Every time I see Lofthouse Cookies in the store, I have a weird momentary urge to buy them. They look so sugary, colorful, fluffy and delightful and remind me of my childhood, since I feel like they were one of those treats that were regularly offered at kid events and birthday celebrations.



I usually don’t buy Lofthouse Cookies, because I know deep down that inevitably I’ll buy them, eat maybe one, realize they taste not as great as they look, and wonder why I bought them. I tend to get bored of plain sugar cookies most of the time, and Lofthouse Cookies are filled with artificial stuff that I also don’t find to be so tasty, so these factors weigh in on my decision, as well. Oh, and on top of that – they’re not vegan. Boo.

So, I decided to make my very own Vegan Lofthouse Style Cookies – fluffy chewy sugar cookies on the bottom, and scrumptious frosting on the top – all free from dairy, eggs, and artificial colors/flavors/and dyes.

This was on my baking list for a long time. Does that happen to anyone else? You think about making something for months or even years, and it just itches at you until ya do it? It’s something that happens to me, and it makes it oh-so-satisfying to bake things off the bucket list.

Over spring break, I finally did the damn thing and made these cookies. It was a perfect relaxing project while recovering from my concussion.

To color the frosting, I used raspberry juice that I made from mashing a few thawing frozen berries in a bowl. Feel free to do this with any vegetable/fruit you’d like that will give you a color you desire (beets, cherries, and blueberries could all be fun). You could also puree a few pieces of freeze-dried fruit and mix in the coloring produce as a powder instead. Or, you can always use a food coloring or food dye. You do you!

I used almond extract in these cookies because plain sugar cookies bore my taste buds. Feel free to omit it and add more vanilla, or swap it for a different extract like coconut or maple. You could even add flecks of finely chopped dark chocolate for some extra fun. The cookie is your oyster, my friend.

These cookies aren’t the fastest cookies to make (obviously picking up a package at the store is much easier/quicker), but they are worth the time and effort. They’re not necessarily difficult to make – they just require a bit of time and patience. But they taste like a fluffy chewy slam dunk and are mega impressive for parties and special events.

A few hot tips: chill the dough for easier rolling. And if you’re making these for an event, you can make the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge or freezer overnight. Store these puppies in an airtight container, and keep in a cool place to keep the frosting from melting (if you don’t finish them all at once, that is).

Either way, I hope you make these Vegan Lofthouse Style Cookies and I hope you love them! Tag me on the Instagram (@katherinebaker4) or Twitter comment below if you do! I love to hear from you. 🙂

Happy baking!

Vegan Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter (I like Earth Balance baking sticks)

½ cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but I love this for a flavor boost!)

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole-wheat baking flour (personally I love the taste/texture of this; but feel free to sub with all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ tablespoon cornstarch (can omit with varied texture results)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup apple sauce (can sub with 2-3 tablespoons soy milk or other nondairy milk)

1 tablespoon nondairy milk

Frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter (I like Earth Balance baking sticks)

2 ½ – 3 cups powdered sugar (if possible, for best texture/taste, look for one without cornstarch added)

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 teaspoon raspberry, beet, or cherry juice for colored frosting (optional)

1-3 teaspoons non-dairy milk

Sprinkles (optional)

Method:

Roughly 1 hour prior to baking, remove vegan butter from the refrigerator to soften at room temperature. If you don’t have the time, simply microwave butter to soften for 10-30 seconds, depending on microwave (watch carefully – you don’t want melted, just not cold) Using an electric hand or stand mixer, begin creaming the butter until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add sugar in two intervals, whipping butter about 1-2 minutes after each addition. You want the butter-sugar mixture to be fluffy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract and applesauce and mix again until combine. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together to ensure leavening agents are dispersed throughout flour. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until just combined. If mixture is dry and you are having difficulties bringing it together, add the tablespoon nondairy milk. You may not need to. Preheat oven to 350 F. Once you have formed a ball of dough, transfer to the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. If you’re prepping ahead, you can just leave the dough in the fridge overnight, though you may need to revive it a bit with a tablespoon or two of nondairy milk or water. Once dough is chilled, remove from cooling and roll on a floured surface until about ¼th inch thick (fun trick I use is to roll out the dough into a silicone baking sheet-lined baking tray and then pop directly into the oven). Using a 2-3 inch circular cookie cutter (or the top of a mason jar or cup), cut out small circles. Transfer cookies to a silicone or parchment sheet-lined baked tray and place in the oven for 9-12 minutes, until just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. In a large mixing bowl using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whip vegan butter until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Continue whipping until fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of nondairy milk. Remove half of frosting and add raspberry/another coloring juices. Fold juice into frosting until evenly colored. Frost cookies. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired. Eat and smile and be happy!

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