The holiday season can be tricky to navigate if you have any sort of specific health plan or lifestyle that you're trying to stick to. It's during this time that people practically force sweet treats upon you at the unlikeliest of moments, even if they're things you wouldn't normally want to eat, or even foods that make you feel awful after the fact. If you already know this is the case for you, or even for some of your friends, why not take the reins and whip up some vegan Christmas cookie recipes that'll help everyone feel included in all the holiday fun? After all, 'tis the season for literally all of us to enjoy and indulge in our favorite treats.
It doesn't matter if you live a vegan, gluten-free, or sugar-free lifestyle. There are still so many recipes out there to choose from that will put you in the holiday spirit without compromising your health or lifestyle decisions. In fact, some of the most delicious cookie recipes don't need any dairy, gluten, or sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth.
When you decide to get inventive in the kitchen, you can find success in the most random places. For example, some of these recipes use applesauce as a butter substitute, while another uses tofu. You might be used to the standard flour/egg/milk ingredient list, so it's pretty cool to realize just how many ways there are to make, say, a chocolate chip cookie, for example.
Here are 14 vegan Christmas cookie recipes that you'll want to make long after the holidays are over, because everyone needs a little something sweet to help them get through the dark, frigid cold winter months.
Gingerbread cookies have the perfect spice to get you into the holiday mood.
These vegan gingerbread cookies from Emilie Eats are filled with wheat flour, coconut oil, and applesauce, but I can guarantee you won't know the difference between these and any dairy-based treats.
This coconut snowball recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, and sugar-free. But that certainly doesn't mean it's lacking in a serious punch of flavor.
If you're a coconut lover, this is the ultimate treat to tote around to every holiday party. The recipe only calls for three forms of coconut, plus a few seasonings, so the prep time won't take all day, which is always a plus.
If you like a little crunch in your cookie, this is definitely the recipe for you. These vegan hazelnut shortbread cookies from Ingenious Cooking are suitable for literally any diet: They're free of gluten, dairy, and sugar.
But don't forget to read the recipe carefully, as it calls for two different kinds of flour, and most people don't necessarily have brown rice flour just lying around, you know?
This double chocolate chip cookie recipe from Ceara's Kitchen is grain-free, which is admittedly a little unusual for a cookie recipe. But overall, these treats are super simple to whip up, and your friends won't believe how good they taste.
These caramel-stuffed salted chocolate chip cookies by Philosophy and Cake use tofu in ways I honestly can't understand at the moment. Better yet, though, you can actually swap the tofu for banana if you so desire.
Oh, and you can add sea salt to the top of each cookie, which, as everyone knows, makes literally any food taste better.
Any type of chocolate bark instantly makes me nostalgic for my childhood holiday celebrations, and this white chocolate bark recipe from Fork and Beans is no exception. The slight twist on a classic recipe will add some flare, though: It's basically going to be the best trail-mix-chocolate hybrid you've ever come across.
All you'll need to whip up this bad boy are some white chocolate chips, coconut oil, pistachios, and dried cranberries.
Sometimes baking can turn into a bit of an explosion in your kitchen, which is why a one-bowl recipe can definitely be something to look out for. This one-bowl sugar cookie recipe from Minimalist Baker will make your prep and baking time a total no-hassle, yet equally delicious experience.
If you're the type of person who simply cannot live without at least one Reese's peanut butter cup a week (aka me), this is the recipe for you. These crispy chewy peanut butter bites from Veggies Don't Bite will satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your health choices.
If you're not convinced, know this: The recipe includes Himalayan pink salt, pitted dates, and peanut butter. Boom — interest piqued.
Honestly, doesn't the name alone put you in a better mood? These cookie dough bites by Namely Marly are so delicious and adorable that you'll definitely forget how healthy they are — and so will everyone you treat these bad boys to.
These vegan chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies by My Darling Vegan are covered in a light coat of granulated sugar, and stuffed with crushed peppermint candies, applesauce, and cocoa powder. Any friend with a serious sweet tooth won't be able to resist these.
These orange cinnamon cookies by Vegan Heaven are fashioned out of star cut-outs, and yes, the shape of the cookie totally affects the flavor (just kidding — but not really).
The key to this recipe is in the powdered brown sugar — and the star shape, I swear.
These flourless almond butter chocolate chunk cookies by Ceara's Kitchen look so much like chocolate chip cookies that you might even want to try to fool your friends and see if they'll even recognize a difference.
One of the best parts about this recipe, though, is the fact that there are only seven ingredients in the whole thing: almond butter, oats, ground flax seed, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking powder, and chocolate chunks. It doesn't get much easier than that.
This Christmas pudding bite recipe by Wallflower Kitchen is so quick and easy, you're honestly probably safe to whip these up just before any holiday party you might be planning on bringing these treats to. All you have to do is process the list of ingredients, mash them into little balls, and you're done!
There's also an option to cover them in a coat of chocolate, which I strongly recommend, because, chocolate.
"Gluten-free ginger molasses cookies" might not be the easiest phrase to say five times fast, but your friends will definitely down the whole plate pretty quickly. The cookie mix, courtesy of Vegan Richa, is literally covered in sugar and cinnamon. Need I say more?
