Vegan Brown Sugar Buttons

No gluten need apply for these perfectly soft cookies that you can really sink your teeth into. And the warmly spiced brown sugar glaze makes them absolutely irresistible. We give you the Second Place winner of our 2023 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest!

What you need:

For the cookies:
2½ cups gluten-free baking flour blend
½ cup oat flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup flaxseed meal
6 tablespoons hot water 
1⅓ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar 
½ cup coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the icing:
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canned coconut milk
1½ teaspoons coconut oil, melted

Hannah Kaminsky

What you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flax and water, and let sit 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla. Using a spoon or spatula to combine, add flax mixture and dry mixture to wet mixture. 
  3. Roll dough into 2-tablespoon balls, and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 1½ inches apart to allow room for them to spread. Press dough down slightly and bake 12 minutes. Let cool completely before preparing the icing.
  4. For the icing, into a bowl, combine all ingredients. Heat in microwave for 45 seconds to melt the sugars. 
  5. Once cookies are baked and cooled, ice top of cookies and spread to edges. Icing will harden to a soft crunch. 
For more award-winning vegan holiday cookies, read: