Grandma Would’ve Loved These 5 Vegan Cookies (Yes, Even Without Butter)

When I first told my family I was making vegan cookies for Christmas, the silence was deafening.

My uncle blinked.

My cousin laughed.

But guess who cleared the cookie tray before dinner even started? These five sneaky-good recipes might just change how your whole family thinks about dessert.

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies go way back—some trace their roots to 18th-century Pennsylvania, where German Protestant settlers created a plain, sweet, and sturdy cookie that became known as the Nazareth Sugar Cookie.

These cookies didn’t need fancy ingredients—just flour, sugar, and fat—and they held their shape, which made them perfect for shaping and decorating.

Over time, they became a holiday classic across the U.S., especially for Christmas. People loved how they could personalize each batch. With vegan baking, margarine or plant-based butter easily replaces traditional butter, and the simple dough still works beautifully.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

The chocolate chip cookie is a proud American accident. In the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts stirred in chopped chocolate chunks, thinking they’d melt. They didn’t—but the chewy, gooey result took off.

These cookies became a cultural icon in the U.S., especially post-WWII, when Nestlé added the recipe to its chocolate bar wrappers.

Originally loaded with butter and eggs, the vegan twist is surprisingly close in texture and taste. And the nostalgia stays just as strong.

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These hearty cookies were once seen more as health food than dessert. Oats have long been popular in Scottish and Irish diets, and by the late 1800s, recipes combining oats, fat, and dried fruit started showing up in American cookbooks. They were often marketed as a “wholesome” option in the early 1900s.

Oatmeal raisin cookies became a lunchbox staple in the mid-20th century. The vegan version sticks to its roots—oats, fruit, and just enough sweetness.

Vegan Ginger Snaps

Ginger-based sweets have been around for centuries, especially in Europe. The Dutch brought speculaas to the U.S., while the English were already fond of ginger biscuits. By the 1800s, American cooks had embraced the ginger snap—a crisp, spiced cookie that traveled well and lasted long.

They were popular among sailors and settlers. The modern vegan version doesn’t change much—spices like cinnamon, ginger, and molasses bring plenty of flavor without dairy or eggs.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies showed up in American recipe books by the 1910s. During the Great Depression, they became a cheap comfort food—protein-rich, easy to make, and filling. George Washington Carver helped popularize peanut-based recipes as part of his work promoting peanuts to Southern farmers.

They’ve remained an American favorite ever since. The classic crisscross fork marks? Pure tradition. And in vegan form, they’re just as rich and chewy.