Vegan Vanilla Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane
These soft Vegan Vanilla Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane are easy to make in one bowl and perfect for the holiday season. With a delicious peppermint flavor and topped with candy cane pieces, you’re sure to love these vegan holiday cookies.
These Vegan Vanilla Peppermint Sugar Cookies were inspired by our family’s holiday baking nights, where crushed candy canes cover the counter and Christmas music plays in the background.
What I love most about these cookies is how easy and crowd-pleasing they are. The soft vanilla dough, crushed candy cane topping, and hint of peppermint make them perfect for cookie swaps or cozy family nights. They prove that vegan holiday baking can be simple, delicious, and full of cheer.
Spotlight on These Vegan Vanilla Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- They are delicious: Vanilla and peppermint come together in the softest, most flavorful vegan sugar cookie. These cookies are dairy-free, perfectly sweet, and almost impossible to stop at just one.
- They are easy to make: No cookie cutters needed here! These vegan peppermint sugar cookies are mixed in one bowl and baked in under 15 minutes, making them the perfect quick holiday treat.
- They are made with better ingredients: Sweetened with coconut sugar and made with a flax egg and vegan butter, these cookies skip the refined ingredients but keep all the flavor and texture of a classic sugar cookie.
- They are kid-friendly: Your family will love these festive cookies, and they make a beautiful addition to a holiday dessert platter, school party, or hostess gift.
- They are topped with crushed candy cane: The crunchy peppermint topping adds a fun, festive twist and just the right amount of holiday cheer.
- They are perfectly festive: A classic sugar cookie with a peppermint twist, these vegan Christmas cookies will quickly become a holiday tradition in your home.
The Ingredients
Vegan butter: Make sure you are using soft or room-temperature butter for this recipe. Do not heat and melt your butter, however. Simply allow it to sit out on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
Coconut sugar: We replace ultra-processed white cane sugar with coconut sugar in this healthier vanilla peppermint cookie recipe.
Vanilla: Grab some real and pure vanilla extract for these vanilla cookies. Stay away from imitation varieties which will not provide a rich vanilla flavor.
Flax egg: I love this simple, healthy, and effective egg replacement. It works like a charm every time. All you will need is a combination of filtered water and ground flaxseed and bam, you’ve got a vegan egg.
Peppermint extract: This ingredient is the key to making vegan peppermint sugar cookies. Find a good-quality peppermint extract or oil to use for this recipe. Do not skip this step.
All-purpose flour: While white flour is not wholesome, you will notice that this recipe cuts the white flour in half by combining half white flour with half oat flour. Using just oat flour will create a very crumbly cookie.
Oat flour: You can find oat flour at any grocery store. It’s an unprocessed white flour alternative that is much healthier than all-purpose flour.
Baking powder, baking soda, and salt: Finish off the cookies with these basic ingredients that will create a wonderful thick texture and smooth taste.
Candy canes: You’ll need 3 basic candy canes to top on these cookies. You could also use round peppermint candies if needed. Don’t skip this step. This is most certainly one of the best parts about these cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, candy canes are vegan. The main ingredients include corn syrup, sugar, natural flavors, and food coloring. Believe it or not, the red stripes in a candy cane used to come from crushed beetles. Thankfully, candy makers have switched over to red food dyes as an alternative.
Absolutely! You can top them with crushed peppermint candies, festive sprinkles, or even drizzle them with melted vegan white chocolate for a different holiday twist.
Yes! Make it the day before by wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and storing it in the fridge. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
If you want chocolate cookies, I recommend trying these Vegan Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies! I do not recommend adding chocolate to these vanilla cookies.
Yes, I recommend using an electric mixer or stand mixer.
Overmixing cookie dough can result in crispy, flat, and tough cookies. That is because it can warm up the butter and overdevelop the gluten.
The Instructions
Step one: Make the flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of filtered water. Give it a mix and allow it to sit out to thicken for about 5-10 minutes.
Step two: Unwrap the candy canes and add them to a sealed Ziplock bag. Place the bag on a hard cutting board. Use something like a rolling pin to carefully crush the candy canes into small pieces. Pour the candy cane pieces into a small bowl or ramekin. Set them aside.
Step three: Add the softened vegan butter and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to whisk for about one minute on medium speed. Add in the peppermint extract, vanilla, and the flax egg, and mix again for about 15 seconds.
Step four: Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, which include the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until the batter is smooth. Please note: do not over-mix. This could result in unevenly baked cookies.
Step five: Add about 4 tablespoons of the crushed candy cane pieces to the dough and use a wooded spoon to mix them in.
Step six: This is the hardest part, I know. For best results, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This will contribute to perfectly even and fluffy cookies. *Your cookies will still taste great if you skip this step, however, I recommend not skipping it.
Step seven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Step eight: Remove the chilled cookie dough from the fridge. Use a medium cookie scoop to create 12 even balls of dough. Use your hands to roll the balls into smooth round balls and then press the tops into the bowl of candy cane pieces.
Step nine: Place 6 balls of cookie dough on the lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart, and then bake for 10-13 minutes. *12 minutes worked for me. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat for the remaining 6 cookie dough balls.
Storage
Allow the cookies to come to room temperature and then transfer them into an airtight container. They can stay out on the counter for up to 5 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
Tips + Modifications
These candy cane cookies are best stored in the fridge for up to 8 days. Place the cookies into an airtight container and in the fridge for the best texture and quality.
You can freeze the cookie dough for up to two months. Allow the cookie dough to thaw a bit before baking. Keep in mind that you will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time if you are cooking with frozen cookie dough.
Did you know that you can purchase a bag of crushed candy canes? How easy is that? Most grocery stores sell this convenient product in the holiday baking section.
If you want very round cookies, immediately after removing the hot cookies from the oven, place a round cookie cutter or larger cup over the cookie and gently swirl it around the cookie to create smooth, round edges. The key here is carefully.
More Delicious Vegan Holiday Cookies
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Easy No-Bake Avalanche Cookies
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies with Orange Jam
Healthy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Vegan Vanilla Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 sheet paned, lined
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 electric or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons filtered water
- ½ cup softened vegan butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract/oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 candy canes or 6 tablespoons
Instructions
- Make the flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of filtered water. Give it a mix and allow it to sit out to thicken for about 5-10 minutes.
- Unwrap the candy canes and add them to a sealed ziplock bag. Place the bag on a hard cutting board. Use something like a rolling pin to crush the candy canes into small pieces carefully. Pour the candy cane pieces into a small bowl or ramekin. Set them aside.
- Add the softened vegan butter and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to whisk for about one minute on medium speed. Add in the peppermint extract, vanilla, and the flax egg, and mix again for about 15 seconds.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, which include the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until the batter is smooth. Please note: do not over-mix. This could result in unevenly baked cookies.
- Add about 3 tablespoons of the crushed candy cane pieces to the dough and use a wooded spoon to mix them in.
- This is the hardest part, I know. For best results, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl of dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This will contribute to perfectly even and fluffy cookies. *Your cookies will still taste great if you skip this step, however, I recommend not skipping it.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Remove the chilled cookie dough from the fridge. Use a medium cookie scoop to create 12 even balls of dough. Use your hands to roll the balls into smooth, round balls and then press the tops into the bowl of candy cane pieces.
- Place 6 balls of cookie dough on the lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart, and then bake for 10-13 minutes. *12 minutes is the sweet spot with my oven. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat for the remaining 6 cookie dough balls.
