These Easy Eggless Vanilla Cookies were my first attempt to make eggless cookies when our daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with food allergies back in 2014.
It all started the day before my daughter’s first birthday. In my excitement to celebrate, I decided to give her scrambled eggs for breakfast—seemed like a great idea at the time, right? Well, let’s just say that our morning took an unexpected turn, and we ended up in the emergency room. She had a frightening reaction, and I was scared out of my mind.
At that point, we didn’t know for sure what had caused it. Was it the eggs? The cheese? Or was it just a one-time incident? We had so many questions and so few answers. So, we decided to get Victoria tested for food allergies. The results came in, and my heart sank—my sweet baby girl was highly allergic to eggs, peanuts, and nuts.
Looking back, I realize how wise my little princess is and how in tune her body is. Even as a toddler, she would refuse certain foods, no matter how much I tried to encourage her to taste them. It’s almost as if her body knew to keep her safe! As her mom, I’ve always wanted her to experience the joy of all kinds of foods, so I quickly set off on a mission to find egg-free alternatives that would still be delicious.
Update: My daughter, Victoria, was officially diagnosed with an egg allergy when she was two years old, back in 2014. We get her tested every year, and she’s still highly allergic to eggs, peanuts, and nuts, as well as other less common allergies, such as kiwi and watermelon. Over these years, I’ve developed many eggless recipes that have made our lives easier, and I hope they can bring some of that same comfort and joy to your family as well.
These Easy Eggless Vanilla Cookies are so delicious and easy to make! They require just four simple ingredients, which you likely have in your pantry.
Be sure to try out these other traditional and delicious eggless cookie recipes. These Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies and Eggless Oatmeal Cookies are full of flavor. You would never guess they’re egg-free. We know you’ll love them!
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
You’ll need:
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here, skip the cake flour, bread flour and wheat flour.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Brown sugar: I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter: You can also use salted butter if that is what you have handy. In that case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Pure vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
Food Allergy Swaps
This recipe is egg-free and nut-free, but you can certainly adapt it to other food allergies.
Gluten-Free
Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
Dairy-Free
Butter: Use your favorite plant-based, dairy-free, or vegan butter. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Step 1 – Make the Dough: Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Then, add the vanilla and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Step 2 – Shape: Scoop and roll into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Then, use a cookie stamp or fork to press the tops down.
Step 3 – Bake: Bake at 350º F (180º C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Measure the ingredients properly! A kitchen scale is always the best option, in my opinion.
Don’t over-mix your cookie dough, or you will end up with a dense cookie.
For evenly sized cookies (better for baking), use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just a few minutes, around 2. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking and they will be hard.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
In The Fridge: You can store your eggless vanilla cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for one week.
In The Freezer: To keep longer, store cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, and pop them in the freezer! They will last for up to 2 months.
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Recipe Card 📖
Easy Eggless Vanilla Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons (126 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cup (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 2 – 3 minutes, or until creamy and pale in color. Add brown sugar and continue beating for 2 -3 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Beat in vanilla; beat to until combine.
- Reduce speed to low speed, add the flour and salt; beat until just incorporated. If the dough looks grainy, don't worry, turn off the mixer, and put the dough together with your hands until uniform and smooth.
- Form 12 tablespoon-sized balls and slightly flatten with your hand. Alternatively, you can use a cookie stamp to flatten them.
- Place them in the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Originally posted in January 2014, the post content was edited to add more helpful information in October 2024; the recipe remained unchanged.
Thank you for this delightful recipe, Oriana. It is perfect. I will be baking from your eggless blog very often!
Hello Ellis! Thank you so much for your kind words—they mean the world to me! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and I’m thrilled to hear you’ll be baking more from my blog. ❤️ If you ever have questions or need recommendations, don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy baking!
Your recipe made me realize that baking doesn’t have to be hard. Thank you for this simple and amazing recipe. My dough was not binding well (maybe because I didn’t wait for the butter to come to room temperature) and so I added about a tablespoon of hot water. The edges didn’t brown for all of the cookies but they tasted chewy in the centre just like how my daughter likes them.
I want to try it out with caster sugar and also flatten them out more to see how they taste when they are hard (the way I like them). I’ll share my findings here!
Hello Lakshmi! I’m so glad to hear that the recipe made baking feel easy and enjoyable for you! 😊 Thanks for sharing your adjustments. I love that you’re experimenting with caster sugar and different textures; can’t wait to hear how they turn out. Happy baking, and thanks for sharing your experience!
omg im allergic to eggs too! nice recipe :DD
Hi Victoria! Hope you give recipe a try soon.
By (happy) mistake I made caramel cookies instead of vanilla one: I still added salt even though the butter was salted and I used jaggery (it’s Indian cane sugar). So while baking the pieces of that sugar caramelised and along with salt they made very nice flavour. My husband and daughter really loved that. Me too. Thank you so much. It was so easy and quick to make.
Hello Love! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
I’m short on pure vanilla extract can I just sub pure anise, lemon, orange or almond extract?
Hello Bqiley! Yes, you can add any extract that you like. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
I followed this recipe exactly, and it was wonderful! I love the cookie stamp you used on the cookies in your pictures. Can you share where you got it?
Yummy shortbread biscuit. I added a little milk to the dough to make it easier to use cookie cutters and just chilled the dough before rolling it out. Worked really well, a double batch made over 100 little animal cookies. I’m using them as party favours for my son’s first birthday party.
Hello Katie! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
Thank you for publishing a cook book for eggless recipes! My son is now 22 and just graduated from College. He had to be tested for allergies when he was 1, also… allergies to eggs, milk, peanuts and pistachios. He still has those allergies and has managed to do well. I have adjusted recipes for years, but never was organized enough to put them together in a book. You have inspired me to get started getting them together for him to have!!
Hello Ruth! Your message means the world to me. It has been a long journey trying to learn how to bake without eggs. I am still learning. I feel so happy when I receive comments, messages, and emails from people like you that enjoy my recipes. I hope my recipes inspire you to continue baking. Please make sure to reach out of you have any questions or special requests. I am happy to help! 🙂
Is there a way to make them vegan? Csn i sub oil for the butter?
Thanks
Hello Mika! I don’t recommend using oil but you can try vegan butter, such as Om Sweet Home Non-Dairy Butter Alternative or Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
There were ridiculously good!! You can’t just have one, it’s impossible!! I was hesitant to make them at first because I wasn’t sure how they would come out, but they taste so good, they actually taste like cookies you get from the panadería! 😋 Thank you!
Hello Mariellie! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
OUTSTANDING cookies! If you are casually browsing for recipes make this one. Perfect sweet, perfect texture, perfect color and non-crumbly yet soft without being overly chewy.
We are vegetarians without eggs being a major part of our diet. I do use eggs however, sparingly and not crazy about its smell/taste. I give this background to explain why I am always on the hunt for egg less cake /cookie recipes.
The only change i made: Instead of 9 tablespoon of butter I used 8 (because a stick of butter is 8 and was too lazy to cut another new stick). I did take 2 tablespoons of water, heated it, added a spoon of baking powder, mixed and added it to the batter. I was worried without eggs or baking soda, it wouldn’t rise & be flat. To be honest I did it without thinking as i always add baking powder/soda.
Next time, I will be sure to follow the recipe to the T and also use the stamp. My teenager sons took a stack each and inhaled it.
Hello Shweta! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know =)
Loved these! So easy to make and very good. I even added a little almond extract to change it up the second time. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Jasmine! I’m so glad you love these. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!