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Happy National Cookie Day! Since it falls on December 4, we are celebrating with a selection of festive vegan cookie recipes that range from the classic gingerbread & shortbread varieties to soft matcha flavored cookie sandwiches, vegan fortune cookies, hot chocolate/red velvet/black sesame/candy cane flavored cookies, and many more! Most of the recipes will make great edible gifts for vegans & non-vegans alike (since they’re seasonally flavored, and/or impressive-looking, and can be stored and transported easily), and some are best enjoyed at home where you make them (in the case of more fragile & intricately decorated ones). We dare you to try at least one vegan cookie recipe off today’s list – there’s plenty to choose from, and whichever one you pick is guaranteed to delight yourself and your loved ones this holiday season!
Vegan White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (GF Option) by Rainbow Nourishments
Wonder what winter holidays taste like? Try this vegan cookie recipe to find out! It’s an incredibly easy and pantry-friendly recipe with only 7 common ingredients that are mixed together in one bowl!
Click here for the full recipe.
Chocolate Reindeer Brownie Cookies by The Little Blog of Vegan
Decorated with pretzel antlers and a glaće cherry nose, these reindeer cherry brownie cookies will be a delight for the inner child in all of us, but they’re suitable for adults only (unless you sub cherry liquor for non-alcoholic cherry flavoring).
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Linzer Cookies (GF) by Rhian’s Recipes
Light, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery, these vegan shortbread cookies are made with ground almonds and flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest. While they’re not that complicated to make, they certainly look festive with their sweet, sticky jam filling and powdered sugar dusting!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Matcha Shortbread Cookies by Floured Frame
A Japanese-inspired treat for Christmas, anyone? This vegan cookie recipe has an Asian flair with its use of one secret ingredient that makes it stand out from the rest of shortbread cookies. Using good quality matcha powder will help you make the most appetizingly green and delicious little fir trees!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Pecan Biscotti by Nourishing Amy
These crunchy twice-baked biscuits are a vegan twist on an Italian classic that’s usually made with animal ingredients and almonds. This veganized version is made with chia egg, plant milk, vegan butter/margarine, chocolate, and crushed pecans, that sort of add to the overall holiday vibe!
Click here for the full recipe.
Spiced Chocolate Chestnut Cookies by Murielle Banackissa
Aah, is there anything more Christmas-y than roasted chestnuts? By the time you’re done with this vegan cookie recipe, your kitchen will smell like Christmas itself. We dare you to save some of these cookies for gifts – there’s a high chance they’ll be gone before you get to gift packing!
Click here for the full recipe.
German Lebkuchen (Vegan Gingerbread) by Zucker & Jagdwurst
Okay, hear us out: lebkuchen might not be cookies exactly (at least not in the traditional American understanding of the term), but they are on Wikipedia’s “List of Cookies”, and certainly too adorable and on theme flavor-wise to not be included on today’s list!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies by Sweet Simple Vegan
Speaking of gingerbread, this vegan cookie recipe should be more familiar for the eyes and the palates of our readers, with its use of the classic ginger+cinnamon+nutmeg+cloves combo in addition to only a handful of other pantry-friendly ingredients.
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Fortune Cookies by Jamison Joy
A perfect holiday party favor, these vegan fortune cookies are quite challenging to make, and yet knowing that your loved ones get little bits of good fortune from your handmade vegan cookies is priceless, wouldn’t you agree? Be sure to check the full post for a video tutorial, and the recipe notes for an orange and dark chocolate version, which sounds exciting!
Click here for the full recipe.
Swedish Wishing Cookies by The Curious Chickpea
These might look like your usual spiced Christmas cookies, but there’s a lovely ritual to eating them, it turns out! Eva of The Curious Chickpea describes it as such: “Make a wish, then place the cookie in your palm and press down in the center to break it. If it breaks into 3 pieces and you eat it without speaking, then your wish is said to come true!”
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Rose Petal Window Cookies (GF) by A Step Full of You
While this vegan cookie recipe was created to celebrate spring and summer, we feel like, for those who’ve got the winter blues, it would be a great reminder that nothing’s permanent and spring will come back again. You can use any dried edible flowers, too!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Mexican Wedding Cookies by Dora’s Table
Despite being called Mexican wedding cookies in the US, these buttery pecan-studded treats are known as hojarascas or polvorones, are available year-round, and actually are seldomly served at weddings, being especially popular during Christmastime. So it’s only fair you give this vegan cookie recipe a try this holiday season!
Click here for the full recipe.
Christmas Tree Meringues Cookies (GF) by NM Meiyee
Aquafaba enthusiasts, this vegan cookie recipe is your time to shine: these adorable little fir trees are sweet, light, crunchy, delicious, and will require some aquafaba whipping skills to make the perfect holiday meringue!
Click here for the full recipe.
Flourless Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies (GF) by Okonomi Kitchen
This vegan cookie recipe is incredibly easy to put together, and the use of mint chocolate chunks and marshmallows makes them taste real cozy! And did we mention they’re gluten-free? What a treat!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies by School Night Vegan
Sometimes a cookie doesn’t have to look or taste extra festive to make a bomb treat for yourself & your loved ones! These vegan peanut butter stuffed cookies work with classic flavors and textures, and yet the experience of eating one is still heavenly!
Click here for the full recipe.
Maple Leaf Cream Filled Sandwich Cookies by Sincerely Tori
Fall might be coming to a halt, but maple flavor is forever. If you’re as big of a fan as we are, this vegan cookie recipe will be one of the baking highlights this holiday season!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Vanillekipferl Crescent Cookies by Vegan On Board
Vanillekipferl originate from Vienna in Austria and have since become a traditional Christmastime treat around Europe. These crescent moon-shaped, sugar-dusted cookies have a light texture and a recognizable flavor coming from powdered vanilla sugar.
Click here for the full recipe.
Almond Mouse Cookies (GF) by Veggie Kins
Another vegan cookie recipe on today’s list to delight the children in our lives (including our inner children), these adorable cookie mice are gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and use no weird ingredients!
Click here for the full recipe.
Triple P Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dee’s Table
Can you guess why these cookies are called Triple P? We’ll save you some time: it’s thanks to the unusual yet delicious sweet-and-salty trio of plantains, pretzels & pecans! If you’ve been meaning to try an unconventional flavor combination, this vegan cookie recipe is for you (or a sweet-and-salty cookie fan in your life!).
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Speculaas Cookies (Dutch Spiced Cookies) by The Minimalist Vegan
These crunchy, fragrant biscuits make wonderful wintertime gifts! They are typically enjoyed in some European countries at Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas Day) which is on the eve of December 5, and the morning of December 6, so now is the perfect time to make them! You can get creative with the pattern using some of the ideas listed in The Minimalist Vegan’s post.
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Shortbread Cookies by Let’s Eat Smart
We hope you have some adorable cookie cutters on hand because this vegan cookie recipe just begs to be made ASAP! The shortbread dough is incredibly easy to work, made in one bowl with no fancy ingredients, and the cookie shapes are up to you, though we absolutely love the adorable almond-holding squirrels created by Let’s Eat Smart!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Stamp Chocolate Shortbread Cookies by Make It Dairy Free
More eye candy (eye cookie?) coming your way with this gorgeous vegan cookie recipe by Make It Dairy Free. Get your cookie stamps out and get creative with these intensely chocolatey cookies that will definitely impress your guests!
Click here for the full recipe.
Chewy Trail Mix Cookies (GF) by Jessica in the Kitchen
This vegan cookie recipe uses all the classic ingredients, such as bananas, oats, peanut butter, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and others, making them a delicious and somewhat healthy sweet treat. Make these filling trail mix cookies for the hiking fan in your life!
Click here for the full recipe.
Easy Vegan Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies by I Can You Can Vegan
Fans of the iconic red velvet cake, rejoice: here’s a vegan cookie recipe for you! Make it this holiday season, freeze the leftovers, and enjoy them all the way up to Valentine’s day – they can last in the freezer for up to 2 months!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Havanna-Style Alfajores (Argentinian Caramel Stuffed Cookies) by Can Caramelo
If the mere sound of date caramel makes your mouth water, this recipe is a must-try! Just imagine how drool-worthy these chocolate-coated, tender cookies with a thick layer of the most decadent date caramel in the middle must be, and you’ll be making them in no time!
Click here for the full recipe.
Macau Mung Bean Almond Cookies by What to Cook Today
Chinese New Year might be a couple of months away, but you can get into the spirit now with this nutty & crumbly gluten-free cookie recipe! Make sure to get a special wooden mould or a mooncake press to make them look as authentic as possible.
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Amaretti (Italian Almond Cookies) by Plant Based School
These veganized traditional Italian cookies are bursting with almond flavor while being crunchy on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. They make great little pick-me-ups during the colder months!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Santa Claus Peanut Butter Cookies by Barbara French Vegan
The peanut butter cookie base is easy, it’s the decoration that takes this vegan cookie recipe to the next level! The advanced (or really patient) decorators out there can decorate these adorable Santa cookies as pictured, or you can opt for a simpler scheme with the same ingredients if you’re short on time, they will taste just as good. Do whatever makes you feel the best about your vegan baking!
Click here for the full recipe.
Black & White Cookies by The Post Punk Kitchen
These cakey cookies divided in half with icing (half chocolate, half vanilla) are an absolute iconic NYC treat. If you’d like a piece of New York City on the dinner table this holiday season, try this recipe by The Post Punk Kitchen!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Black Sesame Cookies (GF) by Chez Jorge
One of the few recipes on today’s list that’s best enjoyed immediately after making, these black sesame cookies are naturally gluten-free, use minimal ingredients, and are pretty easy to make, so you can enjoy this exotic cookie any time!
Click here for the full recipe.
No-Bake 4-ingredient Samoas by Upbeet Anisha
For those who can’t or don’t want to add more baking to their holiday routines, we’ve got these incredible 4-ingredient cookies that require no baking, yet taste amazing! What else could you expect from mixing shredded coconut, dates, coconut oil, and dark chocolate?
Click here for the full recipe.
Cookiefetti by Conscious Cooking
Is there anything more festive than confetti? You guessed it… Cookiefetti! Also known as tiny cookies. If you’re the kind of person to offer fun trivia about themselves at holiday parties, after making this recipe you can safely tell people how you baked 200 cookies at once! Watch their faces while snacking on some cookiefetti and have a laugh.
Click here for the full recipe.
Thai Flower Shortbread Cookies by East Meets Kitchen
Khanom kleeb lum duen are Thai shortbread cookies shaped into flowers that are then smoked with a special perfumed candle to instill fragrance into the cookies. It’s not just a cookie, it’s a whole experience! This accidentally vegan cookie recipe will be a lovely reminder that spring is always coming back.
Click here for the full recipe.
Rustic Gingerbread Cookies by More Than Veggies
If you’re a fan of the saying “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, this rustic gingerbread cookie recipe is for you! It requires basic “holiday cookie” ingredients such as the classic cinnamon+nutmeg+ginger+cloves spice mix, as well as molasses, vanilla, plain flour, and all the standard works. These cookies don’t need any fancy decoration because the comforting and familiar flavor does wonders on its own when it comes to creating a holiday atmosphere!
Click here for the full recipe.
Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies by Hot For Food
In her blogpost accompanying this vegan cookie recipe, Lauren asks, “Who can say no to chocolate cookies filled with creamy homemade peppermint frosting?”, and we think we can all agree that the answer is no one, so be sure to make this irresistibly festive treat for anyone who needs a little holiday spirit sent their way!
Click here for the full recipe.
Matcha Olive Oil Cookie Sandwiches by Vegamelon
Soft, fragrant matcha cookies sandwiched with a light, creamy filling make a decadent treat that can be enjoyed way beyond winter holidays, so be sure to bookmark this recipe for the time you crave some matcha-flavored baked goodness!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Cookies by Sanjana Feasts
If your definition of “cookie perfection” is “thin and crispy around the edges, with a soft middle”, these vegan pistachio vanilla salt cookies will not disappoint. The flavor combination is clean, yet decadent, which we’re totally here for!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by demeals
These fudgy sweet treats with a crunchy cracked sugary exterior, these chocolate crinkle cookies will outshine every other cookie on your Christmas cookie platter! They’re made with just 8 ingredients, and Waseem’s post includes step-by-step photo instructions to ensure you get the best cookies for yourself and your loved ones!
Click here for the full recipe.
Campfire S’mores Snowflake Shortbread Cookies by Liv B
Too cold to go camping? No worries, this vegan cookie recipe will bring the cozy campfire atmosphere right into your home, with a shortbread base (cut into snowflakes for festive flair) decorated with gooey marshmallows, chocolate drizzle, and pretzel crumbs. What a treat!
Click here for the full recipe.
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam (GF) by Choosing Chia
We close off our list with one of the easiest festive vegan cookie recipes out there: thumbprint cookies. They require no special equipment, can be made in one bowl, and are gluten-free! They’re highly customizable in terms of filling and make a perfect winter holiday treat!
Click here for the full recipe.
Pin this article so you don’t lose your favorite vegan cookie recipe!
Haven’t found the perfect vegan cookie recipe? It might be waiting for you here:
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Or click here for more vegan cookie inspiration!
Editor: Anna Kot.
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