Vegan Snickerdoodles Soft and Chewy

These Vegan Snickerdoodles are soft and chewy with no chill time needed they’re an easy and quick cookie!

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Growing up Snickerdoodles were more common in my house than chocolate chip cookies. My mom made them all the time! I think they were her go to cookie because we always had the ingredients on hand.

I knew it was going to be a good day when the sweet smell of buttery Snickerdoodles wafted from the kitchen.

I thought it was about time I gave these classic cookies a healthy vegan makeover.

I have to admit that my first few attempts were miserable fails! When you’re not using butter, oil, regular sugar, or eggs baking can take a turn for the worse.

After trying to make these with whole wheat flour, almond butter, and coconut sugar, to stay in keeping to my other plant-based desserts, I realized I needed to make a few compromises to get the taste and texture I was after.

While I don’t usually use vegan butter or cane sugar in my recipes, I decided it was a must to get the taste and texture I was after.

I used my mom’s trusted Snickerdoodle recipe and made some adaptations to create these out of this world Vegan Snickerdoodles! They are healthier than the originals and have less sugar!

Why You’ll Love these Vegan Snickerdoodles…

• Soft
• Chewy
• Crinkle Top
• Cinnamon Sugar Coating
• Easy Prep
• Egg Free
• Dairy Free

Ingredients You’ll Need

• ½ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance or Miyokos)
• ½ cup of pure organic cane sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup of white whole wheat flour

For the Coating:

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp pure organic cane sugar

Tools You’ll Need

• Hand or Stand Mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Cookie Scoop
• Sheet Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Spatula

How to Make Vegan Snickerdoodles – Step by Step

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F. Make flax egg by combining flax and water in a small bowl and allowing to sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Cream room temperature vegan butter, and sugar using a hand or stand mixer for about 2 minutes or until creamy.

Step 3: Beat in flax egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Step 3: In a small bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.

Step 4: Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three parts beating on low speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl to incorporate. Dough will be thick.

Step 5: In a small bowl combine cinnamon and 3 tbsp of cane sugar.

Step 6: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar coating, and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Step 7: Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and gently using the back of a spoon flatten the cookies a little bit. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips and Variations

• Make sure vegan butter is softened at room temperature but not melted.
• When purchasing vegan butter there are some good ones, and some not so good ones. I prefer Earth Balance or Miyokos vegan butters.
• A flax egg adds the needed moisture and binding capabilities of an egg. As an alternative you can use ¼ cup of dairy free milk, or ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
• I used organic cane cane sugar in these cookies. I tried them using coconut sugar and they just didn’t turn out as well. They were a dark amber color, but feel free to use coconut sugar in place of the cane sugar if you prefer.
• To make these gluten-free use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend. I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.

How are these Vegan Snickerdoodles healthier than others?

• Uses white whole wheat flour which is not an enriched or refined white flour. This adds fiber to the cookies.
• Uses pure organic sugar instead of processed white sugar. The amount of sugar in these cookies is also reduced. Most snickerdoodle recipes call for 1 cup of sugar or more. This recipe uses half that much reducing the overall sugar of each cookie.
• The flax egg adds additional fiber and healthy Omega-3s.

What is the difference between a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle?

Both sugar cookies and snickerdoodles are cookies made with butter, sugar, and flour. The two main differences that make a snickerdoodle distinct from a sugar cookie is the addition of cream of tartar, and the cinnamon sugar coating.

Why do you use cream of tartar in snickerdoodles?

Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their chewiness and their tang! Cream of tartar prevents the sugar in the cookies from hardening or crystalizing which ensures that snickerdoodles are soft and chewy!

How do you make Snickerdoodles soft and chewy?

If you want to make sure your snickerdoodles are soft and chewy be sure to add cream of tartar. Don’t leave it out! I know how it is to start making a recipe only to find that you don’t have a specific spice on hand, but with snickerdoodles the cream of tartar is really necessary.

If you leave it out you’ll still have a nice sugar cookie, it just won’t have that soft chewy tang.

Do you need to chill the dough?

In this recipe you do not need to chill the dough. The dough will hold up and be firm enough to roll into balls without the need to chill.

How do you store and keep Vegan Snickerdoodles?

• Storing After Baking-Store in an air tight container at room temperature. Cookies will keep and be soft and chewy for 4-5 days.
• Freezing-You can keep these cookies in the freezer in an air tight freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw at room temperature and enjoy! I do not recommend refreezing once thawed. Another option is to thaw a few cookies at a time as needed.

Check Out these other Vegan Cookie Recipes!

• Vegan Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
• No Bake Vegan Snowball Cookies
• Vegan Cranberry Cookies

If you’ve tried these Vegan Snickerdoodles, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!