When I asked, “Does it Vegan?” of Georgia Johnson’s 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies in my product review of plant-based butters, the answer was: “kind of…”
In truth, all doughs were so sticky as to be almost unworkable. I had to roll them between parchment and chill them for one hour to have any hope of making cookies. No “butter” was better than another in this regard; they all demanded more dry ingredients for binding.
We deserve better.
Yet on her blog The Comfort of Cooking, I appreciated Georgia’s simple measurements:
- 2 sticks (dairy) butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
I wanted to reduce my butter substitute to 1 1/2 sticks, then readjust proportions to preserve the ease of plopping 2 sticks into a bowl.
The result is a deliciously simple plant-based recipe!
Simple enough for a weekday dessert, sturdy enough for decorating, these vegan cookies are a fantastic go-to formula.
Veganization: 3-Ingredient Sugar Cookies
Description
Not all plant butters are equal! I recommend Country Crock Plant Butter with Olive Oil or Miyoko's Creamery Salted European Style Plant Milk Butter.
But if you plan to freeze these cookies, use Country Crock. Read my product review of salted vegan butter sticks to learn why.
makes about 2 2/3 lb (1.2 kg) dough. (Number of cookies depends on size of shapes made.)
Ingredients
Instructions
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Bring "butter" to room temperature.
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Preheat oven 350°F/180°C. Then, clear about a half sheet pan - 13x18 in/33x46 cm - of refrigerator shelf space.
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Measure flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, cream "butter" and sugar on high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
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Add about 1/3 flour, then beat on low speed. Repeat twice until all flour is incorporated.
Dough will appear crumbly! -
Bring dough together with hands. Roll to 1/4 in (6-7 mm) between two 13x18-in (33x46-cm) pieces of parchment.
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Chill 1 hour, then cut into desired shapes.
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Transfer shapes to lined baking sheet. Bake 14-16 minutes.
Shape size will affect baking time. -
Cool at least 5 minutes on sheet before transferring to a wire rack or plate.
Cool at least 2 minutes if the next destination is your mouth! -
Continue until all dough is baked.
Note
For slice-and-bake cookies, use parchment in Step 6 to twist dough into 2 equal cylinders. Chill, then slice into 1/4-in (6 to 7-mm) discs. Reshape before baking if necessary.
If freezing this dough, thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.
