Vegan Empire Cookies
This is truly the best vegan empire cookies recipe you’ll ever try! This is a vegan version of the classic empire cookies, which are not vegan. I grew up making these cookies with my family and wanted to make a vegan recipe for empire cookies!
What are empire cookies? They are shortbread cookies sandwiched together with a layer of tart jam, topped in glossy icing and adorned with a glacé cherry, cranberry or currant.
Related Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Empire Cookies
VEGAN | DAIRY-FREE
This vegan empire cookie recipe is made with vegan butter, sugar, flour, vanilla and other simple and tasty baking ingredients!
These cookies are sweet, soft and delicious! Baked to perfection, these vegan cookies are topped in icing with a glacé cherry or cranberry!
These empire cookies are vegan, nut-free, dairy-free and could potentially be made gluten-free with gluten-free flour.
INGREDIENTS FOR EMPIRE COOKIES (VEGAN):
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vegan Butter / Dairy-Free Butter
- White Sugar
- Vanilla
- Aquafaba or Soy Milk (Unsweetened)
- Raspberry Jam
- Confectioners Sugar
- Soy Milk
- Dried Cherry or Cranberries
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT I USED:
VEGAN EMPIRE COOKIES
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 cookie cutter
- 1 Silicone baking mat
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 vented cookie sheet
Ingredients
Vegan Empire Cookie Base
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt if using unsalted vegan butter
- 1/2 cup vegan butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or aquafaba
Vegan Filling
- 1 cup raspberry jam roughly, as needed
Vegan Royal Icing
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tbsp soy milk
- 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
- Dried cherry or cranberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
- In another large bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of your stand mixer; cream the vegan butter until fluffy, about 3 mins.
- Mix in white sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract and aquafaba (or soy milk).
- Add the flour mixture one half at a time, and mix it until it's just combined.
- Transfer the cookie dough onto plastic wrap, form into a ball and wrap. Place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes until easy to work with.
- Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and lightly flour your work surface (you wnat to use as little flour as possible).
- Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Then, using a cookie cutter, cut out dough and place on onto the prepared sheets. Repeat with dough scraps.
- Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set. They edges can have a SLIGHTLY very faint golden edge, but shouldnt be browned at all. Transfer to cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool thoroughly.
- When they are cooled completely, find a buddy for each cookie pair them up.
- Spread one of the pairs with raspberry jam, and then gently place the second cookie on top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, soy milk, and almond extract if using to create a thin icing.
- Frost tops of cookies, spreading out just to edge and top each with a small piece of dried cranberry.
- enjoy immediately, store in an air-tight container at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Hi! I’m Candice aka The Edgy Veg! I veganize popular food recipes for vegans, plant-based diets, eco-conscious eaters & people who are trying to eat more plants over… y’know animals or by-products of animals. I hope you enjoy this tasty vegan recipe!
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