lemon zest and juice for their lemon flavor and are iced with a simple lemon icing. They require no chill time, are soft and chewy and SO easy to make!
I love a lemon dessert. From my Vegan Lemon Cake, to Vegan Lemon Blueberry Sugar Cookies, or even Vegan Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes, I love that bright flavor lemon adds.
And if you're a lemon lover, these Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies are for you! They are bright and zippy. And I love that all of the flavor comes from real lemons. No lemon extract needed, here!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
You are going to love these cookies! They are:
- Super soft and chewy
- Bright and lemony
- Flavored with real lemon- no extract or flavorings required!
- Easy to make
- They freeze really well!
- And best of all, the require no chill time!
What Goes into the Cookies
Vegan Butter: I prefer Soy-Free Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. I think they have the best flavor.
Flour: Regular all purpose flour- I prefer Kind Arthur brand.
Baking Powder: Baking powder for lift and to help the cookies spread.
Lemon Zest and Juice: I use both zest and juice here for maximum lemon flavor. All the lemon flavor lives in the zest, so we don't nee to use any extracts or flavorings in these cookies.
What to Ice the Cookies With
I made a quick lemon icing for these Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies.
It only has two ingredients and takes just a few minutes to whisk together.
Simply start with powdered sugar in a bowl and add lemon juice until its loose enough to drizzle onto the cookies.
This icing gives these Vegan Lemon Cookies so much fresh lemony flavor with minimal effort.
How to Make the Cookies
- Add vegan butter, sugar and lemon zest to a bowl.
2. Cream together until light and fluffy.
3. Add non-dairy milk, lemon juice and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough is formed.
5. Scoop the cookies, then roll them in granulated sugar.
6. Then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake!
7. Meanwhile, mix together the lemon icing.
8. And once the cookies have slightly cooled, drizzle it on top of them.
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cookies into an airtight container and leave them at room temperature for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to a month.
Mix the dough, then scoop into cookie dough balls and freeze. Then, when you want to bake, allow the cookie dough balls to come to room temperature and bake.
Most cookies, including these, are baked at 350* F.
Unless your recipe calls for a different type of flour, use all-purpose flour.
Expert Recipe Tips
Once the dry ingredients are added into the bowl, mix only until the dough is formed. If you continue mixing, the cookies may be tougher.
Do not bake these Vegan Lemon Cookies until they are golden brown across the top. They should only be golden on the bottom for maximum softness.
Looking for More Lemon Recipes?
If you tried this Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Earthly Provisions, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- 2 Sheet Pans
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter
- 1 Cups Granulated Sugar
- Zest of One Lemon see note
- 2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt half this amount if using table salt
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar, for rolling the cookie dough
For the Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 5-6 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking tray with parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer, cream non-dairy butter, sugar and lemon zest until well combined and fluffy.8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, 1 Cups Granulated Sugar, Zest of One Lemon
- Add the non-dairy milk, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well.2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk, 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until just combined.2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Add ¼ cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Then, using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop a mound of dough, then roll it into a ball in your hands. Then, roll the dough ball in granulated sugar and place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with 4 more dough balls.¼ Cup Granulated Sugar, for rolling the cookie dough
- Once you have 5 cookie dough balls on the tray, bake in a 350* oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are set and just starting to brown. See note.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
To Make the Icing
- Add the powdered sugar and 5 teaspoons of lemon juice into a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the remaining teaspoon of lemon juice if you prefer a runnier glaze.1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted, 5-6 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Use a spoon to drizzle icing onto cookies. Allow glaze to set completely before stacking or storing.
Laurel VanBlarcum says
Just made these with AP gluten free flour. The batter, not surprisingly was much too thick, like bread dough so I added another 2 Tbsp lemon juice....yum. This was because I needed an excuse for more lemon, yeah, sure. These cookies are absolutely divine. I can't tell you how many GF vegan cookies I've tried over the last decade and they've gone from inedible to better than nothing. These, however, will be made again and again. Actual edible cookies that I can share. Amazing. Thank you.