Vegan Shortbread Cookies

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(Last Updated On: January 27, 2020)

Easy Vegan Shortbread Cookies Recipe

These vegan shortbread cookies are the perfect light and chewy treat.

 

Who doesn’t love soft, freshly baked shortbread cookies?

 

With added of flavors of orange and cranberry to the already butter-sweet vanilla base, these cookies are as good as it gets!

Melt in your Mouth Shortbread

The Best Ever Vegan Butter Cookies

The creation of vegan butter has made so many of our lives so much easier!

 

I love experimenting with healthier versions of cookies, such as with my Chewy Maple Cookies, but I also love having the option to make desserts that taste just how I remember!

 

I love the light and soft texture of these cookies, and they have so much flavor packed into such tiny cookies!

 

Cranberry orange is always a great flavor combination, and I think they suit these butter cookies perfectly. You can even see the flavorful orange zest popping through!

Easy Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Dairy Free Shortbread Cookies

How to Make Old Fashioned Vegan Shortbread

Preparing the Shortbread Dough

When you’re ready to make these simple cookies, start by chopping your cranberries and adding 1/2 teaspoon of water to them. You want the cranberries dried, but just slightly rehydrated works best for this recipe! Let this sit for just a couple minutes while you make your dough.

 

Add your room-temperature vegan butter, vanilla extract and vegan powdered sugar to a bowl (not all brands of sugar are vegan, so if you are here is a list of brands to look for!).

 

Cream these together by mixing vigorously until very smooth. Then, stir in the salt.

 

Next, begin adding in your all-purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing in between each, until it forms a dough. Start sprinkling in your dried cranberries and orange zest in increments as well. Stir in between adding more to be sure they are evenly distributed!

 

Now, form the dough into a ball with your hands, and place on a surface covered with a sprinkle of powdered sugar (I like this better than flour for this recipe, it helps make sure the dough won’t absorb too much flour and become dense), sprinkling more on top of the dough and onto a rolling pin. Roll out roughly 1/4 inch thick!

Vegan Shortbread Cookies Dough

Chilling and Baking the Shortbread Cookies

Dip a roughly 2 inch cookie cutter into the powdered sugar, and begin cutting out your cookies and placing them onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or aluminum foil!

 

Roll up any leftover dough and roll out again, cutting out as many cookies as possible, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

 

Chill the cookies on the sheet for 30-60 minutes in the freezer, or overnight in the fridge. Then, bake for 16-19 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.

 

Allow to cool briefly and then enjoy!

Vegan Shortbread Cookies Baking
Vegan Shortbread Cookies

Delicious Melt-in-your-Mouth Vegan Cookies

Shortbread cookies are so classic, and they go perfectly with tea or coffee.

 

I love making them for get-togethers of any kind, and there also great during the holidays. The orange and cranberry flavors are perfect for any dessert table!

 

If you want a great cookie that’s not overly sweet or heavy, this is the cookie for you.

 

You could also add different fillings if you’d like, or some chopped nuts would be great too!

Vegan Cranberry Orange Shortbread

I used Made in Nature dried cranberries for these yummy cookies – they have the best, ripe, organic cranberries around. If you’re in need of dried fruit for your recipes, I highly recommend them. They’re also just great for snacking as is or on top of oatmeal!

Soft and Crispy Vegan Shortbread

This yummy recipe is:

  • Chewy
  • Buttery
  • Vegan
  • Classic
  • Flavorful
  • Sweet
  • Tangy

Looking for more vegan desserts?

Vegan Berry Crisp

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

Easy Vegan Banana Bread

Apple Cinnamon Pop Tarts

Delicious Buttery Shortbread Vegan

Pin this to try later!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Melt in your Mouth Shortbread

Vegan Shortbread Cookies

Yield: 9 Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes

These easy and classic vegan shortbread cookies melt in your mouth! They have a sprinkle of dried cranberries and orange zest to create the yummiest cookie!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter (room temp.)
  • 1/4 Cup Vegan Powdered Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Dried Cranberries
  • Zest of 1/2 Orange
  • 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/8 Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Chop your cranberries well and add 1/2 tsp water to them to slightly rehydrate them. Let this sit for at least a couple minutes.
  2. Cream together room temperature vegan butter*, vanilla and powdered sugar by mixing well until smooth.
  3. Add salt and mix well. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing in between until all flour is added.
  4. Add cranberries and orange zest in increments, mixing in between to help them evenly distribute.
  5. Form dough into a ball using your hands towards the end. Place down on a flat surface covered with a sprinkle of powdered sugar**, and sprinkle a bit more on top of the dough and onto a rolling pin.
  6. Roll out roughly 1/4 inch thick and dip a roughly 2 inch cookie cutter in powdered sugar. Cut out circles and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper of aluminum foil.
  7. Roll up leftover dough, form into a ball again and roll out until as many cookies are cut out of the dough!
  8. Let this chill for 30-60 minutes in the freezer, or in the fridge overnight.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Notes

*Make sure you use vegan butter sticks (not from a tub) and allow it to come to room temperature on the counter, if you try to use a microwave it's possible it will overheat and make the cookies too runny.

**I like using powdered sugar instead of flour for this part to make sure the dough does not soak up too much flour and become more dense.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115

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20 thoughts on “Vegan Shortbread Cookies”

  1. I just made these, and they’re terrific! I love the cranberry + orange flavor – a delightful combination and variation over “plain” shortbread cookies. I had to double the water amount to soften the cranberries, but otherwise, my only suggestion is that you double the dough from the start. My batch only made 14 small-ish cookies. Great recipe – thanks!

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