25 Days of Christmas Cookies to Put You on the Nice List
The nice list just dropped—PETA’s list of the best vegan holiday cookie recipes, of course! We’ve checked it twice, and we’re sure that this festive roundup can help anyone whip up scrumptious cookies that are good to the last crumb—but aren’t crumby to animals.
25 Vegan Christmas Cookies to Wow at Any Cookie Exchange or Holiday Gathering
Start this holiday season with kindness, and a batch of delicious vegan cookies. No matter how many you eat, you’ll stay on Santa’s nice list—because the cookies are kind to animals, too.
Since just about every holiday cookie exchange, family gathering, and gift list is bound to include at least one sweet someone who wouldn’t touch chicken eggs or cows’ milk with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole, these tasty treats make sure that everyone gets a little comfort and joy this year.
1. Chocolate-Dipped Holiday Cookies
Dress your cookies in their holiday best with a glossy coat of melted vegan chocolate—perfect for dunking in hot cocoa by the fire.
2. Jammin’ Linzer Cookies
These classic jam-filled beauties are buttery, delicate, and almost too pretty to eat—almost.
3. Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Spice up your season with these snappy gingerbread cookies that fill your kitchen with cozy, cinnamon-scented cheer.
4. Oh-So-Soft Sugar Cookies
These pillowy sugar cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
5. Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can’t go wrong with a timeless favorite. This vegan version delivers all the gooey, chocolate-studded goodness without the dirty dairy.
6. Crinkle Cookies
Crackly on the outside and fudgy on the inside, these chocolate crinkles will make Santa do a double-take.
7. Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies
Warm pumpkin purée meets buttery shortbread for a cookie that takes your tongue straight to holiday coziness.
8. Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Rich, nutty, and irresistibly chewy—these peanut butter cookies hit the sweet spot every time.
9. Delicious No-Bake Cookies
No oven? No problem! Whip up these chocolatey oat delights in minutes for a quick, kind indulgence.
10. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Warm, hearty oats meet rich chocolate in a cookie that feels like a cozy blanket in dessert form.
11. Lemon Sugar Cookies
Bright, zesty, and light as snowflakes, these cookies add a citrusy twist to your holiday spread.
12. Easy Sandwich Cookies
These almond flour cookies are gluten-free as well as vegan, making them an easy, please-all treat for cookie-swap season.
13. 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are a sweet simplicity at its finest, using the holy trinity of peanut butter, Medjool dates, and coconut flour.
14. Meringue Cookies
Aquafaba works its magic to make these airy, melt-in-your-mouth meringues.
15. Fudgy Cookies
These rich chocolate cookies are irresistibly decadent. Add a sprinkle of sea salt for the ultimate balance of sweet and savory.
16. Avocado Chocolate Cookies
The perfect recipe to keep the Grinch away! The avocado gives these fudgy cookies a silky texture without tasting like anything green.
17. Cinnamon Cookies
Warm and fragrant, these cookies taste like Christmas morning.
18. Cranberry Almond Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Buttery shortbread meets tart cranberries and toasty almonds in this sophisticated treat.
19. Cranberry Spice Oatmeal Cookies
Cozy, spiced oats and pops of cranberry make these cookies the perfect companion for a chilly December night.
20. Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies
Festive chocolate, mint, and candy cane crunch sandwich cookies are pure holiday magic.
21. Coconut Cookies
Made with oats, bananas, and shredded coconut, these cookies are naturally sweet.
22. Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms
These soft peanut butter cookies topped with a dairy-free chocolate kiss are bound to steal the show.
23. Pumpkin Oat Cookies
Oats, pumpkin purée, and a hint of sweetness combine for a soft, spiced holiday cookie.
24. Easy Sandwich Cookies
You have the option of filling these delicious cookies with peanut butter or coconut crème—maybe even both!
25. Water Color Cookies
Turn your cookie tray into a work of art with these watercolor-style sugar cookies.
How to Adapt Any Classic Cookie Recipe to Be Nice to Animals
If you have your own tried-and-true recipes (or your grandma’s), you can easily make them vegan with an array of animal-friendly swaps.
It’s easy to bake with love for cows and hens. Flaxseed, applesauce, and so many vegan egg options work in place of a chicken’s egg, and plant milk is easily swapped for cow’s milk. Vegan butter binds ingredients together, turning batter into indulgent delights without harming animals.
Chickens and cows, like all animals, want to live free from exploitation. They want to socialize with their families, forage for food, and raise their babies, which is why a mother cow will sometimes chase after her calves after the dairy industry steals them from her (standard for U.S. farms, even those that use “animal welfare certified” labels).
Spread Peace and Joy to Everyone This Holiday Season: Go Vegan
PETA’s elves want to help everyone spread peace and joy to all this season, so choose compassion as your main cookie-cooking ingredient. When you go vegan, you spare nearly 200 animals from a lifetime of suffering each year. Knowing you’re not contributing to the suffering of gentle cows, chickens, or any other animal is a holiday treat sweeter than any sugar cookie!
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