Ube Sugar Cookies

These bright and fun Ube Sugar Cookies are an ode to Filipino cuisine and the beautiful yam, ube. They're sweet, earthy, and made from just 6 plant-based ingredients! Vegan.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Oven

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 9

Chill Time 40

Total Time 1 4

Servings cookies

Calories 166kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup 1 stick salted plant-based butter* at room temperature
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk
1 teaspoon ube extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour* plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Frosting: (optional, but recommended)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened plant-based milk
Scant 1/16th teaspoon ube extract just a few drops, for color

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cookies:

Prep: Set aside a nonstick or lined baking sheet for baking the cookies, plus an additional sheet or cutting board lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper for cutting the cookies. I also like to keep a bench scraper handy for easy cookie transfer, but a spatula will work as well.
Butter & Sugar: Add the butter and sugar to a stand mixer (or large bowl, using a handheld mixer). Cream together on low speed for 3 minutes, until the butter has lightened in color and looks fluffy.
Wet Ingredients: Add the ube extract and plant milk to the butter and cream over medium speed for about 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the purple color is fully incorporated.
Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the bowl using a fine metal or mesh sieve, stirring around with a spatula to combine the dry ingredients as they are sifted. Use the mixer to mix the dough until just combined, starting at a lower speed to prevent flour from spraying. The dough should look slightly crumbly, but will stick together and smooth out once pressed with a spatula.
Roll the dough: Dust the baking sheet lines with a silicone mat with flour, then transfer the dough to the baking sheet and sprinkle the top with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is about ¼” thick. If the dough looks too sticky you can sprinkle it with additional flour.
Chill: Cover the dough with parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Shape your Cookies: Use a cookie cutter to cut cookies out of the chilled dough and transfer them to a lined baking sheet. If you move quickly you may be able to re-roll the dough to get a second batch of cookies; if the dough is too sticky, return to the fridge for a few minutes before repeating.
Preheat: Return the cookie sheet to the fridge for one final chill (about 10-15 minutes) while you preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake: Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 9 minutes; they will look slightly puffy and soft. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before decorating, if you plan to do so.

Make the Frosting (optional):

Combine: Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and ube extract together in a small bowl until evenly incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add additional liquid in 1/2 teaspoon increments.
Decorate: Use a piping bag to decorate your cookies; I find it easiest to create a border around each cookie first, then fill it in. If you don’t want to be too fussy you can also drizzle the frosting over each cookie, or dunk the cookies into the frosting bowl.
Serve & Store: Enjoy cookies immediately, or after the frosting hardens in about 30 minutes. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Butter: If you are using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt in with the flour and baking powder in step 4. I used Earth Balance salted butter for this recipe.
Flour: I have not tried this recipe with any flour substitutions. I recommend purchasing a higher-quality flour (like King Arthur), as less expensive ones tend to spread more in the oven.
For Extra Sparkle: I mixed some purple luster dust with a small amount of vodka and brushed it onto my cookies after the icing set for an extra sparkle! This is totally optional, but is fun. Note that the vodka will evaporate once dried and will not leave any alcohol in the cookies

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