Why do you have to refrigerate the dough?

Refrigerating the dough before baking allows the flavors to develop and also prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This is especially important if you roll the cookies in sugar. We do not recommend skipping the chilling time – it's essential to creating the perfect texture and flavor of these cookies.

How do you soften butter quickly?

The easiest way to do so is to pop the stick of butter in the microwave for 7-10 second intervals on 50% power. After the first interval, flip the stick over, then microwave for another 7 or so seconds. That should do the trick, but if it's still super hard, you can repeat that process until softened.

Vegan Butter Cookies - Crowded Kitchen

Description

These Vegan Butter Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with a crisp exterior and buttery, soft interior. They're truly just as good as anything you'd get at a bakery, and they're super easy to make, with just 5 ingredients.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter (softened to room temperature)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
Optional: 2 tablespoons coarse sugar or sprinkles for rolling

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add in vanilla and salt.
Add in flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a log, then wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. To keep the dough from flattening out on the bottom, we wrap a thick dish towel around the cookie dough log.
Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.
Optional: spread out 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar on a large plate. Roll the cookie dough log in sugar to coat.
Use a sharp knife to slice the cookies, about 1/2-inch thickness.
Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the bottom edges of the cookies just start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Notes

How to shape the dough into a log: The dough will be soft and pliable before it's refrigerated, so you can easily shape it using your hands. Shape it into a rough log, then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it again to smooth out the dough.

Cut out cookie version: You can use this recipe to make cut out cookies in any shape you'd like. To do so, roll the dough into a ball, then refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling out to about 1/4 inch. Cut and bake (but start checking at 8 minutes, as these will be a bit thinner).

Freeze the dough and use it later on: You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 6 months before baking. Defrost for several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before using.

Make it gluten free: Substitute regular all purpose flour with gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour. (We strongly suggest Bob's Red Mill brand!)

For a crispier cookie, leave them in the oven for an extra 1-2 minutes (as long as the bottom does not look burnt/too brown).

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Desserts
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 151
Sugar: 6.7 g
Sodium: 73 mg
Fat: 9.8 g
Carbohydrates: 16.2 g
Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 1.3 g