These vegan snickerdoodles are full of simple pantry staple ingredients but have the best texture and flavor of traditional snickerdoodle cookies.
Is there any better feeling than having a cookie craving strike and realizing you already have all the ingredients to make them?
The only thing worse is those recipes that say to chill the dough for a whole day.
Excuse me?
I don’t know about you, but when I get the urge to make cookies, especially these vegan snickerdoodles, I want to eat them in the near future. Waiting for the dough to chill in the refrigerator requires planning ahead and a lot of patience that often doesn't exist when cookies are on the brain.
Instead of a long chill, we do a flash freeze and bake. And although it's much quicker, this method doesn't compromise on taste or texture. You're left with a cookie that's slightly crispy on the bottom and soft in the middle.
These cookies are kind of magical. They're so easy to make, they have no eggs (real or flax), and they're made with a few really simple pantry staples.
Ingredients
- bread flour - this gives the cookies a chewier and more cake-like texture
- cream of tartar - provides a tangy flavor that gives snickerdoodles their signature taste
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- vanilla extract
- cane sugar
- brown sugar - light or dark
- olive oil or avocado oil - see helpful tips
- water
Make It Your Way: Ingredient Substitutions
When it comes to cooking, recipes are just a starting point. While baking is more of a science, there's still a little wiggle room here.
So, how can you make these vegan snickerdoodles using what you already have? Here are some ideas...
- No bread flour? ➝ all-purpose also works really well. It'll make the cookies crispy on the outside and soft in the center
- No cane sugar? ➝ you can swap it out for another type of granulated sugar such as raw or turbinado sugar
- No cream of tartar? ➝ if you absolutely cannot find cream of tartar where you live, you can sub in baking powder, but just know that the flavor won't be the same as traditional snickerdoodles (but still delicious)
Recommended Tools
Helpful Tips For Making The Best Vegan Snickerdoodles
CHOOSING WHICH OIL TO USE
Although often not the case, extra virgin olive oil works really well in these cookies and doesn't leave a noticeable aftertaste. You can also use a neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil, which also works well well. It all depends on what you have.
DON'T SUB OUT THE BROWN SUGAR
The moisture in the brown sugar adds moisture to the cookies, so it can't be substituted with anything else.
A NOTE ABOUT GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR
I haven't tried making these cookies gluten-free as gluten is really the 'glue' that holds these cookies together. If you do decide to use all-purpose gluten-free flour, you'll likely need to add either a flax (or real) egg to help bind it together.
LET THEM CHILL
Don't be tempted to skip the freezer and head straight to the oven. Chilling the dough gives the cookies a better texture and flavor. It also allows the gluten to relax a little.
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Surprisingly Vegan Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 2 cups bread flour or sub all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon water room temp/lukewarm is great
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 3 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugars with the oil and water until smooth and well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add the dry mixture to wet and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and you can no longer see any flour, being careful not to overmix.
- In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon sugar. Roll the cookie dough into 1.5-2-inch sized balls using a cookie scoop (or a spoon and your hands). Carefully roll in the cinnamon sugar and place on a lined baking sheet with plenty of space in between each cookie.
- Put the baking sheets with the cookies in the freezer for 30 minutes. When there are about 5 minutes left, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place the cold cookie sheets directly in the oven from the freezer and bake for 14 - 16 minutes. (I like to do this in two batches for the best results.) Remove from the oven and lightly flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass to give them that signature snickerdoodle crinkle.
- Let cool slightly.
Notes
- The number of cookies will vary depending on size. For reference, mine typically make 17 or 18 cookies.
- Recipe adapted from Ovenly's Secretly Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How can you make these vegan snickerdoodles using what you already have? Here are some ideas...
- No bread flour? ➝ all-purpose also works really well. It'll make the cookies crispy on the outside and soft in the center
- No cane sugar? ➝ you can swap it out for another type of granulated sugar such as raw or turbinado sugar
- No cream of tartar? ➝ if you absolutely cannot find cream of tartar where you live, you can sub in baking powder, but just know that the flavor won't be the same as traditional snickerdoodles (but still delicious)
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