Vegan Snickerdoodles
These vegan snickerdoodles taste just like the classic cookie! They’re soft and chewy cinnamon sugar cookies that are perfect for any occasion. These egg-free and dairy-free snickerdoodles are easy to make and they bake up soft and delicious every time!
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This classic cookie recipe has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. Whenever I ask my family what cookies they want they always choose snickerdoodles! There is just something about the cinnamon and sugar flavor mixed with a pillowy, soft, and chewy cookie that can’t be beaten!
The classic tangy flavor in a snickerdoodle comes from the cream of tartar which is a key ingredient in the classic taste. Cream of tartar is tartaric acid (derived from the winemaking process) and conditions and softens the gluten in the flour to give the cookies a chewy texture. Cream of tartar is the thing that makes a Snickerdoodle cookie different from a basic sugar cookie.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour works best in these cookies, but you can also use whole wheat. The interaction between the protein from the gluten in the flour and the cream of tartar is what gives these cookies their classic taste. If you need these cookies to be gluten-free, use a flour mix that contains chickpea flour or replace 1/4 cup of the flour with soy or pea protein to achieve a chewy texture.
- Cream of Tartar – this is a key ingredient that gives snickerdoodles their classic taste. You can leave it out, but you will have a crunchy sugar cookie instead. They will still be delicious, just different.
- Baking Soda – to help them rise and get puffy.
- Salt – for flavor.
- Vegan Butter – this can be Earth Balance, Mikaio, or any other good quality vegan margarine. You don’t want to use cheap margarine that has high water content. You can also use the sick version of my homemade vegan butter.
- Refined Coconut Oil – make sure to use refined or it will have a coconut flavor. You can also use Crisco in equal amounts. These have a higher fat content than vegan butter, therefore making the cookie more tender. If you don’t want to use these oils, you can simply use 1 cup of vegan butter instead of half butter and half coconut oil.
- Sugar – this can be any variety of white sugar. If you use coconut sugar or any other dark sugar, your cookies will be dark.
- Vegan Egg Replacer – you can use any vegan egg replacer that you like for baking equivalent to 2 eggs. I like to use a chickpea flour egg (simply chickpea flour mixed with water) for the most authentic texture and flavor. You can read more about each type of vegan egg replacer in my egg substitute guide for baking.
- Cinnamon and Sugar – the cinnamon-sugar mixture is used to roll the cookie dough in before baking.
🔪 Helpful tools
- Baking Sheet – a heavy high-quality cookie sheet will help your cookies not burn on the bottom.
- Parchment Paper – optional for making easy cleanup, but not necessary.
🥄 How to make dairy-free snickerdoodles
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 400° F. (Take your vegan butter out of the fridge and allow it to soften. Warm up your coconut oil so it is soft but not melted.)
Step 2 – In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of garbanzo bean flour with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth and set aside for at least 5 minutes. You can also use any other vegan egg replacement equal to 2 eggs.
Step 3 – Mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set it aside.
Step 4 – Cream the softened vegan butter, softened coconut oil, and sugar with an electric mixer for 3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
Step 5 – Add the chickpea egg to the butter and sugar mixture and beat again for 30 seconds.
Step 6 – Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients about 1/2 cup at a time until a stiff dough is formed.
Step 7 – Mix 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate.
Step 8 – Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut.
Step 9 – Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar and place them on a cookie sheet about 3 inches apart (they will expand).
Step 10 – Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until they flatten out and begin to form cracks in the tops.
Step 11 – Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or a flat surface.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Cream the vegan butter, coconut oil, and sugar for a full 3 minutes before adding the other ingredients. This will trap air inside the dough and make your cookies puffier.
- Use vegan butter and coconut oil that is soft but not melted, otherwise, it will not mix correctly with the sugar. If you take it out of the fridge about 1/2 hour before you bake them, it should be at a good temperature. If you don’t have time to wait, you can microwave it for just a few seconds to soften it.
- Use a high-quality cookie sheet like an Air Bake brand or simply one that is thick and sturdy. Thin cookie sheets don’t distribute the heat correctly and can burn the bottoms of your cookies.
- After about 8 minutes in the oven, keep an eye on your cookies. Take them out when they have flattened and cracks are beginning to form on the tops.
Are you making these for a holiday or a special event? Swap out white sugar for vegan-colored sugar and make these cookies colorful and festive for any occasion.
🥡 Storing and freezing
Vegan snickerdoodles will stay good for about 2 weeks on the countertop in a sealed airtight container. (Cookies never last that long in my house though.)
You can freeze the cookies in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months.
🍪 More vegan cookies
I love baking cookies and I have a ton of vegan cookie recipes on my site, but here are a few of my family’s all-time favorites.
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Carob Chip Cookies – (Or Chocolate Chip)
- Vegan Millionaire Shortbread
- Dairy-Free Butter Cookies
- Vegan Spritz Cookies
- Vegan Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan Snickerdoodle recipe
Vegan Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, or Crisco or replace with more vegan butter
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons egg replacement powder , mixed with 4 tablespoons water or 1/3 cup applesauce.
To roll the dough ball in:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. (Take your vegan butter out of the fridge and allow it to soften. Warm up your coconut oil so it is soft but not melted.)
- Mix together 2 tablespoons of garbanzo bean flour with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth and set aside for at least 5 minutes. You can also use any other vegan egg replacement equal to 2 eggs.
- Mix 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl and set it aside.
- Cream the 1/2 cup softened vegan butter, 1/2 cup soft coconut oil, and 1 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer for 3 minutes until it's light and fluffy.
- Add the chickpea egg to the butter and sugar mixture and beat again for 30 seconds.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients about 1/2 cup at a time until a stiff dough is formed.
- Mix 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate.
- Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut.
- Roll the balls of cookie dough in the cinnamon and sugar and place them on a cookie sheet about 3 inches apart (they will expand).
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until they flatten out and begin to form cracks in the tops.
- Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or a flat surface.
Notes
- Cream the vegan butter, coconut oil, and sugar for a full 3 minutes before adding the other ingredients. This will trap air inside the dough and make your cookies puffier.
- Use vegan butter that is soft, but not melted. If your butter is too melty, it will not mix correctly with the sugar. If you take it out of the fridge about 1/2 hour before you make them, it should be at a good temperature. If you don’t have time to wait, you can microwave it for a few seconds to soften it.
- Use a high-quality cookie sheet like an Air Bake brand or simply one that is thick and sturdy. Thin cookie sheets don’t distribute the heat correctly and can burn the bottoms of your cookies.
- After about 8 minutes in the oven, keep an eye on your cookies. Take them out when they have flattened and cracks are beginning to form on the tops.
- Making these for a holiday or special event? Swap out white sugar for vegan colored sugar and make these cookies colorful and festive for any occasion.
Hi Monica! I am looking for vegan cookie recipes that will ship well, you know, as a Christmas gift for folks who don’t live near me. If you are so inclined, maybe you could share your knowledge of shipping cookies with the recipe? Thank you for your consideration! 😊
These are a good choice to ship. They are not too delicate and will hold together during shipping. I would seal them in a large plastic zip lock bag and pack them with padding around them. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you 👍👍👍
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
THese are AMAZING!! I could eat a dozen when fresh out of the oven!
Thanks! I’m so happy that you like the recipe! 🙂
Any other flour suggestions?
Since the interaction between the protein from the gluten in the flour and the cream of tartar is what gives Snickerdoodles the classic taste and texture, regular wheat flour works best. If you need them to be gluten-free, use a flour mix that contains chickpea flour, like Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour, or replace 1/4 cup of the GF flour with soy or pea protein to get your cookies to bake up chewy.
Can these be made with gluten-free flour? Besides being allergic to dairy & eggs, i can’t eat gluten.
Yes, they can be made gluten free, Janice. The protein in the flour helps these cookies to be soft and chewy when mixed with the cream of tartar. So to get a similar texture, use a flour mix that contains chickpea flour or replace 1/4 cup of the flour with soy or pea protein to achieve a chewy texture in the cookies.
These are my favorite cookies ever! They have just the right amount of chewiness, sweetness and cinnamon. Not only are they delicious but they are so easy to make.
I’m so happy that you liked them! 🙂