Description
These Iced Vegan Lemon Soft Sugar Cookies are delightfully tender and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, featuring a zesty lemon-scented dough topped with smooth vegan royal icing and vibrant lemon curd details. Perfect for a light, refreshing treat, these cookies combine a soft texture with decorative citrus-inspired icing that is sure to impress at any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 150 g vegan butter, softened
- 4 teaspoons vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Royal Icing
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons aquafaba
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Lemon Curd Icing and Decoration
- 145 g vegan lemon curd (prepared ahead or store-bought)
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons aquafaba
Instructions
- Flavor the sugar: Add the lemon zest and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar crystals become moist and aromatic.
- Cream the sugar and butter: Add the softened vegan butter to the lemon-infused sugar and whisk with a hand or stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and airy. Then add the vegan Greek-style yogurt and vanilla extract, mixing again until thoroughly combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually add this to the wet mixture, folding gently with a rubber spatula to form a cohesive dough ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc.
- Chill the dough: Place the wrapped dough in the freezer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight to firm up. Meanwhile, prepare the vegan lemon curd if making it at home.
- Prep for baking: Preheat the oven to fan-forced 160°C (320°F) or conventional 180°C (356°F). Line one large or two medium baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the cookies: Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to about ½ cm thickness. Cut the dough into 2.5-inch rounds with a cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Reroll scraps and repeat until all dough is used.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 11 minutes or until very lightly browned at the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the parchment onto a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely, about 15-20 minutes, before icing.
- Prepare royal icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, aquafaba, and lemon juice until completely smooth. Transfer to a piping bag for outlining the cookies.
- Prepare lemon curd icing (flood icing): Whisk 60 g of vegan lemon curd with powdered sugar and aquafaba until smooth and slightly thickened. Place in another piping bag. Reserve the remaining 85 g lemon curd in a separate piping bag for final decorative details.
- Decorate cookies: Outline the cookies with a thin circle and draw lemon segments using royal icing. Let dry for 10 minutes, then pipe a thicker second layer and allow to dry another 10 minutes. Use the lemon curd flood icing to fill in the lemon segments, spreading evenly with a toothpick. Let dry for 10-15 minutes. Use the reserved lemon curd to pipe small dots inside the segments and around the edge to mimic lemon rind texture.
- Storage: Allow the decorated cookies to dry completely on a cooling rack for several hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for best freshness.
Notes
- Lemon zest is key to infusing the sugar with bright citrus flavor; make sure to use unwaxed organic lemons if possible.
- Use vegan butter to keep the recipe fully plant-based and maintain a soft cookie texture.
- Vegan Greek-style yogurt helps tenderize the dough without adding dairy.
- If short on time, store-bought vegan lemon curd can be used in place of homemade.
- Allow sufficient drying time between icing layers for best appearance and texture.
- Cookies can be frozen uniced or iced; thaw fully before serving.
