Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cookies
These soft, chewy snickerdoodle cookies deliver all the cinnamon-sugar warmth you crave, but without the dairy. With the same irresistible, tangy sweetness as the classic recipe, they’re the perfect indulgence for a crisp fall day.
Accidental snickerdoodles for the win.
Back when I was developing my Lucky Charms cookies, I included cream of tartar to make sure the cookies were perfectly chewy with just the right amount of tang to balance the sweet marshmallows, but in doing so, I realized that I had just created the perfect dairy-free snickerdoodle recipe. All I had to do was whip them up with some cinnamon sugar.
After we made the Taylor Swift cookies last month, I realized I never did make those snickerdoodles, and figured now would be the perfect time. Because it’s fall and everything cinnamon and pumpkin spice is on my mind.
More dairy free cookies: vegan gingerbread cookies / fruitcake cookies / soft gingersnap cookies / banana bread cookies / pignoli cookies
More dairy free dessert ideas. peanut butter and jelly snack cake / chai spice cake / pumpkin spice puppy chow / easy cranberry bars
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Vegan butter – I usually use Earth Balance vegan butter stick, but you can use your favorite dairy free butter alternative, or butter flavored vegetable shortening.
- Cream of tartar – Cream of tartar is what makes snickerdoodles taste a bit tangy and keeps them soft and chewy. It reacts with the baking soda, making the cookies puff up without getting too dense. Without it, they wouldn’t have that classic snickerdoodle flavor and texture!
- Baking soda – Make sure you don’t use baking powder. Baking soda is far more potent than powder, and will react with the cream of tarter to raise the cookies.
- Eggs – I haven’t tried this recipe with egg replacement, so I genuinely can’t say if it would work or not, but I have had success in the past using flax eggs in other cookies.
*Melissa’s top tips for recipe success:
- Don’t let your dairy free butter get too warm. Room temp butter is great for traditional baking, but dairy free butter gets a little too soft when you let it get to room temperature. I recommend only letting sit out for about 30 minutes before baking. I generally just take it out of the fridge when I turn on my oven and let it warm up while I prep the rest of my ingredients.
- Want chewy cookies? Take them out early. They will continue to cook while they rest on the baking sheet. So if you want to ensure you get chewy cookies, take them out before they look like they are ready. That means slighly wobbly centers.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegan butter or vegetable shortening 2 sticks
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar For rolling dough
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon For rolling dough
Instructions
- Mise en place. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, measure out all of the ingredients before starting.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and coarse salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until just combined. Repeat until everything has been mixed and a dough has formed.
- Roll the dough. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
- Bake the cookies. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden, but the centers are still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
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