The best kind of cookies are ultra soft and chewy, and these vegan snickerdoodles are exactly that. Plus, they’re easy to make and just so happen to be gluten free!
There is absolutely nothing better than biting into a perfectly soft and chewy cookie that has a very slight crunch on the exterior. It just SO satisfying.
These vegan snickerdoodles went through a long process of trial and error to get the absolute perfect texture. Flavors are always easy to master when I’m recipe testing, but it’s the texture that takes time.
These snickerdoodles have a slightly crispy (but not crunchy) exterior (mostly thanks to the sugar coating) and the most irresistible soft, puffy and chewy center. They’re nice and thick too and even gluten free!
If you don’t know what a snickerdoodle is, it’s basically a sugar cookie with the addition of cinnamon and cream of tartar.
Snickerdoodles, unlike sugar cookies, are also rolled in a combination of sugar and cinnamon to give a crispy exterior and give the signature snickerdoodle appearance. Try my chocolate chip snickerdoodles next!
Key ingredients
BUTTER. I like Earth Balance vegan butter sticks here, but if you are not vegan, simply swap for regular butter.
SUGAR. A mix of light brown sugar and maple syrup will sweeten these cookies. You can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar for a refined sugar free option.
MILK. A bit of almond milk or another kind of non-dairy milk will add moisture to these cookies.
FLOUR. You need a mixture of almond flour and gluten free all purpose flour here. If you are not gluten free, you can swap the GF all purpose flour for regular all purpose flour, but I still suggest keeping the almond flour
CINNAMON. Snickerdoodles need lots of cinnamon! Both in the cookies themself and then rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
How to make vegan snickerdoodles
Combine the softened/room temperature butter to a mixing bowl. Add in the light brown sugar and cream together using an electric mixer.
Beat in the remaining wet ingredients until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and beat together until well combined.
Add the dough to the fridge to set for 30 minutes. During the final 15 or so minutes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a cookie scoop and roll into even balls. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with enough room between each cookie and bake for 10-14 minutes. 11 minutes is usually ideal in my oven, but all ovens are different.
They should look really soft in the center when they come out of the oven, but will continue cooking as they cool, so avoid leaving them in for longer if you want them nice and soft.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack using a spatula.
Importance of cream of tartar
Cream of tartar is kind of a weird ingredient, also with a weird name. It has nothing to do with cream and is naturally dairy free. It is actually a byproduct of wine production and is an acid (in powder form) and is used as a leavener in baking.
When combined with baking soda in this recipe, it produces carbon dioxide which gives snickerdoodles their distinct flavor.
Cream of tartar is particularly important in snickerdoodles because it gives it a slight tangy flavor and the perfect chewy texture.
If you want to make these without cream of tartar, you can leave out the baking soda and the cream of tartar and instead use 2 tsp of baking powder. This won’t achieve quite the same result, but it will be somewhat similar!
Oil vs. Butter
I used vegan butter for these snickerdoodles which will give a slightly richer flavor to the cookies, but they can easily be made without vegan butter and just coconut oil instead!
If using coconut oil, be sure to use refined coconut oil for this recipe. Virgin coconut oil will give off a coconut-y flavor and not pair very well with the other flavors.
I don’t recommend any other kind of oil since it’s important for it to start out in a semi-solid state.
Storage tips
Once prepared, these vegan snickerdoodles will keep for 3-5 days. Allow the cookies to cool completely before transferring to an air tight container. Store at room temperature for best results.
You can also freeze the dough before baking. To properly freeze cookie dough, you want to roll the cookies into balls, roll in the cinnamon sugar, then freeze in a freezer safe bag or container.
You can bake the cookies right from frozen, but you’ll want to lower the oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit and add a few extra minutes to account for the dough being frozen.
They may not spread as much, so they will be a bit thicker and chewier, which hopefully is a good thing!
Try these desserts next!
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure tosubscribe to my email list. If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me oninstagramand leave a comment below!
5 from 9 votes
Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles
by: claire cary
The best kind of cookies are ultra soft and chewy, and these vegan snickerdoodles are exactly that. Plus, they’re easy to make and just so happen to be gluten free!
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Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Chill Time 30 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr
12
Ingredients
Wet:
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
Dry:
- 1 ⅓ cup fine blanched almond flour
- 1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose baking flour regular AP flour will also work
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar*
For Rolling:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Add the softened butter to a mixing bowl. Add in the light brown sugar and cream together using an electric mixer.
Beat in the remaining wet ingredients until well combined.
Add in the dry ingredients to the wet, making sure to spoon and level the flours.
Beat until combined.
Add the dough to the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
During the final 15 or so minutes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a cookie scoop and roll into even balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with enough room between each cookie and bake for 10-14 minutes. 11 minutes is usually ideal in my oven, but all ovens are different.
They should look soft in the center when they come out of the oven, but will continue cooking as they cool, so avoid leaving them in for longer if you want them nice and soft.
I always use a round cookie cutter and right after they come out of the oven scoot it around the cookie to create a perfect circle.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack using a spatula to finish cooling.
Notes
I used the Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose flour in the blue bag for this recipe. You can try other GF all purpose flours, just make sure it already has xanthan gum in the mix. Different flour blends using different flours, so it can change the final texture a bit, but all in all it should be ok. You can also sub for regular all purpose flour if you are not GF.
Cream of tartar is an important ingredient that gives snickerdoodles their distinct flavor and texture. If you do not have it, you can leave it out and leave out the baking soda. Sub both for 2 tsp baking powder. The results won’t be quite the same, but will still be delicious.
You can sub the light brown sugar for coconut, but the color will be darker and the flavor slightly less sweet.
Serving: 1cookie / Calories: 211kcal / Carbohydrates: 28g / Protein: 2.7g / Fat: 12.9g / Fiber: 2.1g / Sugar: 13.6g
