Vegan snickerdoodles, a holiday classic cookie recipe that everyone loves! These buttery cookies are soft and chewy in the middle and crisp around the edges with just the right amount of sugar and cinnamon. The cookie dough requires no chilling, and the cookies are ready in under 25 minutes - so easy!
Let the cookie season begin! I can't believe I'm just discovering snickerdoodle cookies - the easiest, most popular Christmas cookie ever. I didn't know what I was missing!
Now that I'm obsessed, I had to get a snickerdoodle cookie recipe on the blog STAT! These vegan snickerdoodle cookies are soft, pillowy and chewy. They have all the classic tanginess and cinnamon-sugar coating you expect from a traditional snickerdoodle. Just like my vegan chocolate chip cookies (with marshmallows) and my vegan peanut butter cups, and chewy vegan ginger cookies they're quick and easy to make and the whole family loves them.
Vegan Snickerdoodle Ingredients
These are the easiest vegan cinnamon cookies for the holidays (and every other day too!). It's only a handful of basic ingredients mixed together in one bowl - no eggs and no dairy needed! Here's what you'll need to make these flavorful, cinnamon-sugar dipped vegan snickerdoodles from scratch:
- All purpose flour: I recommend using a kitchen scale for baking - it's definitely the most accurate way to measure the ingredients. If you don't have one, use the spoon and level method for measuring your flour (see recipe notes for details).
- Baking soda: Leavening agent to help the cookies rise.
- Cream of tartar: The high acidity in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor. It also keeps them soft, and together with baking soda makes them fluffy.
- Granulated sugar: Mixed into the cookie dough and also the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Vegan butter or margarine: Room temperature, dairy-free, block butter (not the soft butter in a tub).
- Cinnamon: Mixed into the dough and also in the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Dairy free milk: Soy, oat, almond - whatever plant based milk you have on hand.
- Vanilla extract: For warm depth of flavor.
- Salt: To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and step by step instructions at the end of this post in the recipe card.
How to Make Vegan Snickerdoodles
One of the best things about this snickerdoodles recipe is it’s so easy to make in under 25 minutes from start to finish. Just mix, roll, and bake - no chilling required! Here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Cinnamon sugar topping: Start off by mixing the cinnamon sugar coating together in a bowl. The snickerdoodle cookie balls are rolled in this mixture before baking.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Cream the vegan butter and sugar together in a stand mixer (or with hand beaters) until it's light and fluffy (~2 minutes). Then add the non-dairy milk and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- Measure the dry ingredients: Weigh out the flour and dry ingredients (using a kitchen scale) either straight into the mixing bowl or use a deli container (see photo). Beat the wet and dry ingredients together, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop the cookie dough: This recipe makes 13 big puffy snickerdoodles (~33-35 grams each). Using a cookie scoop, portion out the cookie dough balls then roll them in the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3" between each dough ball.
- Bake snickerdoodles in 375º F oven for 9-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Frosting option: If you're feeling fancy, elevate your snickerdoodles with homemade vegan cream cheese frosting - highly recommended!
Tips & Observations
These vegan snickerdoodles are just like a classic snickerdoodles recipe - but no eggs. They are so easy and clean up is a breeze! Here's a few tips that will help your cookies turn out perfect!:
- Million Dollar Tip: Don't measure over your mixing bowl! When measuring dry and wet ingredients, don't do it over the mixing bowl as it's easy to accidentally over pour and ruin the cookie batter.
- Measure the ingredients in grams: A kitchen scale gives the most accurate results. The recipe card includes cup measurements as well; but I bake using weight rather than volume.
- For soft snickerdoodle cookies: To keep the cookies tender and soft, don't over mix the batter which develops gluten strands and makes baked goods tough. AND
- Don't over bake the cookies: Snickerdoodles are soft and chewy so you don't want to over bake them which makes them hard and crisp. Remove the cookies from the oven while they are still soft. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to finish setting then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Don't crowd the baking sheet: Snickerdoodles are sneaky little dough balls and gravitate toward each other in the oven. Give them lots of room between each cookie (~3").
- Frosting snickerdoodles: Top your snickerdoodles with a swirl of vegan cream cheese frosting. A buttery cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement the spicy-sweet and tangy snickerdoodle cookie flavor. Recipe below.
- How long will vegan snickerdoodles stay fresh?: Store covered at room temperature for up to a week or freeze in an airtight container for up to several months. You can also freeze the snickerdoodle dough balls for several months ready to bake one or two when a craving hits.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
If you love homemade cookies as much as we do, here's a few more delicious vegan cookie recipes to try next:
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Marshmallows - family favorite!
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Cookies
- Millionaire Shortbread Cookies
- Walnut Praline Biscotti
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cups - not a cookie, but a holiday favorite!
Soft Vegan Snickerdoodles
The best, soft vegan snickerdoodles you'll ever eat! The perfect, buttery cookie with crunchy cinnamon edges and soft and chewy middle. So easy to make in 25 minutes from start to finish and no chilling required!
Rate this recipe!
Equipment
- tall deli containers optional
- stand mixer or hand mixer
INGREDIENTS
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cookie Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 grams) vegan butter/margarine (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons plant based milk
- 1 ½ cups (190 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside - this is for rolling the snickerdoodle dough balls in later.
- Beat the butter and sugar In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) until light and fluffy (~2 minutes). Add the vanilla and plant based milk and beat until combined.
- Whisk the weighed, dry ingredient together in a small bowl (or deli container). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients half at a time mixing until just combined. Add another ½ - 1 tablespoon of milk if the batter is too crumbly.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion out 13 cookie dough balls (~33-35 grams each) and roll them into balls using your hands. Then roll the dough balls in the prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture until generously coated. Arrange them on the lined baking sheets, leaving 3" between each cookie.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTES
Don't over bake the cookies: The perfect snickerdoodle cookie is soft and pillowy. The cookies are ready when they are set on the edges but the center is still slightly soft. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookies and how hot your oven runs. For my oven, I like baking the snickerdoodles for 9 ½ minutes.
Room temperature butter: Bringing your butter to room temperature is pure science. Too soft and the cookies spread, too hard and they don't rise properly. I recommend taking a block of butter out of the fridge and allowing it to come to room temperature before you start baking. This can take 1-2 hours (depending how large the butter block is and also how warm your house is). Sally's Test: To test the butter, poke it with your finger. Your finger should make an indent without sinking or sliding down into the butter. It will be cool to touch, not warm.
Spoon and Level Method for measuring flour: Flour gets compacted as it sits in the bag or container, so it's best not to scoop right out of the bag (you could end up with waaaay more flour than you're expecting). Instead, I like to loosen up the flour surface with a spoon then spoon the flour into a measuring cup. Next, using the back of a knife, level off the top of the measuring cup.
Optional vegan cream cheese frosting recipe: Beat together ¼ cup softened dairy free butter and 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (like Miyoko's) with 1 ½ cups icing sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. To thin the frosting, add a teaspoon of non-dairy milk. To thicken the frosting, stir in extra icing sugar. Using an offset spatula (or the back of a spoon), swirl some cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled cookie. Sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon. Option: I like to add a drop or two of lemon extract to the frosting.
Storage: Store leftover cookies covered at room temperature for a week (they stay nice and chewy). You can freeze baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls in an airtight container for several months. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature, then bake as above.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating and/or review below. Your feedback means a lot to me, and helps others find my recipes! Please tag me on IG @ceeceecooks - I LOVE seeing what you're cooking!
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