You know those soft sugar cookies at the grocery store with frosting and sprinkles? These are homemade vegan lofthouse cookies, and they are just as delicious (if not more so) as the store bought version! Made with my all time favorite vegan butter, Miyoko’s, for a truly buttery flavor.
Who can resist a soft sugar cookie with pink frosting and colorful sprinkles? I went with pink because that’s the classic color of lofthouse cookies, but feel free to use any color you like and any type of vegan friendly sprinkles.
If you’re making cookies for the holiday season, feel free to use Christmas colors like red and green, and perhaps Christmas sprinkles. For the most amazing cut-out cookies, check out my popular Vegan Sugar Cookies!
Thank you to Miyoko’s for sponsoring this post. It was just a few years ago I first tasted the European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, and since then I have been obsessed! It has the best flavor, with no weird chemical aftertaste like other brands. Now it comes in both salted and unsalted, which is just perfect for baking.
About Miyoko’s butter
Miyoko’s butter differs from other brands in a couple of ways. First of all, the flavor is spot on incredible. You won’t believe it’s made with plants. Second, it’s palm oil free. This is actually pretty rare for vegan butter, and it’s the only one I’ve ever found.
Miyoko’s is one of the only brands to actually be made from plant milk, in fact cashew milk is the second ingredient! Other vegan butters are just a blend of oils. It’s also gluten free, soy free and kosher. It seriously performs exactly like dairy butter, I’m not joking!
How to make vegan lofthouse cookies
This is simply an overview. See below for the full recipe.
First, soften your butter. Leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes, until it is soft but not melted at all. Avoid softening in the microwave, because it will melt too quickly.
Here are the next few steps:
- Cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the vegan sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Beat them in.
- Now add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap (or parchment paper) and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Roll the dough out and cut into round cookies.
Bake for 9-10 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool completely while you make the frosting.
For the frosting, beat the butter with a mixer until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk. Add a few drops of food coloring until a desired color is reached.
Frost the cookies, using either a butter knife or a piping bag and tip. Decorate the tops with sprinkles.
Tips & substitutions
- Don’t skip the cornstarch – It helps the cookies stay soft. You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot if needed.
- Make sure to use a vegan butter you like! Miyoko’s brand truly is best here, where the butter flavor stands out. You don’t want your cookies to taste like chemicals.
- Always chill your dough – If you don’t chill the dough, your cookies won’t keep their shape in the oven, and will instead spread out and become flat and crispy.
- Gluten free – If needed, substitute a gluten free all purpose flour. I like King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I prepare the cookie dough ahead of time? Yes, you can make the dough, wrap it well and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready, remove the dough, roll it out and bake cookies.
- How long do the cookies last and can they be frozen? Keep leftover cookies at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Are there other flavors I can add? Add a little lemon zest to the cookies and lemon juice in place of the milk in the frosting for lemon flavor. Or do the same thing with orange zest and juice. You could also add a little pumpkin spice mix to the cookies and frosting for a subtle warmness.
Want more festive holiday cookies?
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
4.89 stars (17 ratings)
Vegan Lofthouse Cookies
You know those soft sugar cookies at the grocery store with frosting and sprinkles? These are homemade vegan lofthouse cookies, and they are just as delicious (if not more so) as the store bought version! Made with my all time favorite vegan butter, Miyoko's, for a truly buttery flavor.
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Dough chilling time: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Servings: 36 cookies
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup Miyoko's European Style Vegan Butter, softened to room temperature salted or unsalted, see Note
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional but good!
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or 3/4 tsp if using unsalted butter
Frosting
- 1/2 cup Miyoko's European Style Vegan Butter, softened to room temperature add 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, as needed I used oat milk
- food coloring of choice
- sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
Make the cookies
In a large bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment) until fluffy. Beat in the vegan sour cream, vanilla and almond extract, if using. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
To the bowl with the butter mixture, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Mix on low until just combined.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, about 1/4 inch thick.
Use a 2-3 inch round cookie cutter to cut the cookies and place on parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are very lightly golden on the bottom. Do not over bake or the cookies won't be soft.
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting and decorate
In a large bowl (I use the same one I used for the dough, just wiped out or washed quickly), beat the vegan butter with a mixer until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk as needed if the frosting is too dry.
If using food coloring, mix it in now a drop at a time, until a desired colored is reached.
Frost the cookies with a layer of frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Miyoko’s has salted and unsalted vegan butter now, yay! You can use either here, I used salted. If using unsalted butter, simply add 3/4 teaspoon salt instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. And add about 1/4 teaspoon or a little more to the frosting.
Leave out the almond extract for nut allergies, or if you don’t like the flavor.
Storing leftover cookies – The cookies keep at room temperature, in a covered container, for a few days or a week in the refrigerator. They can be frozen for 3 months as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 36 cookies | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
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Posted In: Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday, Method
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