I’m not one for keeping secrets, so spoiler alert- the twist is cream cheese. Egg free sugar cookies made with cream cheese and bit of cornstarch are tender, subtly sweet, and serve as the perfect canvas for creative expression. These cookies taste just as good (or better) than classic sugar cookie dough. All you do is roll them out and then cut into various shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. The defining feature of sugar cookies lies in their ability to take on diverse forms, (see my pumpkin spice cut out cookies) making them a popular choice for festive occasions, holidays, or any event where a touch of personalized sweetness is desired.
The perfect activity for kids that can involve the addition of vibrant and decorative elements. Icing of your choice, colorful sprinkles, edible glitter, and icing pens are commonly used to adorn these cookies, transforming them into edible works of art. That isn’t my style per se, but I love watching others do it! The smooth, flat surface of the cookies provides an excellent canvas for intricate designs.
These egg free sugar cookies are a great excuse to gather with friends and family to bake and decorate during the festive seasons. You might have thought the nostalgic quality of baking and decorating cut out cookies would be lost when you found out you or someone you know can no longer eat eggs. I am here to help with bringing nostalgic traditions back with foods free of these ingredients!
How to achieve the tender yet crisp egg free sugar cookies
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until well blended. If you aren’t using a rice spatula to help mix your cookie doughs, what are you even doing?
Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix well to combine until you get a uniform dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes minimum. While your impatient kids* are waiting, ask them to help you pick out their favorite cookie cutters.
*I would know nothing about impatient kids, my kids are saints hahahaaaaa
Place cut out cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes, JUST until edges and bottoms begin to brown.
Keep in mind, there will be some variability in the baked cookies –note the leaning snowman on the left but straight one on the right haha– especially if you have little helpers cutting these out and transferring to the cookie sheet. Cookies will bake as the shape you place them in on the pan.
After the cookies have cooled, mix up some icing and using either a piping bag (how professional) or a ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off, ice your cookies. Store bought icing or frosting works too. You do you boo.
Do it up as much as you want or as simple as you like! I am not a professional cookie decorator, shocking I know, but this is a great time to really express your creativity. The kids absolutely love it too! How many times do we get to play with our food?
Things that helped in the kitchen for this recipe, and can help you too:
- Kitchen scale -from amazon, this one I used for 1-2 years, its inexpensive but gets the job done!
- wire racks, from amazon, or Home Goods – I use this specific brand and size and it fits my 17.25 X 12.25 inch USA half sheet Pan which can be found on amazon or Home Goods!
- A rolling pin, pick your preferred size. I find that the super long ones are more of a nuisance because they don’t fit in drawers properly, and bump everything on the counter as you roll things out.
- Pyrex Glass mixing bowls
- Stainless steel measuring spoons set– mine get used multiple times a week, and have held up for YEARS
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Egg free sugar cookies with a twist
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (1/2 package)
- 6 tbsp salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and well combined. Mix in vanilla.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until combined and no dry streaks are running through dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes minimum.
- When ready to roll out, preheat oven to 350° and line 2 cookie sheets (half sheet pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Lightly flour a clean, flat, surface, and begin to roll dough out into about 1/4 inch thickness (think bakery style sugar cookies that are nice and thick), cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on lined pans about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges just begin to brown. Cool on pan for a 3-5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- You can use store bought icing or easily make your own. I make my own simple version: in small bowl, combine about 2 teaspoons of water or milk and enough powdered sugar to create the consistency I need, usually 1 cup, add 1/8th teaspoon of vanilla extract mix well.
