Happy National Cookie Day! Since it falls on December 4, we are celebrating with a selection of festive vegan cookie recipes that range from the classic gingerbread & shortbread varieties to soft matcha flavored cookie sandwiches, vegan fortune cookies, hot chocolate/red velvet/black sesame/candy cane flavored cookies, and many more!
Most of the recipes will make great edible gifts for vegans & non-vegans alike (since they’re seasonally flavored, and/or impressive-looking, and can be stored and transported easily), and some are best enjoyed at home where you make them (in the case of more fragile & intricately decorated ones). We dare you to try at least one vegan cookie recipe off today’s list – there’s plenty to choose from, and whichever one you pick is guaranteed to delight yourself and your loved ones this holiday season!
Vegan White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (GF Option) by Rainbow Nourishments
Wonder what winter holidays taste like? Try this vegan cookie recipe to find out! It’s an incredibly easy and pantry-friendly recipe with only 7 common ingredients that are mixed together in one bowl!
Click here for the full recipe.
Chocolate Reindeer Brownie Cookies by The Little Blog of Vegan
Decorated with pretzel antlers and a glaće cherry nose, these reindeer cherry brownie cookies will be a delight for the inner child in all of us, but they’re suitable for adults only (unless you sub cherry liquor for non-alcoholic cherry flavoring).
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Linzer Cookies (GF) by Rhian’s Recipes
Light, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery, these vegan shortbread cookies are made with ground almonds and flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest. While they’re not that complicated to make, they certainly look festive with their sweet, sticky jam filling and powdered sugar dusting!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies by Floured Frame
A Japanese-inspired treat for Christmas, anyone? This vegan cookie recipe has an Asian flair with its use of one secret ingredient that makes it stand out from the rest of shortbread cookies. Using good quality matcha powder will help you make the most appetizingly green and delicious little fir trees!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Pecan Biscotti by Nourishing Amy
These crunchy twice-baked biscuits are a vegan twist on an Italian classic that’s usually made with animal ingredients and almonds. This veganized version is made with chia egg, plant milk, vegan butter/margarine, chocolate, and crushed pecans, that sort of add to the overall holiday vibe!
Click here for the full recipe.
Spiced Chocolate Chestnut Cookies by Murielle Banackissa
Aah, is there anything more Christmas-y than roasted chestnuts? By the time you’re done with this vegan cookie recipe, your kitchen will smell like Christmas itself. We dare you to save some of these cookies for gifts – there’s a high chance they’ll be gone before you get to gift packing!
Click here for the full recipe.
German Lebkuchen (Vegan Gingerbread) by Zucker & Jagdwurst
Okay, hear us out: lebkuchen might not be cookies exactly (at least not in the traditional American understanding of the term), but they are on Wikipedia’s “List of Cookies”, and certainly too adorable and on theme flavor-wise to not be included on today’s list!
Click here for the full recipe.
Swedish Wishing Cookies by The Curious Chickpea
These might look like your usual spiced Christmas cookies, but there’s a lovely ritual to eating them, it turns out! Eva of The Curious Chickpea describes it as such: “Make a wish, then place the cookie in your palm and press down in the center to break it. If it breaks into 3 pieces and you eat it without speaking, then your wish is said to come true!”
Click here for the full recipe.
Flourless Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies (GF) by Okonomi Kitchen
This vegan cookie recipe is incredibly easy to put together, and the use of mint chocolate chunks and marshmallows makes them taste real cozy! And did we mention they’re gluten-free? What a treat!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies by School Night Vegan
Sometimes a cookie doesn’t have to look or taste extra festive to make a bomb treat for yourself & your loved ones! These vegan peanut butter stuffed cookies work with classic flavors and textures, and yet the experience of eating one is still heavenly!
Click here for the full recipe.
Almond Mouse Cookies (GF) by Veggie Kins
Another vegan cookie recipe on today’s list to delight the children in our lives (including our inner children), these adorable cookie mice are gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and use no weird ingredients!
Click here for the full recipe.
Triple P Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dee’s Table
Can you guess why these cookies are called Triple P? We’ll save you some time: it’s thanks to the unusual yet delicious sweet-and-salty trio of plantains, pretzels & pecans! If you’ve been meaning to try an unconventional flavor combination, this vegan cookie recipe is for you (or a sweet-and-salty cookie fan in your life!).
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Stamp Chocolate Shortbread Cookies by Make It Dairy Free
More eye candy (eye cookie?) coming your way with this gorgeous vegan cookie recipe by Make It Dairy Free. Get your cookie stamps out and get creative with these intensely chocolatey cookies that will definitely impress your guests!
Click here for the full recipe.
Chewy Trail Mix Cookies (GF) by Jessica in the Kitchen
This vegan cookie recipe uses all the classic ingredients, such as bananas, oats, peanut butter, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and others, making them a delicious and somewhat healthy sweet treat. Make these filling trail mix cookies for the hiking fan in your life!
Click here for the full recipe.
Easy Vegan Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies by I Can You Can Vegan
Fans of the iconic red velvet cake, rejoice: here’s a vegan cookie recipe for you! Make it this holiday season, freeze the leftovers, and enjoy them all the way up to Valentine’s day – they can last in the freezer for up to 2 months!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Black Sesame Cookies (GF) by Chez Jorge
One of the few recipes on today’s list that’s best enjoyed immediately after making, these black sesame cookies are naturally gluten-free, use minimal ingredients, and are pretty easy to make, so you can enjoy this exotic cookie any time!
Click here for the full recipe.
Cookiefetti by Conscious Cooking
Is there anything more festive than confetti? You guessed it… Cookiefetti! Also known as tiny cookies. If you’re the kind of person to offer fun trivia about themselves at holiday parties, after making this recipe you can safely tell people how you baked 200 cookies at once! Watch their faces while snacking on some cookiefetti and have a laugh.
Click here for the full recipe.
Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies by Hot For Food
In her blogpost accompanying this vegan cookie recipe, Lauren asks, “Who can say no to chocolate cookies filled with creamy homemade peppermint frosting?”, and we think we can all agree that the answer is no one, so be sure to make this irresistibly festive treat for anyone who needs a little holiday spirit sent their way!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Plant-Based Arab
These fudgy sweet treats with a crunchy cracked sugary exterior, these chocolate crinkle cookies will outshine every other cookie on your Christmas cookie platter! They’re made with just 8 ingredients, and Waseem’s post includes step-by-step photo instructions to ensure you get the best cookies for yourself and your loved ones!
Click here for the full recipe.
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Editor: Anna K.
