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.
I love the idea but there was no sugar AT ALL so there was no taste it was bland and wasnt sweet at all
Hello Kenny! The recipe calls for brown sugar…what do you mean with there was not sugar?
Are these cookies like vanilla cream cookies, without the cream filling, soft or have a crumbly like a shortbread cookie?
Hello Terry! These cookies are soft but not crumbly. Hope that helps. Thanks for your interest in my recipe.
Hi Oriana,
Thank you so much for writing your blog. I am very happy with your recipes especially egg-less ideas . My Little One has severe allergies (egg as well) but he loves sweets – of course .
I am a very beginner baker. I have found your page just yesterday but today I tried to bake your easy egg-less vanilla cookies. It seemed easy, only four ingredients as you said and yes, it was absolutely easy to follow your instructions and the cookies are so delicious! (Although my dough was a bit soft. I do not know why? Could you help me please, with your advice? ) Thank you so much. My Little One love it.
Definitely I will try more recipes from you.
Have a nice day.
Dora
Hello Dora! I am so glad you found my eggless recipes. Is it possible that the butter was too soft when you made the dough? On hot days, it’s very common that the butter softens too much, too fast. Adding less flour might also cause a soft dough. I would recommend using a kitchen scale if you don’t have one, the best way is to measure flour is using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then I use a knife (straight-edged) to level the flour across the measuring cup. Do not dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour. Thanks for trying my recipe and for your feedback.
These were so good! And i didn’t even need to go to the store and buy anything special to make them too! I didn’t have brown sugar so i just used white and they were amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
Hello Ruby! These are so easy to make and soooo good. I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed them so much. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
Another “lazy” baker here. I substituted Earth Balance vegan butter straight from the refrigerator, used light brown sugar, and added about 1/6 cup Coconutmilk yogurt substitute because the batter looked too dry. Rolled the cookies by hand into balls about 1.25” in diameter, then flatted to about 1/4 inch with the bottom of a clear glass. Baked on a Silpat sheet for about 11.5 min. They came out fine.
Hello Alinah! Sounds like you nailed it. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
I subbed nearly every ingredient and they turned out pretty good! 🙂 I used gluten free all purpose flour, vegan butter, coconut sugar and vanilla extract. I also dumped it all into one bowl at once and just mixed it with a spoon. I might be the laziest baker ever!
Hello Allison! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
If you melted the butter inadvertently (left out to soften but forgot about it) could you use melted butter and then refrigerate it for a few hours? Or do I need to start again. I’m sure I can find use for this butter. I’m not too much of a baker so forgive me if my question is silly. Hope you are staying safe.
Hello Kathryn! Not silly at all. You can use the same butter…it will work fine! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hi, are these simple enough to make without a mixer? I’ve never used a mixer and have found some biscuit recipes, like shortbread, can be a bit rough on my wrists with the amount of pressing involved. Have you tried these without the mixer?
Thanks
Hello Ad! You can definitely make these without a mixer, just make sure the bitter is soften enough. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
hello i just wanted to know if you have to have unsalted butter
Hello Davidson! You can use salted butter and skip the pinch of salt called in the recipe. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Heya, this was such an awesome recipe.
I added granola as a varient and had a good experience.
Dad took the whole batch, so im DEFINITELY making more.
Thank for the awesome advise.
Hello Gustav!Sounds like you nailed it =) Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Thank you so much for these recipes! My daughter developed an egg allergy in high school. We are seeking out new recipes so she doesn’t miss out on family favorites. We are also finding new substitutes to modify our own recipes. She is now in college and is able to eat from the vegan line at her college cafeteria and has made friends with the head chef and slips him new recipes from time to time. She is also able to do some of her own cooking in her dorm kitchen. Thank you again for the great resource!
Hello Janet! I am so glad to hear that my recipes are helpful to your daughter. Please let me know if you have any special requests or questions. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipes. =)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I haven’t tried it yet but I will come back when I do. My daughter’s second birthday party is tomorrow and she has FPIES (a type of delayed non-ige allergy) to eggs. Of course today she keeps pretending all day to eat cookies so I’d like to be able to give her some. So I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. Now I’m off to cook an eggless cake and these eggless cookies. hehe and She probably will end up eating a pile of strawberries instead but at least I can have some yummy safe baked goods at her party. 🙂 Thanks again!
Hello Nicole! First, Happy Birthday to your daughter! I am so happy to know that my recipe will help to make your daughter’s day a little more special. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hello, im gluten free and vegan. Can these cookies be made with oat flour or rice flour?
Hello Mya! I am sorry but I haven’t tested this recipe with oat flour or rice flour. If you do try using these alternative ingredients, please let me know the outcome. Thanks for your interest in my recipe.?
Can I try this by hand or is the mixer a must?
Hello Ahuva! If you have a way to do it with a mixer is much better and easier. Creaming butter and sugar by hand it’s a slightly more difficult process (just consider it your arm workout for the day). If you do it by hand, please don’t leave any butter streaks left or the cookies can burn or not cooked properly. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hey.. can you pls share gram measurements for this? Thanks!
Hello Shailja! 210 gr all-purpose flour; 85 gr brown sugar; 130 gr butter. Hope this help! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Pretty amazing recipe! and so easy. I replaced half the flour with oats to make them slightly healthy. They turned out great! will be a staple for me now!! I take pretty crappy pics hence I am not posting them. Keep up the great work 🙂
Hello Shailja! Sounds like you nailed it =) I will try replacing half of the flour with oats next time. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
These cookies are yummmmmmmyyyyy.
My cookies developed some cracks.
What can b the cause for it
Hello Vinita! It sounds like you overbaked the cookies. Don’t care too much about the suggested baking time! The reason for this is because every oven is different, so the cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly browned. Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.