Delicious, buttery (but butter-free) vegan shortbread biscuits that are so easy to make. Too easy, in fact. Ice them, add flavourings or just enjoy them exactly as they are!
It’s always too tempting to quickly whip up a batch of these to have “just a few” to nibble on and inevitably eat the entire lot to yourself… because it’s impossible to have “just a few”.
These vegan shortbread cookies are my go-to for Christmas, Easter, Valentines and any other occasion that calls for decorated cookies, as well as my favourite for when I'm simply craving plain butter shortbread biscuits.
Reasons to love this Vegan Shortbread Biscuits recipe
- Easy to make.
You just need a few basic ingredients, a mixing bowl, spoon, rolling pin (or bottle), a pastry cutter or glass and a baking sheet.
Kids will love baking and decorating these too. - Melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
- Dairy-free and egg-free.
Great for those on a plant-based diet or those with allergies. - A great basic recipe to make your own.
Experiment with flavours and decorations (see some ideas below.)
How to make the perfect Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Use a good-tasting vegan butter – I recommend Naturli or Earth Balance Buttery, if you want that classic buttery flavour.
- Cream the fat and sugar well – The first step of the recipe is to cream the vegan spread with the granulated sugar and it’s an important one.
The longer you can whisk them together for, the better.
I usually aim for about 5 minutes but you can increase that for up to 10 minutes if you have a stand mixer. - Chill the dough – This part is important for a couple of reasons.
First, so that the dough becomes workable and doesn’t lose its shape.
Second, so the fat firms up and doesn’t melt too quickly in the oven. This part really affects the overall texture and shape.
Extra Tip: You can try chilling the dough twice, for the perfect outcome. Once before you cut out your shapes and then again after the shapes are cut. - Bake at a lower temperature – As mentioned above, we don’t want the vegan butter to melt too quickly in the oven, resulting in misshapen and tough cookies.
I recommend 160 C (320 F) or 140 C Fan. However, you may need to increase the temperature, depending on your oven.
Decoration
I like to just cut into circle shapes and dust with some icing sugar but you can cut these into any shapes, just making sure they are not too thick or thin.
For the classic shortbread look, you can also poke holes into the top, with a fork. This actually helps the cookies bake more evenly too!
And if you want to go the full hog and decorate these with icing, I recommend my vegan royal icing which is easy to pipe and has the perfect finish.
Flavourings
Chocolate shortbread – Add 20g of cocoa and reduce the flour to 270g (thank you to Katy for sharing this tip)
Lemon – Add 2 tablespoons finely-grated lemon zest to the dough.
Lavender – Add 1 ½ teaspoons dried lavender to the dough.
Chocolate Chip – See my recipe here.
Pair this shortbread with...
Vegan Strawberry Shortbread Ice Cream
📖 Recipe
Vegan Shortbread
The perfect buttery vegan shortbread cookies, great for Christmas or to give as gifts. Really easy to whip up and can be shaped or decorated to your choosing.
Ingredients
- 200 g / 7 oz dairy-free butter, I used Vitalite
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 100 g / 3.5 oz caster sugar
- 300 g / 10.5 oz plain flour, sifted
Instructions
- Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar together. Stir in the flour and mix into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160C / 140C (fan) / 320F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Once the dough is chilled, roll out to approximately ½ cm thickness and cut into shapes. Place on the baking sheet, sprinkle with a little extra sugar and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown at the edges, turning half way through to ensure even baking.
- Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or decorating.
Notes
For decorating, try my vegan royal icing recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1 CookieAmount Per Serving Calories 146Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 22mgSodium 65mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 0gSugar 5gProtein 2g
Hope says
I made this twice recently and it turned out too dry to be able to roll out for cookies even after being chilled? Does anyone have any advice? I followed the recipe so not sure what I did wrong? It did work out well in a square baking tin though.
Robyn says
Maybe leave the dough a little bit longer before you roll it out. You could also try playing around with it before you put it in the fridge. This worked for me.
Joanne says
I roll mine out straight away and cut into shapes then put on a baking tray and pop it in the fridge for 30 mins , works every time
Rachel says
how well do you think this recipe would do being used as a crust in say a 9x13 pan? i’ve got millionaire bars on the brain! thanks!
Holly says
I am thinking exactly the same! did you do it and if so did it work out? I'm really hoping it did - mega drool!! xx
Hope says
It works well like that
Heather says
I have just made these and they have turned out great thank you.
Courtney says
Helpppp. I've made them twice now and the "dough" is a crumbley mess. Even after being in the fridge it just crumbles. Doesn't resemble dough to roll out in any way. I ended up just making balls and cooking them that way but what am I doing wrong?? I'd love to use Christmas cutters.
Aimee says
Hi Courtney - you either need to add a bit more butter or add in a few drops of dairy-free milk (not too much though). Just keep adding small amounts of the butter and a few drops of the milk until the dough comes together. Be careful not to over-mix the dough though, otherwise it will become tough. Hope that helps - good luck!
Hope says
This helps me too thank you. Also Did you have to kneed the mixture or just mix with a wooden spoon?
Kristen Johnson says
Mine is also a crumbling mess
Skye says
Hi these look delicious- would it be possible to use gluten free flour to make them?