Cook with Catskill Animal Sanctuary: Vegan Frosted Skittles Cookies

Dylan’s Frosted Skittles Cookies
Makes 1 to 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size cookie cutter

Looking for a festive, scrumptious, and completely vegan holiday cookie? These classic sugar cookies, thickly frosted with luscious buttercream, only get better when they’re adorned with colorful Skittles from Dylan’s Candy Bar! Vegan butter stands in for traditional dairy-based butter, and cornstarch makes a wonderful egg substitute. Roll up your sleeves, grab your favorite cookie cutters, and try not to eat all the Skittles before the cookies are done!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons, or ¾ cup) vegan butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, preferably organic
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

For the frosting:

1 stick (8 tablespoons, or ½ cup) vegan butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Red and green Skittles candies

Directions

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside until needed.

First, make the cookies. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add in the cornstarch, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat again until smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl again, then mix together on low speed until the flour mixture is well-incorporated. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the milk, scraping the bowl again as needed, and mix again until a soft, pliable dough forms.

Place one sheet of parchment paper (from your cookie sheets) on a clean work surface and dust it lightly with flour. Put the cookie dough in the center, press it down into a flattened disc shape, then dust with flour. Roll the dough out to a thickness between ¼ inch and ⅜ inch: the thicker the dough, the softer the cookies! Once rolled out, transfer the piece of parchment back to the cookie sheet and place the entire thing in the refrigerator to chill for an hour. Alternatively, freeze the rolled-out dough for 15 to 20 minutes.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator or freezer and cut out shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. Transfer the cookies to the other parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving at least an inch between cookies. Re-roll and cut the remaining cookie dough until all the dough has been used.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in half the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the rest of the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon or non-dairy milk, and vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy. Add an additional teaspoon or two of milk if the buttercream is too thick to spread and mix again. Spread each cookie with a generous layer of frosting, garnishing with Skittles. Serve immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days.

Get creative with your cookies! Check out our vegan-friendly Bulk treats to customize this recipe or any other holiday faves.

Like this recipe? Check out Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s vegan cooking classes with Chef Linda, renowned vegan cook book & a collection of free recipes for every occasion!