Delicious chocolate sugar cookies are a fun and festive treat to make with your kids during the holidays! A dusting of confectioner’s sugar looks like snow. These holiday treats are gluten free and vegan, too!
Oh my…we love our cut out cookies around here. I have two eager little helpers who just love to pull out all the cookie cutters and get down to business whenever there is a chance to bake holiday cookies. And I do love regular sugar cookies as well as gingerbread men, but sometimes you need something a bit different, and that’s where these cookies come in.
Since these are chocolate cookies, they have a lot of flavor, so they are wonderful plain, or with a dusting of powdered sugar. You don’t have to load them up with lots of frosting. You could frost these cookies if you wanted to, but it’s much easier to just dust them with the sugar (and it looks pretty, too!)
This is a very simple dough to make, and it works really well with many different gluten free flour blends. Use your favorite brand or make my homemade gluten free blend.
Enjoy these with a cup of hot tea or this easy vegan hot chocolate.
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Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I like Namaste Perfect Flour Blend – it works very, very well for cut out cookies. The cookies retain their shape wonderfully when I use this blend.
- Vegan Buttery Spread – I love Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Buttery Spread. You can use the Earth Balance Baking Sticks if you prefer, those will work just fine.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – Applesauce is used in place of an egg to bind the dough together. You can substitute prune puree, beet puree, or even mashed banana.
Step by Step Instructions
- Mix the vegan buttery spread, sugar, and applesauce on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl.
- Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough in half and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
- Roll out the chilled dough and cut out the shapes of your choice.
- Place the cut outs on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Special Equipment
I like to use rimmed baking sheets when I’m baking cookies, that way the cookies can’t slide off the pan when I’m taking them out of the oven.
A rolling pin is a must for making these – a wooden or marble rolling pin will work well.
Metal or plastic cookie cutters are needed to cut out fun holiday shapes – you could also use cookie stamps if you wanted to imprint an image on these cookies.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to chill the dough – chilling the dough will help these chocolate sugar cookies retain their shape and avoid spreading during the baking time.
- Line your rolling surface with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Be sure to dust the rolling surface and rolling pin with cocoa powder so thtat the dough doesn’t stick.
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Recipe
Chocolate Sugar Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
- ⅝ cup vegan buttery spread (½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons), softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Place the vegan buttery spread and the sugars in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Form the dough into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust a surface and the rolling pin with cocoa powder.
- Roll the chilled dough out to ¼ inch thickness and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.
- Place the shapes on the cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes, switching positions halfway through baking time.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- Once cool, dust cookies with powdered sugar if desired.
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Deb
Hello, do these cookies turn out crispy or soft?
Kelly Roenicke
They are soft!
Deb S.
Do these cookies turn out crispy or soft?
KG
Hi Kelly – do you know if I would be able to use cocoa processed with alkali? Or do I need to use regular cocoa?
Kelly Roenicke
I think it would be ok!
Rahul @ samosastreet
Yummy Christmas cookies so easy to bake
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
You weekend sounds just perfect! These cookies are so pretty! I love the idea of chocolate sugar cookies!
Kelly
Thanks, Kristine!
The Average RD
These look yummy. I have never tried chocolate sugar cookies. I will now:)
Andrea @ The Baking Dietitian
YUM! I never think to make CHOCOLATE sugar cookies. These look incredible!
whiskandshout
These look amazing :)
Strength and Sunshine
We should all just be baking a new batch of cookies everyday until Christmas ;)
hungryhobby
I think I bought those same cookie cutters!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I could never say no to a chocolate sugar cookie! Love this!
Janelle
Yum! Do you think it would be possible to substitute the vegan buttery spread with coconut oil?
Kelly
You could try, but they may spread out. I haven’t tried it that way!
Rachel @ Delicious Balance
I’ve never had chocolate sugar cookies before! These look so pretty!