Perfect Vegan Snickerdoodles

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These vegan snickerdoodles are sweet, buttery, and flavored with a touch of cinnamon. Soft or crispy (depending on how long you bake them), they’re easy to make and perfect for dunking!

Believe it or not, I still have a stash of recipe printouts from my middle school cooking class. Every now and then I get inspired to dip into that stash and veganize one of them. Just recently I decided snickerdoodles would be a nice one to make — they were always a favorite!

Well, wouldn’t you know it, my vegan snickerdoodles came out better than the originals. SO GOOD! These suckers were soft and buttery and loaded with cinnamon sugar flavor.

What You’ll Need

• Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
• Cinnamon.
• Flour. We’re using regular old all-purpose wheat flour. You might be able to substitute other varieties like spelt or gluten-free flour, but I haven’t tried, so no guarantees.
• Cornstarch.
• Cream of tartar. This ingredient is key! Along with acting as a leavening agent, cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their characteristic mild tangy flavor (which is what sets them apart from regular old sugar cookies).
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Vegan butter. Look for brands like Miyoko’s and Earth Balance near the regular butter at your supermarket.
• Non-dairy milk. Just about any variety that’s unflavored and unsweetened will work. Try soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
• Vanilla extract.
• Almond extract. You can leave this out if it’s not something you normally buy, but it does add a wonderful touch of flavor to the cookies.

How to Make Vegan Snickerdoodles

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• First, mix up your cinnamon sugar in a small bowl. You want it to be ready when your cookie dough is done!

• Whisk your dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat together your butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Make sure the butter is at about room temperature. If you forgot to set it out in advance, use this butter softening method to get it ready in hurry.
• Beat the non-dairy milk into your butter mixture. Make sure the milk is at room temperature as well.
• Begin beating in the flour mixture, just a bit at a time, until it’s all been added and you have a soft dough.

• Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to scoop the dough into heaping tablespoons. Roll each one into a ball and roll it in your cinnamon sugar mixture to coat it.

• Arrange the dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pop it the oven. Bake the cookies for 11 or 12 minutes if you like them soft and chewy, 13 or 14 minutes if you like them a bit crispy.

See how easy that was? They really are the BEST vegan snickerdoodles! I love enjoying my cookies with a cup of tea.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Vegan snickerdoodles will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for about 3 weeks, or in the freezer for about 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these cookies be made gluten-free?

I’m afraid I’m not sure! I suspect that a gluten-free flour blend would work, but I can’t say for sure without trying.

Why didn’t my snickerdoodles crack?

Snickerdoodles normally puff up during baking, then fall a bit when they come out of the oven. If they didn’t crack, it means they didn’t rise, probably due to your baking soda being old. Test it by sprinkling a bit in a glass of vinegar. If it doesn’t fizz, it’s time to replace it. It’s also possible that your oven didn’t get hot enough — check the temperature with an oven thermometer.

How can you tell when snickerdoodles are done baking?

Snickerdoodles will puff up towards the end of their bake time. When they’ve been puffed for a few minutes or are starting to come down, they’re done. Take them out of the oven promptly for soft, chewy cookies (they’ll seem like they’re not done, but will continue to set as they cool), or cook them for a minute or two longer for crispy cookies.