7 Plant-Based Christmas Cookies for the Whole Family
The holidays can be an exciting time to be plant-based—assuming you have the right cookies on a plate. Many traditional holiday dinners indeed put meat (and lots of it) right at the center of the table. But it’s also true that with a little prep, you can veganize just about any holiday dish, starting with plant-based Christmas cookies and other holiday goodies.
From chocolate peppermint delights to sugary holiday classics, plant-based Christmas cookies are high on flavor and holiday cheer—while ensuring all the animals can have as safe and happy a holiday as you do.
1.Vegan Sugar Cookies
One of our favorite plant-based Christmas cookies is one of the most simple. These vegan sugar cookies are exactly like the ones your grandma used to make—no dairy needed! Cream vegan butter and sugar together, add the remaining ingredients, then cut into your favorite holiday shapes. Whip up some colorful frosting and choose some toppings to customize..
This recipe is also great to make with kids or friends since everyone can bring their own toch to their cookie designs. You can also find some tips for plant-based food coloring, as some have unexpected animal add-ins.
2.Plant-Based Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
If you’re a chocoholic, crinkle cookies are for you. While many milk chocolate bars aren’t plant-based, cocoa powder is—and this recipe relies on rich cocoa powder to carry a delicious chocolate flavor. Stick with the traditional, crackly chocolate crinkle or add a few drops of peppermint to add a little holiday twist.
3.Vegan Spice Cookies
Gingerbread is a classic holiday flavor, one you can enjoy even if you don’t want to build your own cookie house. Dark brown sugar, vegan chocolate, and pumpkin pie spice give these cookies a warm, rich flavor. Cut your dough into people, reindeer, snowmen, and trees, then decorate with icing and vegan candy to create the quintessential holiday cookie.
4.Vegan M&M Cookies
M&Ms and other candied-coated chocolates are a great way to put a pop of color in your cookies. The problem? Many of those candies aren’t plant-based. This recipe relies on green and red vegan candies and some vegan chocolate chips to create a warm, chocolatey flavor without sacrificing the holiday color. Dip them in your favorite non-dairy milk (we like soy or oat for dunking) and enjoy!
5.Vegan Matzo Crack
Cookies are a Christmastime staple, but sweet treats are also a must for Chanukah. Matzo crack is a favorite at many Passover dinners, and they’re perfect for the holidays, too. Think biscuity matzo/matzah covered in layers of chocolate and toffee. Though a traditional recipe is heavy with milk and butter, this recipe uses plant butter or coconut oil to get the same melt-in-your-mouth effect.
6.Pistachio and Cranberry Plant-Based Cookies
Red and green are the colors of the Christmas season, and this recipe follows suit in its two start ingredients: pistachio and cranberry. In this recipe, a tart cranberry jam is sandwiched between sweet shortbread cookies studded with pistachio. Cut your favorite shapes into the top shortbread before sandwiching to get a pretty, holiday-themed window into the jam underneath.
7.Vegan Danish Butter Cookies
Ever pop open one of those big blue tins and rifle through the tissue paper cups to find your butter cookie shape of choice? Us, too! Though the plant-based version may not come in a tin, we’re not above finding a tin and recreating it ourselves. This recipe uses dairy-free milk, sugar, and a lot of plant butter to create a creamy, nostalgia-worthy cookie.
Wishing You a Happy, Healthy, Plant-Based Holiday
During the holidays, we like to reflect on the year behind us and make plans for the year ahead. Here at the Good Life Refuge, we can’t do that without thinking about our residents: baby calves Teddy and Rosalina, ducks Henry and Chance, and many more we’re proud to give a safe place to rest.
Whether you just swap traditional Christmas cookies for these plant-based ones or whip up an entire vegan feast, our residents thank you for looking out for animals like them.