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These Vegan Snickerdoodles taste exactly like traditional snickerdoodles. They’re thick, pillowy, and perfectly chewy in the center – everything a classic snickerdoodle should be! All you need is 10 simple ingredients.
Table of Contents
What Exactly is a Snickerdoodle?
A snickerdoodle is a popular cookie known for its soft, chewy, pillowy texture and slightly tangy flavor from the cream of tartar. It’s often rolled in a cinnamon sugar coating before baking, giving it a distinctive crispy exterior.
The exact origin of the Snickerdoodle cookie is disputed, but there are a few popular theories. Some believe that the snickerdoodle has Dutch or German origins, with the name “snickerdoodle” being from the German word, “schneckennudeln,” which refers to a sweet, cinnamon-flavored pastry. Others associate the snickerdoodle with New England, where it’s considered a classic cookie that’s perfect for the holiday season.
Regardless of its beginnings, the cookie has become an iconic cookie in the United States and is the perfect cookie to indulge in during the holiday season. It’s one of our absolute favorite cookies, and while we’ve shared a Vegan Eggnog Snickerdoodles recipe and a Pumpkin Snickerdoodles recipe, we were missing a recipe for a classic Snickerdoodle cookie. But trust us, these soft and pillowy vegan snickerdoodles were well worth the wait!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flaxseed meal: Ground flaxseed is the vegan egg substitute in these cookies and helps bind the cookie dough together. If ground flaxseeds aren’t an option, opt for ground chia seeds.
- Non-dairy milk: Use any unsweetened plant milk of choice – oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk are all great choices.
- Vegan butter: When making our vegan dessert recipes, we recommend vegan butter sticks from brands like Earth Balance or Country Crock. They are more consistent in texture and higher in fat compared to spreads and will yield the most consistent baked goods.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the cookie dough and coat the cookie dough balls before baking. We use Wholesome because it is naturally vegan and certified organic (conventional sugars can be processed with bone char).
- Flour: We developed this recipe using all-purpose flour. We have not tested a gluten-free version, but our Easy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are naturally gluten-free and made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. If you’d like to test these traditional snickerdoodles with the same gluten-free flour, leave us a comment down below to share your results!
- Cinnamon: A signature spice in every good snickerdoodle recipe!
- Cream of tartar: When combined with baking soda, cream of tartar acts as a leavening agent. This helps the cookies rise as well as gives the cookies their distinct, tangy flavor. If you choose to make these cookies without cream of tartar, these cookies will taste more like Vegan Sugar Cookies.
- Baking soda: Necessary to react with the cream of tartar and helps the chewy cookies rise and brown until perfectly golden.
For the full ingredients list and recipe instructions, scroll down to the full recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Equipment Needed
- Small and large mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- 2-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Wire rack
How to Make Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Make the flax egg. In a small mixing bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and flaxseed meal. Mix until combined and set aside to thicken for 15 minutes.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened vegan butter and granulated sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the remaining wet ingredients, and beat until uniform. Then add the dry ingredients and beat again until just combined – the cookie dough may be crumbly but this is okay!
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, reusable wrap, or a lid, and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Prepare to bake. When the cookie dough is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then, in a small, separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Scoop the cookie dough. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the Snickerdoodle cookie dough into 2-tablespoon dough balls. Roll each cookie dough ball into the sugar-cinnamon sugar mixture and place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet with 2 inches in between.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Cool, then serve. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Avoid over-baking. Always remember that cookies will continue to bake on the hot baking sheet as you take them out of the oven. Bake just until the edges are set and slightly golden. When ready, the centers will still be very soft and pillowy.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely. This allows the cookies to set properly and makes them the best, chewy snickerdoodle cookies possible.
- Properly measure the flour. If possible, we highly recommend using a baking scale and using the provided grams measurement. This will ensure the cookie dough is made with just the right amount of flour and prevent them from being cakey.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Chewy vegan snickerdoodle cookies will keep for up to 4 days when stored at room temperature, 7 days when stored in the refrigerator, and up to 3 months when frozen.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Cookie dough balls can be frozen after being scooped into individual cookie dough balls (with or without the cinnamon sugar coating). Spread the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze until frozen, 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer the cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe container such as a silicone Stasher bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Then, bake directly from frozen until puffy and golden brown.
How to Freeze Baked Cookies
Place the cooked cookies back on the baking sheet, leaving enough space between each cookie so they are not touching. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and flash freeze until frozen, 1-2 hours. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
Print
Classic Vegan Snickerdoodles Recipe
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: About 28 cookies
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Vegan Snickerdoodles taste exactly like traditional snickerdoodles. They’re thick, pillowy, and perfectly chewy in the center – everything a good snickerdoodle should be! All you need is 10 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup (210g) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For rolling:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Make the flax egg. In a small mixing bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and flaxseed meal. Mix until combined and set aside to thicken for 15 minutes.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened vegan butter and granulated sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat until uniform. Then add the dry ingredients and beat again until just combined – the cookie dough may be crumbly, but this is okay!
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, reusable wrap, or a lid, and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Prepare to bake. When the cookie dough is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then, in a small, separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Scoop the cookie dough. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the snickerdoodle cookie dough into 2-tablespoon dough balls. Roll each cookie dough ball into the sugar-cinnamon sugar mixture and place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet with 2 inches in between.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Cool, then serve. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage and Freezing: These cookies will keep for up to 4 days when stored at room temperature, 7 days when stored in the refrigerator, and up to 3 months when frozen.
- How to Freeze Dough: Cookie dough balls can be frozen after being scooped into individual cookie dough balls (with or without the cinnamon sugar coating). Spread the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze until frozen, 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer the cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe container such as a silicone Stasher bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Then, bake directly from frozen until puffy and golden brown.
- How to Freeze Baked Cookies: Place the cooked cookies back on the baking sheet, leaving enough space between each cookie so they are not touching. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and flash freeze until frozen, 1-2 hours. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
