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    Home » All Desserts » Cookies

    Published: Feb 12, 2019 · Modified: Feb 7, 2022 by Anthea

    Easy watermelon sugar cookies (vegan)

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    5 from 2 votes

    Simple sugar cookies made with only 5 ingredients plus natural food powders for colour! The biscuit is a classic shortbread made with oil instead of butter which lends to a delicate crumb.

    As oil is runnier than butter, the dough can be a little fiddly. This can be overcome if you chill the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes and use a cake scraper to transfer the cookies to a baking tray! I love the melt-in-your-mouth consistency of these cookies given by oil. However if you prefer a more classic buttery shortbread, feel free to substitute the oil for vegan butter/margarine.

    I made these cookies into watermelon shapes as a cheesy way to say 'you're one in a melon' for Valentine's Day haha. During this time of the year, social media is bombarded with love hearts and overly pink things (which I'm not a fan of), so these watermelon cookies provide some respite! This cookie recipe is super versatile and can be used to make jam tartlets, linzer cookies and shortcrust pastry for tarts. Feel free to experiment with it and go crazy with your cookie cutters.

    Due to the amount of sugar in the icing, this is obviously a 'sometimes' recipe! But what am I saying, it's up to you!


    If you try this recipe, I would love to hear about it! Comment below and rate it as it would really help us and other readers! If you post it on social media, tag @rainbownourishments and #rainbownourishments.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies

    Simple sugar cookies made with only 5 ingredients plus natural food powders for colour! The biscuit is a classic shortbread made with oil instead of butter which lends to a delicate crumb.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 12
    Author: Anthea

    Ingredients

    Cookies

    • 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose plain flour, plus more for dusting
    • ½ cup (125mL) light-tasting vegetable oil, OR melted vegan butter/margarine
    • ¼ cup (35g) powdered sugar / icing sugar

    Icing

    • 3 cups (300g) powdered sugar / icing sugar
    • 2-3 tablespoons water
    • Pinch of matcha powder
    • Pinch of beetroot powder
    • Pinch of cocoa or charcoal powder

    Instructions

    • To make the cookies: Add all of the ingredients to a medium-size bowl and mix until it forms a pliable dough. Set aside in an airtight container in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes.
    • When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out with a rolling pin so the dough is about 8mm (0.3 inch) thick, Use a circular cookie cutter to cut out circles in the dough. Cut each circle in half to form semi-circles. Carefully place the semi circles onto a lined baking tray with a little space in between. You may need to use a cake scraper to transfer them and reshape the cookies as needed.
    • Re-roll the excess dough and repeat. When all of the dough has been used up, bake the cookies in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown.
    • Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking tray.
    • To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar and water until it forms a thick paste.
    • Scoop a few tablespoons of the icing and add it to a small bowl with the matcha powder. Mix until combined.
    • Scoop the majority of the remaining icing into another bowl. Mix the beetroot powder into the frosting.
    • Use a piping bag with a small round tip to pipe the green, pink and white icing onto the cooled cookies as desired.
    • Mix the remaining icing with cocoa or charcoal powder and carefully 'dot' the cookies with this icing.
    • Allow the cookie icing to dry out at room temperature uncovered or in an loose container.
    • The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
    Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jess says

      February 07, 2022 at 5:42 pm

      If using butter do you melt it first?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 07, 2022 at 8:44 pm

        Yes! Sorry about that, I'll update the recipe.

        Reply
    2. paula says

      June 29, 2021 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      These are just perfect! I made them the other day as little lemons instead of watermelons and my whole family is absolutely in love with them <3

      They basically melt in your mouth and the dough is just perfect for them not to be overly sweet with the sugar glaze!
      I'll definetely be making these again, thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
    3. Tori Cooper says

      February 14, 2019 at 6:45 am

      Omg, these are SOOOOOOO cute!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 25, 2019 at 3:42 pm

        Thanks so much Tori!

        Reply
    4. Angela says

      February 13, 2019 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      : ) I like your one in a melon sentiment .... pretty clever,well done Anthea!

      I wondered what a watermelon sugar cookie was going to be; my mind was in overdrive and it wasn't very pretty. BUT one again you delivered. Happy Valentine's Day - I hope you get some lovely flowers : ) Angela X

      Reply

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    About Anthea

    Hi, I'm Anthea and welcome to Rainbow Nourishments! Here I share wholesome vegan recipes with a twist. Enjoy!

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