Hatching Cruelty-Free Family Easter Traditions

Easter is a celebration of life — and what better way to honor this holiday than by choosing animal-friendly Easter traditions and foods that everyone can enjoy?

Instead of painting eggs, the overwhelming majority of which come from birds intensively confined inside tiny wire cages for the entire lives, look for paper-maché or wooden eggs in craft stores to paint, decorate, and hide. You can also make egg-free egg-shaped cookies that are a fun and delicious way to fill your Easter basket with joy!

Easy Vegan Sugar Cookies (makes 20-24 cookies)

• 2¾ – 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup evaporated cane sugar
• ¾ cup Earth Balance (or other vegan butter)
• ¼ cup soymilk
• ¼ cup The Vegg (or other vegan egg replacer)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt

1. With an electric mixer, beat together vegan butter,
   sugar, soymilk, The Vegg, vanilla, and salt.
2. Add in the flour and baking powder and mix, just until
   combined.
3. Shape dough into a log or ball and wrap in plastic.
   Chill for about an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375° and remove dough from wrapping. If
   you rolled it into a log, take a sharp knife and cut rounds with 1/4”
   thickness. If rolled into a ball, dust your counter with flour, roll-out
   dough, and cut into desired shapes.
5. Bake on a very lightly-greased cookie sheet for 8-10
   minutes until edges just start to turn gold.
6. Remove from oven and allow to firm on pan for 2 minutes
   before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely
   before glazing them.

Cookie Glaze (a great alternative to sprinkles!)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tbsp soymilk
• 1 tsp almond extract (or clear vanilla extract)
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• vegan or natural food coloring

1. Mix together all the ingredients, except for the
   coloring, and glaze the cookies.
2. Add 2 to 3 drops of each color you want to use for
   painting to different bowls.
3. Dip toothpick into coloring and draw in the
   still-wet glaze. Allow to set (colors will spread slightly).

Check out our egg-free baking tips and products and recipes. It’s never been easier to crack the habit and choose egg-free foods!