Super Soft Red Velvet Vegan Sugar Cookies (with Cream Cheese Icing)
These melt-in-your-mouth super soft vegan Lofthouse-style red velvet cookies are topped with tangy cream cheese icing.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cookies, red velvet
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 20minutes
Resting Time 1hour
Total Time 1hour40minutes
Servings 21cookies
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
120gvegan margarine*(½ cup)
150gwhite granulated sugar(¾ cup)
85gplain vegan soy or coconut yogurt* (⅓ cup)
1teaspoonwhite vinegar (4 g or 5 ml)
1 ½teaspoonvanilla extract(6 g or 7 ml)
1 ½teaspoonred food gel coloring, adjusted to your prefered shade (7 ml)
Dry ingredients
210gall-purpose flour(1 ¾ cup)
15gunsweetened cocoa powder(2 tablespoons)
13gcornstarch* (1 ½ tablespoon)
½teaspoonbaking powder(2 g or 2.5 ml)
½teaspoonbaking soda (2.5 g or 2.5 ml)
¼teaspoonfine sea salt* (1.5 g or 1 ml)
Icing
60gvegan cream cheese, I use “President’s Choice” (2 oz or ¼ cup)
45gfirm vegan unsalted butter, I use Becel plant-based bricks (3 tablespoons or 45 ml)
200gpowdered or icing sugar, sifted (1 ½ cup)
½teaspoonclear vanilla extract(2 g or 2.5 ml)
1pinchfine sea salt
Instructions
Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream the margarine and sugar together on medium-high speed until it becomes bright white and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.
Sift the dry ingredients together and add them to the mixer in two additions alternating with the rest of the wet ingredients while mixing on low until just incorporated. Do not overmix . Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Once chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make balls of dough the size of 1 ½ tablespoons (or a heaping small ice cream scoop), roll them in your hand, and place them on the prepared baking sheets. With the palm of your hand or the bottom of a flat glass dipped in flour, slightly press on each ball to evenly flatten them to a ¾ inch (2 cm) thickness.
Bake one baking sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to look set and crinkly on the top. Do not overcook. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and leave the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheets.
Cream cheese frosting
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream the vegan butter and cream cheese until soft.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, extract and salt to the butter and cream cheese mixture and mix on medium-high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrap the bowl with a soft silicone spatula and then mix on low for an additional minute to remove air bubbles.
Spread 2 teaspoons of frosting on the top of each cookie using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon and then decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
Margarine in the cookies: You can use vegan margarine from a tub or even Cristo. You can use firm vegan butter in bloc form but you will need to bring it to room temperature before starting the recipe.Yogurt alternative: You can replace the yogurt with blended silken tofu. Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For a more classic sugar cookie taste, add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the batter.Cornstarch is also known as cornflour in the UK and in Australia. You can also replace it with potato starch.Salt: If your margarine is salted, leave out the salt in the recipe.Vegan butter in the icing: You want to use a firmer vegan butter (usually in block form) for the icing or a shortening so that the icing has some structure.I use Becel Plant-based Blocks but Country-Crock, Flora, and Naturli’ should also work. If all you have is soft margarine from a tub, you will need to add an additional ½ cup or 65 g of powdered sugar to get a stiff enough icing to spread.