Can I Use Plant-Based Butter For Cut-Out Cookies?

Asked by Hannah85. Answered on 10th November 2022

Full question

I have to make the Butter Cut-Out Cookies dairy free as my daughter has a dairy allergy - so I used a dairy-free butter. I'm not sure if that’s why but I had to add an extra 150g of plain flour to get it to be a workable type of dough otherwise there was no way I could roll it let alone cut out shapes. Hopefully the final cookies won’t be too tough!

Cut-Out Cookies

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Butter Cut-Out Cookies (from HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS) is a vanilla cookie dough that can be rolled out and cut into shapes for all occasions. The dough should roll out fairly easily if it is made with butter, with only a little extra flour needed for rolling out.

We are wondering if the dairy-free or plant-based butter was the soft, spreadable type from a tub. This could make the dough a little more soft and difficult to handle. If possible, use a plant-based butter that comes in a block. These are becoming easier to find and you can buy them in most major supermarkets. Using too much egg can also make the dough too sticky, so try to use eggs that are at the smaller end of the 63-73g (large) range. If the dough is on the soft side, you can roll it out between two pieces of baking parchment (parchment paper), slide the dough (still on the parchment) onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it until firm, then cut out the cookies. Chill the cookies again before baking.