These vegan brown sugar cookies are nicely chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges, they have a delicious buttery and sweet flavor, plus they are easy to make! 100% vegan, egg-free and dairy-free.
Of all the vegan sweets I like to make, our family definitely has a weakness for homemade vegan cookies. These healthy oat flour chocolate chip cookies are my go-to for weekday wholesome snacks and these 4-ingredient banana chocolate oatmeal cookies are great for meal-prepping breakfasts ahead. Or these matcha chocolate cookies for when I crave green tea flavor.
But when I feel like a treat on the weekend or on special occasions such as Christmas or birthdays, I make these vegan brown sugar cookies. They are made with vegan butter and sweetened with brown sugar, a combo that makes these cookies ultra-chewy, decadent and indulgent. A must-try if you are a cookie-lover like us.
They have crispy edges and tender centers with a chewy bite, plus an amazing brown sugar flavor with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. They are great for parties, gifting, Christmas, but also quick and easy enough to enjoy as an everyday treat!
Let me know how you liked them in the comments below! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- One-bowl easy recipe everyone can make!
- Amazing buttery and brown sugar flavor
- Perfect treat to make during the holiday season or for parties
- Chewy texture with a soft center and crispy edges
- Vegan, dairy-free and egg-free recipe
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Flour: use all-purpose white flour for the best result (do not use bread flour). I like the flour from King Arthur when making cookies.
- Brown sugar: I used light brown sugar, but both light and dark brown sugar work.
- Vegan butter: I used the buttery sticks from Earth Balance.
- Dairy-free milk: you will have to add a small amount of plant-based milk to adjust for texture. I used oat milk, but any kind works, such as almond milk or soy milk.
- Cinnamon + Vanilla: to complement the flavor from the brown sugar. You can also swap the cinnamon for nutmeg or cardamom or add more spices for a stronger flavor.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- Extra sugar: for a special treat during the holiday season, then roll each ball of cookie dough in sugar before transferring over the baking sheet. This adds a nice crunch, shiny look and more sweetness.
- Nuts: feel free to include a small handful of chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds for extra crunchy and a nice nutty flavor.
- Sweet and salty combo: sprinkle the cookies with coarse sea salt to enhance their sweetness.
🍽 How to make vegan brown sugar cookies
Step 1: To a large mixing bowl, add the vegan butter (softened), brown sugar, dairy-free milk and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Use electric beaters to mix until the butter is broken down and the mixture is mostly uniform.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Step 4: Use a spatula or large spoon to combine the ingredients until smooth and uniform. The mix will look too dry at first, but keep mixing and pressing on the cookie dough until it comes together.
Step 5: Use a medium-sized ice cream scoop to scoop the cookie batter (it should give you 12 cookies).
Step 6: Transfer the scooped dough over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (space them out, they will spread slightly), then bake at 350ºF for about 11-12 minutes. You might need to bake them in 2 batches. Let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Baking tips
- Like most baking recipes, I highly recommend weighing the ingredients (especially the flour) instead of using cups. If you don't have a scale, then make sure to use the scoop and level method.
- Try to plan ahead and take the butter out of the fridge about one hour before baking. Softened butter is easier to handle, which will help create a uniform texture when mixed with the sugar.
- The cookie will feel underdone and very soft once just out of the oven, this is normal! Let them cool down for a few minutes, they will finish up cooking and firm up during that time.
❗️ Storage tips
Once they are cool down, keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months! Let them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes.
❓ FAQs
Yes! Simply use a 1:1 certified GF flour such as the one from Bob's Red Mill.
You can use either light or dark brown sugar to make this recipe. Dark brown sugar provides a slightly more intense molasses flavor and more moisture, but I used light brown sugar and they were amazing!
📖 Recipe
Chewy Vegan Brown Sugar Cookies (No Eggs)
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixin bowl
- Mixing spoon and spatula
- Small kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 180 g brown sugar - (180 g = 1 cup)
- 120 g vegan butter (softened) - (120 g = ½ cup)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 g dairy-free milk - (80 g = ⅓ cup)
- 250 g all-purpose flour - (250 g = lightly packed 2 cups, see notes)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter (or at room temperature), brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Use electric beaters to combine until mostly uniform (tiny clumps of butter are fine).
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and use a spatula or large spoon to mix the ingredients until uniform. At first, the mixture will look too dry, but keep mixing and pressing on the ingredients until there are no dry pockets of flour anymore.
- Use a medium-sized ice cream scoop to scoop the batter and transfer to the prepared baking sheet as you go. You should be able to make 12 cookies, but I recommend baking them in 2 batches so you can space them out slightly (they spread a little bit.)
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, let the cookies cool down on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes (they will be very soft at first), then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled down.
Video
Notes
- Like most baking recipes, I highly recommend weighing the ingredients (especially the flour) instead of using cups. If you don't have a scale, then make sure to use the scoop and level method.
- Try to plan ahead and take the butter out of the fridge about one hour before baking. Softened butter is easier to handle, which will help create a uniform texture when mixed with the sugar.
- The cookie will feel underdone and very soft once just out of the oven, this is normal! Let them cool down for a few minutes, they will finish up cooking and firm up during that time.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Hands down the most delicious cookies!!
Great! Glad you enjoyed them!