Anyone looking for vegan cut-out cookies almost always comes up against the same question: What do I use to replace the egg? With applesauce, a banana, flaxseed, or egg substitute powder, the choice is vast.

However, the shorter answer is: For cut-out cookies, you don't need any egg substitute at all. A vegan shortcrust pastry works without a binding agent. Fat, flour, and sugar hold the dough together. Those who want to replace egg usually have a cookie recipe, and American cookies are different from cut-out cookies.

By Nico Teuschler, founder of Biocraftlab. We produce biodegradable PLA cookie cutters in Graz and are regularly asked if vegan dough cuts differently than classic shortcrust pastry. This recipe is our answer to that.

This article is about a vegan shortcrust pastry without egg and without butter that holds its shape when cut out.

Even after switching to a vegan diet, your custom cookie cutters do not have to remain in the drawer. The suitable recipe is right below, and the explanations behind it follow further down in the article.

Recipe for vegan cut-out cookies

A basic dough without egg, without butter, and without egg substitute. It is suitable for all cookie cutters, from simple stars to our fancy cookie cutters for sophisticated bakers.

Ingredients

• 250 g wheat flour type 405
• 50 g finely ground, blanched almonds
• 175 g cold vegan block margarine with approx. 80% fat
• 90 g powdered sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ tsp ground vanilla
• if needed, 5 to 15 g cold water

Makes about 45 to 55 cookies, depending on the cutter size. Our cookie calculator will tell you how much dough you need for a specific number.

Preparation

1. Mix flour, almonds, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Dice the margarine, add it, and quickly work everything into a cohesive dough. Do not beat until fluffy and do not knead for long.
2. Form into two flat discs, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
3. Roll out in portions between two sheets of parchment paper to 4 mm thick. Cut out, lightly dipping the cutters in flour if necessary.
4. Chill the cut-out cookies on parchment paper again for 15 minutes.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 °C (350 °F) top and bottom heat on the middle rack for about 10 to 12 minutes. Check from minute 9, the edges should just barely start to brown.
6. Let them firm up on the baking sheet for five minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Why twice chilling is necessary

The second chilling step in point 4 is missing in most recipes, but it is the reason why contours remain sharp.

When rolling out and cutting, the dough warms up due to hands and room temperature. If it goes into the oven like this, the fat melts before the structure sets, and the edges blur. Fifteen minutes of chilling directly before baking prevents this.

This step is particularly worthwhile for intricate designs with many details. For a simple round cutter, you can skip it.

Why vegan cut-out cookies don't need an egg substitute

An egg fulfills three tasks in dough: it binds, loosens, and adds moisture. This is crucial for a batter or cookies, where it ensures that the mixture holds together and rises.

Shortcrust pastry works differently. It is not supposed to rise but to become crumbly and hold its shape. It is held together by the fat that coats the flour particles. A binding agent would rather interfere than help here, because additional moisture makes the dough sticky and blurs the contours when cutting out.

Therefore, our recipe contains neither egg nor egg substitute. The only addition, if needed, is a spoonful of cold water if the dough remains too crumbly.

This also applies to the question of whether vegan cookies taste different. The difference almost exclusively comes from the fat, not from the missing egg. Optionally, add chocolate chips to our recipe to adjust the taste to your liking.

Which fat instead of butter?

This is where vegan cut-out cookies can actually fail, and it has nothing to do with the egg.

Block margarine with about 80 percent fat content is the right choice. It is firm at refrigerator temperature, can be diced, and behaves similarly to butter in the dough.

Soft spreadable margarine from a tub is not. It contains more water and remains spreadable even when chilled. The dough becomes soft and sticky with it, and when cutting out, it stretches when lifted. Even Nigella Lawson's baking advice explicitly recommends a solid vegetable fat for cut-out cookies and warns against soft varieties.

Coconut fat also works, but brings a distinct flavor. Oil is unsuitable for cut-out cookies because it does not solidify at any temperature.

If your dough sticks despite block margarine: chill it again, then roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. Use additional flour sparingly, otherwise, the cookies will become dry.

Baking vegan cookies has several advantages

Vegan baking offers several advantages from both a health and ethical perspective.

• Avoiding animal suffering: The desire to avoid animal suffering is one of the main reasons many people bake vegan. By refraining from animal products such as eggs, butter, and milk, they contribute to less demand for these.
• Suitable for allergy sufferers: For people who are allergic or intolerant to certain animal products, vegan baked goods are excellently suited. There are numerous alternatives to animal products, so various needs and preferences can be taken into account.
• Health benefits: Baking vegan cookies can also have health benefits. For example, less saturated fat is often used, and instead, healthy fats from vegetable oils or nuts are used.
• Lower environmental impact: Compared to a diet that includes animal products, a vegan diet is demonstrably more environmentally friendly. The production of plant-based ingredients requires less water and land. Moreover, significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions are generated.

Basics for vegan baking

If you want to bake vegan cookies, there are some basic tips to keep in mind compared to using ingredients with animal products.

• Adjust baking temperatures & baking times: When preparing vegan baked goods, it is necessary to adjust the temperature and baking time in regular recipes. Plant-based ingredients react differently than their animal counterparts. Especially with chocolate cookies or cookies, the baking time may vary slightly depending on the variant.
• Do not stir too long: If you stir cookie dough with vegan ingredients for too long, it can become tough. In addition, the dough can become very sticky and difficult to remove from the cookie cutters. Therefore, it is advisable to stir dry and liquid ingredients separately. Mix everything into a dough only shortly before the actual baking process. A silicone spatula or whisk is usually sufficient for this, or you can work with your hands.
• Use high-quality ingredients: We will go into detail about specific substitute products in the next section. However, it is fundamentally important to pay attention to high quality. High-quality plant-based ingredients such as vegan butter, almonds, vanilla sugar, and cocoa powder will be essential to improve the taste, texture, and overall result of the cookies.
• Baking sugar-free: To bake healthy vegan cookies, renouncing sugar is essential. There are a whole range of possibilities for this. Birch sugar, for example, has a similar sweetness to conventional sugar. Other natural sweeteners that can be considered are maple syrup, agave syrup, or apple puree. Coconut blossom sugar is also well suited and offers a very special taste experience with its slight caramel note.

When you do need egg substitute

Substitute products are not superfluous; they just belong in other doughs. For the shortcrust pastry above, you don't need any of them. If you bake vegan beyond that, this overview is useful.

To successfully bake vegan cookies, it is essential to have the right ingredients on hand. For every animal product, there is a suitable plant-based substitute. The cookie dough can be stored in portions in a container to bake fresh cookies later. You can also divide the dough into parts to bake different variations, such as a classic recipe, as desired.

• Vegan substitute for eggs

Plant-based egg substitute powder is suitable for binding and loosening. It is available in every organic market and is usually made from sweet lupin flour or cornstarch. To loosen the dough, you can use applesauce. One tablespoon is enough to replace an egg. You can also replace an egg with half a mashed banana. Another proven vegan substitute for eggs is almond butter or finely ground almonds. Important: Each of these adds moisture. This is desirable for cookies and hinders cut-out cookies.

• Vegan substitute for milk

A well-stocked shelf with vegan milk substitutes is now available in almost every supermarket in Germany. However, it should be noted that not all vegan milk varieties are equally suitable for baking cookies. Almond milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk, or soy milk are recommended. To ensure the end result meets your expectations, you should do a taste test beforehand, as these milk varieties all have their own flavor. For a special taste note, you can also add vanilla sugar to the dough.

• Vegan substitute for butter

Butter is another ingredient that needs to be replaced in many recipes. The good old margarine has proven itself for years. However, it is not the only substitute for butter; fruit puree, coconut fat, or oil can also be used. You can even use zucchini, as it has moisturizing and binding properties similar to butter. This works quite well because zucchini has almost no flavor of its own. Alternatively, you can use vegan butter, which has been specially developed for baking recipes and hardly differs in taste from conventional butter.

• Vegan substitute for honey

Bee honey is also not vegan, as it serves as a vital food source for bees. When baking vegan cookies, you can therefore use three types of syrups. Dandelion syrup, beet syrup, or maple syrup are good choices as a substitute for honey. For chocolatey variations of your cookie dough, you can also use cocoa powder as an ingredient.

• Vegan substitute for gelatin
  

One of the best substitutes for gelatin is agar-agar. This is a plant-based gelling agent made from the cell walls of various types of algae. Be sure to follow the package instructions, as agar-agar cannot be used in the same quantities as gelatin in recipes.

Conclusion

Vegan cut-out cookies are easier than the many egg substitute tips suggest. Shortcrust pastry doesn't need egg; the real decision lies with the fat. Why not simply veganize your classic cookie recipes for Easter or Christmas? Popular Christmas cookies like cinnamon stars or vanilla crescent cookies can also be wonderfully prepared vegan.

In our shop, you'll find suitable Easter cookie cutters and Christmas cookie cutters. You'll also find many other themes for cookie cutters that make excellent gift ideas. All our cookie cutters are made from sustainable and biodegradable PLA.

FAQ

Do I need an egg substitute for vegan cookies?

Not for cut-out shortcrust pastry. The dough is held together by the fat; a binding agent is not necessary and even introduces unwanted moisture. For batter and cookies, it's different, and a substitute is useful there.

Which margarine is suitable for cut-out cookies?

Block margarine with about 80 percent fat content, which is firm at refrigerator temperature. Soft spreadable margarine from a tub contains more water and makes the dough sticky.

Why does my vegan dough stick when cutting out?

Usually, it's too warm or the fat is too soft. Chill it again and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. Use additional flour sparingly.

Is baking vegan cookies complicated?

Baking vegan cookies is easier than it seems at first glance. You can convert many baking recipes into a vegan alternative using substitute products, essentially "veganizing" them. In many cases, simply swapping eggs and butter for a plant-based product is enough. However, there are now a variety of delicious recipes specifically developed for vegan cookies.

Is vegan baking generally healthier?

It cannot be universally stated that vegan baking is healthier. This is because sugar and fat can also be found in vegan baking ingredients. However, vegan baking is certainly the healthier alternative if you use high-quality ingredients and completely avoid sugar. The latter is particularly important.

Is vegan baking sustainable?

Vegan cookies are free of animal products but are not always sustainable. Some products have long transport routes to Germany or have been contaminated with pesticides during cultivation. Therefore, it is important to inform yourself about the origin of the respective products and to prefer regional businesses. Our cookie cutters are also sustainable, by the way.