Wallflower Kitchen

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

Vegan Danish Butter CookiesI made a (non-vegan) recipe for Danish Butter Cookies a couple of years ago which has been one of my most popular recipes on the blog.

Last year, I attempted to create a vegan version and although the cookies turned out nice, they didn’t taste much like the original.

Vegan Danish Butter CookiesThis year, I decided to give them another go, this time using a buttery-style vegan spread and a cornflour egg substitute. They turned out SPOT ON.

I can’t believe how much they taste like the original, it made me so happy!

Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

I also used a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle to create some of the cookies.There are a few different ways to mold these cookies. My preferred way is to use a cookie press as they’re super fun to use and you get a neat, professional-looking result.

You could also simply refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes and use a cookie cutter to create shapes. Whatever method you use, they taste amazing.

Vegan Danish Butter CookiesI like to put three cookies in a cupcake case and add the cases to a tin in two layers. Not only does this look neat, but it’s easy for people to take out a case and use it as a “plate” for their cookies.

Because one cookie is never enough.

Actually, neither is three, really.

Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

Yield: 60
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Vaniljekranse aka Danish Butter Cookies are THE essential Christmas cookie, in my opinion. This is a vegan recipe for those who miss this nostalgic taste...

Ingredients

  • 200 g dairy-free buttery spread, make sure it's a good-tasting one!
  • 130 g icing sugar
  • 310 g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp almond milk, only if needed
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar, for decoration

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180c (fan 160c.) Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
  2. Mix together the dairy-free butter and icing sugar to create a soft buttercream.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the milk, and combine well. If the mixture is too dry, add the 1 tbsp of milk or more until a soft but firm batter is formed.
  4. Create the cookie shapes either using a cookie press, piping bag or simply dropping a tsp of batter onto the sheet.
  5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, regularly checking to make sure they are baking evenly. Turn your baking sheet around to face the other way half way through, if necessary.
  6. Let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack then sprinkle with sugar. Enjoy!
© Aimee

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If you’ve tried one of my recipes, I would love to see and hear about it! Leave a comment below and tag your social media posts with #WallflowerKitchen :-)
Vegan Danish Butter Cookies

Reader Interactions

Comments

All commentsReviewsQuestions

  1. Nancy says

    These cookies are fabulous. I gave the recipe out already to a few friends. The first time I made them I didn’t realize corn flour is the same as corn starch. I also used a vegan butter that wasn’t good for the recipe. I made again with Earth Balance and the cornstarch. They were hard to press out of pastry bag so I removed the tip and made button shapes. I also sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They are fantastic!!!!
    Reply

  2. Kathy says

    I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. These are absolutely delicious! Didn't even need the extra sugar on top, perfect just the way I remembered them. Many thanks
    Reply

  3. APow says

    I'm not usually one to comment on recipes but I just made these and I am such a happy lady! They came out so deliciously. I used earth balance sticks and did not have to add the milk. I also added a 1/2 tsp of almond extract. I pressed them with my vintage cookie press and they worked perfectly! I've always wanted to attempt a vegan spritz but never found a recipe that seemed right to me until now! Oh I also made a few as thumbprints and added 1/4 tsp of jam to those and they are also lovely.
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      Hi Nora, sorry for the late response. These last quite a while. Not sure how long exactly but as long as they are packaged well, especially with extra sugar, they should last a couple of months.
      Reply

  5. Amy Lin says

    These look amazing! Where did you find your cookie press? I can’t seem to find one with the traditional danish cookie shapes.
    Reply

  6. Sarah says

    These sound delicious! I'm going to make them for my Danish family over the Holidays, they are my grandmas favourite! Thanks for the recipe.
    Reply

  8. JN says

    I just made these and it was a complete disaster. I followed the recipe, but the dough was way too stiff to press cookies. So I added a bit of liquid and tried again. Still too stiff. Added a bit more liquid. Then they came out of the cookie press, but would not detach from the press. So I ended up rolling the dough into logs and cutting round cookies. Which have been in the oven for over half an hour and are not nearly cooked, much less crispy like Danish butter cookies. I have no idea where I went wrong. And I'm really disappointed.
    Reply

    • Julianne says

      I had exactly the same experience. My dough ended up going in and out of the press and a piping bag no fewer than 5 times, each time after having added a little more milk, and still no joy. I must have added triple the milk suggested, all to no avail.
      Reply

    • Sam says

      This may be a dumb question, but are you in the UK or US? Cornflour in the UK = corn starch in the US, not corn meal. Could that be it?
      Reply

  10. Reem says

    Can it be made with cornflour or whole wheat flour snd to substitute the butter with coconut oil? And if so will the measurements change?
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      It will be a completely different recipe but I'm sure it would still work as a biscuit/cookie. It won't taste anything like Danish butter cookie though! Same amounts of coconut oil and just sub whole wheat for the white flour. You don't have to use the cornflour but again, the texture will be very different.
      Reply

  11. Dani says

    These cookies are so lovely. Perfect sweetness and texture. I preferred to eat them after they had cooled completely. They remind me of a cookie that I had at a tea once. Very shortbread like. Thank you so much! If I tweaked it a bit and added pecans and a hint of salt it would be like a pecan sandy!
    Reply

  12. Ciara says

    I made these today using gluten free plain flour (Dove's Farm brand) and they're delicious. So glad they worked with gluten free flour, if anyone is wondering about that. :) Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      So glad to hear that! I made them with Doves gluten-free flour too and also thought they turned out surprisingly great. The rice flour in it actually added to that melt-in-your-mouth texture :-)
      Reply

  14. SisterG says

    Hello, i'm so sorry to be a bother but i was wondering if you have the conversions into cups measurements?
    Reply

  17. Tapiola says

    Flavor and texture are excellent! My only hardship was that I couldn’t get the batter to squeeze through a frosting bag—it was like trying to squeeze lead, even after adding a couple spoonfuls of almond milk. So I didn’t get pretty, gift-worthy shapes. But they are irresistible & I will try something different next time for shapes.
    Reply

    • Nancy says

      I had the same problem. Had to add quite a bit of non dairy milk to soften dough but still had trouble squeezing through pastry bag. Taste was very nice. Not too sweet. I dipped them in chocolate and then chopped nuts. Made the cookies look prettier so i could give away as gifts.
      Reply

  22. Renee says

    These turned out amazing!!! I used earth balance original (most popular vegan butter available in Canada). Once the dough came together I put it in my Cookie press and baked them on a non-stick silicone mat. The taste and texture was so good my boyfriend ate practically the whole batch! Will be making these again closer to Christmas to give out as gifts.
    Reply

  23. NINA says

    I tried the recipe today. The taste is amazing but I'm not happy with the consistency. I'm sure it's because of the margarine I used. I'm italian so I don't know how to find a good brand. They came out soft, not so "buttery". The margarine I used is made with a big part of water..what Can I do? Maybe use a part of it and a part of coconut oil? (Sorry for my English!!!)
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      Not at all, Nina! Yes, a good-tasting vegan butter is really important for this recipe. Another reader tried coconut oil and liked it (see their comment here) but personally I think it would change the recipe completely as it lacks that buttery flavour. If you can't get hold of a good quality vegan spread, it might be the next best option though! Hope that helps :-)
      Reply

  24. Edward says

    Hi Everyone, I replaced the buttery spread with virgin coconut oil. It was firm like butter-not melted. They came out great except I couldn't manage to squeeze it through a pastry bag so I had to scoop and flatten by hand. I really need to use a pastry bag so I can get all the fancy shapes like in the pictures on this page. Anyone have any ideas about that?
    Reply

  26. JennO says

    Can't wait to give this recipe a try... Thank you for sharing. On a different note, the packaging is adorable. Did you make the snowflake ornaments? Could you direct me to a pattern? Thanks for your time.
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      Thank you! I actually have the tutorial posted here: http://wallflowerkitchen.com/diy-nordic-christmas-decorations/ They're very easy and fun to make :-) Let me know if you try them!
      Reply

  28. Lauren says

    I made these for Christmas as a vegan version of my uncle's butter cookies and they were perfect!! I rolled the dough into a ball, wrapped it in plastic, and chilled it for 20-30 minutes before rolling out and using cookie cutters (sprinkled with decorating sugar before baking). I used all Earth Balance for the butter. I'm in the US so I used a scale to measure the ingredients to the UK weights. I didn't need the milk. Used a mixer and baked them at 350F. Thank you so much for this recipe, it will be a holiday staple for me. I only made 1/4 of the recipe as I wasn't sure how they'd turn out but now I wish I'd made the whole thing!! And yes, cornlflour is cornstarch and icing sugar is US powdered/confectioner's sugar. Lovely!
    Reply

  29. Margaux says

    Yum yum! Ok, silly question - when you say mix the butter and sugar, does that mean with a hand mixer or with a forking action? I haven't made buttery type cookies in years! These look fantastic though - they will make a great xmas prezzie (if I don't eat everything)
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      not a silly question at all! I use a mixer but you can use a spoon too if you wish. They make really good xmas gifts (the trick is to make a batch for yourself to nibble on...) :-)
      Reply

  31. Stephanie says

    Thank you Aimee for this amazing recipe! I loved these cookies when I was a kid and would have never thought you can veganize them. So I tried them yesterday. I used a cookie press for the first time and although it was a bit tricky to use, the cookies turned out amazing. However, I reduced the amount of sugar to 100g which was perfect for us. Next time, I will use cocoa for variation. ;) Happy Holidays and greetings from Germany, Stephanie
    Reply

  32. Isa says

    Every year since I'm vegan, I've been seeing those Danish Blue tin boxes appearing in store but couldn't buy them anymore, which I used to buy one box every year since I can remember. When I saw this recipe popped up in my Facebook feed, I was ecstatic!! I bought a cookie press two year ago, but never used it, so I used it to make this recipe! I have no skills,so this tool made the cookies look amazing! I used earth balance buttery flavor, and the cookies tasted amazing! OMG you made my holidays from now on perfect! This will be back in our house as a yearly tradition again. Thank you! :)
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      Thank you Isa, your comment made me so happy! I was so glad to be able to eat these cookies again too, they remind me of my childhood and Christmas hadn't been the same without them :-) Glad to hear the earth balance buttery spread worked well, I'll recommend that spread to others. Have a great Christmas! x
      Reply

  35. Sofie says

    I have got to try these! So you use butter - would margarine be a big no? What do you use to mix? Thank you for this, cannot wait to make (ahem, eat all of) them!
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      Haha! It's really hard not to eat them all to yourself... I like to use a dairy-free spread that tastes buttery. Vitalite is the best one I've tried. I think margerine would be too tasteless. Let me know how you get on :-)
      Reply

  37. AmyW says

    Ooh, these look SO GOOD! I was looking for a dairy free recipe for these last year and gave up hope that there would be a way of making them taste like they're meant to! I remember we used to get tins of these at Christmas when I was a kid! Can I ask what buttery spread you used?
    Reply

    • Aimee says

      They're such a nostalgic thing for me too, I was so happy when they tasted like the original! I used a spread called Vitalite - which is the closest taste and texture to real butter that I've come across. I think Earth Balance do some buttery spreads too that are apparently quite good (not tried them myself though) Let me know if you make them! :-)
      Reply

      • AmyW says

        Oh cool, I'm so glad to hear you say that as I can easily get Vitalite! I was worried you were going to say Earth Balance as I often see that used in vegan recipes and I don't think we can get that in the UK, can we? I'll let you know if I get round to making them! :D
        Reply

    • Aimee says

      Thanks Natalie! Yes, it's the same as powdered sugar / confectioner's sugar. I'll update the post later to clarify :-) Please let me know how you get on!
      Reply

  41. Jill N says

    I'm pretty excited about this! I miss only 2 or 3 nonvegan things at this point. Last year I tried to make Danish butter cookies and failed. I can't wait to try this!!
    Reply

  42. Linda | The Baker Who Kerns says

    These look exactly like the cookies we would always have during Christmas as a kid! But now my family as a multitude of food allergies and intolerances that we've had to cut out a lot of our signature treats. But this works perfectly! I'm very excited to make these this Christmas. I will use a gluten free flour and see how that goes!
    Reply

    • sonia says

      I would like to try your recipe, but, what is a vanilla bean paste? I have never heard of something like that. is there any substitution I could take, in case it is not available at my place
      Reply

      • Aimee says

        Hi Sonia, you can just use vanilla extract. I prefer vanilla bean paste in this because I think it gives a stronger flavour but it's not I've updated the post to include a vanilla extract option too :-)
        Reply

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