these easy vanilla bean shortbread cookies are only 5 ingredients and vegan! they are so delicious and great for enjoying with coffee or tea.
the inspiration
There is a vegan bakery my boyfriend and I love to go visit. They have tons of amazing cakes, cookies, macarons. If you are ever in Kingston, NY go check out Sweet Maresa’s. They also have these amazing vegan vanilla bean shortbread cookies.
Now, if there is one thing my boyfriend loves it is anything vanilla bean flavored. He loves my vanilla bean cheesecake, the vegan vanilla bean macarons, and now he loves these cookies. So, of course I said “I can make them for you!”
And now here we are, making vegan vanilla bean shortbread cookies. They are a fun little sweet treat and I thought they are cute for Valentine’s Day. Shortbread cookies are so easy to make and something everyone should know how to make.
the ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: of course for cookies we need some flour. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free all purpose flour.
- Vegan Butter: the vegan butter is creamed together with the powdered sugar to make a light, soft, fluffy base for our vanilla bean shortbread cookies.
- Organic Powdered Sugar: we are using powdered sugar for this recipe because it makes the cookies very soft and smooth.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: of course for our vanilla bean shortbread cookies we will need vanilla bean. Instead of scraping the vanilla beans (which can be quite expensive) vanilla bean paste is a better option. Some vanilla bean paste does contain gluten so if you are trying to make these gluten free be sure to check the ingredients.
- Vanilla Extract: it will enhance the vanilla flavor of the vanilla bean shortbread cookies.
creaming together vegan butter and powdered sugar
The first step to the vanilla bean shortbread cookies is to cream together the vegan butter and organic powdered sugar. You have a few ways to do this: in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or simply by hand.
As I am a food blogger and do have a lot of kitchen tools I do enjoy to do this with my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. Of course, that is not a necessary piece of equipment for the shortbread cookies.
Add the slightly softened vegan butter, I like to use the Country Crock olive oil plant butter sticks, and the organic powdered sugar into a bowl. Then, you want to start mixing it on slow and work your way up to a medium speed until it turns light and fluffy. It should take about 5 minutes.
finishing the vanilla bean shortbread dough
Once you are done creaming together the vegan butter and powdered sugar you will just add in the rest of the ingredients! Continue to mix on a medium speed using the whisk attachment until it turns into a dough.
Then, I like to place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Wrap it up and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. It needs time to chill because of the vegan butter. So, just let it have some time to firm back up.
rolling out the shortbread dough
Now, it will be time to roll the dough out. I find it best to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper as it can be a bit sticky. If you are still having trouble with the dough and finding it is stick you can of course always dust it with some flour.
The thickness of the dough is up to your preference. If you want a thicker cookie roll the dough out thicker, if you want a thinner cookie roll it out thinner.
Then, you will use a cookie cutter and cut out your cookies!
cutting out the cookies
If you want to make your vanilla bean shortbread cookies a bit fancy you can use a fun and pretty cookie cutter. You can also just roll the dough out and cut squares or just a circle cutter and make circles.
I am using a Linzer tart cutter to make my vanilla bean shortbread cookies. I didn’t want to cut a heart in the middle but still wanted an imprint of it. So, I just take the small heart attachment and then press it into the dough to make a mark.
Transfer the cut cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and repeat the process until you have made all your cookies.
tips for baking cookies
Baking cookies isn’t hard but there are always a few things that can help to make an even better cookie.
- Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to line your baking sheet. Especially, if you are using a dark pan which will bake the cookies faster.
- Know your oven. This is so important for any baking or cooking. Not all ovens run at the same temperature, so it is important to know if your oven runs cooler or hotter.
- Let the cookies finish baking on the pan. Take the cookies out of the oven when they are slightly underbaked and then as they sit on the pan for an extra 5 minutes to cool and harden they will finish baking.
- Worried about cookies spreading? If you are worried the cookies will spread (which they always do a bit) you can pop them back into a freezer after cutting them out for 15 minutes before baking them to firm it up again.
more valentine’s day recipes
why you’ll love these vanilla bean shortbread cookies
These cookies are light and delicious. You wouldn’t even know they are vegan. I love how easy they are to make and having such minimal ingredients makes them a breeze to make.
They are delicious with a cup of tea or coffee. They also look absolutely adorable and despite being so simple the vanilla bean makes it feel a bit fancy.
vanilla bean shortbread cookies faq
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes, as long as your vegan butter is nut free.
- Is this recipe gluten free? No. It is made with all purpose flour and the vanilla bean paste contains gluten. If you want to try to make them gluten free you can use gluten free all purpose flour and look for a vanilla bean paste without gluten.
- Is this recipe soy free? Yes, as long as your vegan butter is soy free.
- How long will these cookies last? Up to 5 days on the counter. Up to 8 days in the fridge.
- Can I freeze the baked cookies? Yes.
- Can I freeze the dough? I think it should work fine.
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Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter slightly softened
- ½ cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Using either an electric mixer or stand mixer cream together the vegan butter and powdered sugar. You can also do this by hand by using a fork.
- Then add in the vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and all purpose flour. Using the electric mixer or stand mixer, mix together until a dough has formed. If doing by hand you will knead by hand.
- Empty the dough out onto parchment paper and wrap. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Using two sheets of parchment paper roll the dough in between them, if you need to you can flour the dough a bit as well. Roll it to about ½ inch thickness. I prefer these cookies to be on the thicker side.
- Cut out your cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Take the scraps of dough, work back into a ball and repeat.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the bottom. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before eating.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- I am using Country Crock Olive Oil Plant Butter sticks
Oh yum 😋! I’m going to give these a try. They sound amazing! I’m also a huge fan of Sweet Maresa’s – their cakes, cookies, everything is so delicious! Next time you’re uptown, try a sandwich from Sissy’s right nearby. Vegan Delight is my absolute favorite 😍
Hi Peggy, thank you so much!!! oh yes I will have to check it out I hadn’t heard of Sissy’s before!!