Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (2024)

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5 from 10 votes

40 minutes minutes

by Marly

18

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This soft and chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles recipe makes amazing cinnamon sugar-spiced cookies. Vegan or not, this is the best snickerdoodle recipe and makes tender, buttery, and puffy cookies rolled in sugar and cinnamon. You’ll love the easy-to-follow instructions too — ready in around 30 minutes from start to finish.

For a fun change of pace, try these chocolate-dipped snickerdoodles.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (1)

I was in high school when I tried my first snickerdoodle cookie. A friend’s mother made them, and I thought they were divine. If I was alone with that tray of delicious cookies, I might have eaten them all. I had very little self-control around sweets in those days.

Today, I love making vegan snickerdoodles because they’re a treat everyone loves.

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What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • Applesauce is a great egg replacer and adds tenderness to these tasty cookies
  • Cream of tartar adds both a tangy flavor and soft, chewy consistency
  • Apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create a chemical reaction, making the cookies extra soft and pillowy.

Ingredients for Vegan Snickerdoodles

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

  • Vegan butter — You can use your storebought, or use this dairy-free butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Applesauce — You’ll need some unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
  • Plant-based milk — You can use soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Vanilla extract — Combining the cream of tartar and baking soda provides some lift, but the vinegar makes extra soft cookies
  • All-purpose flour — I have used whole wheat pastry flour (not the same as whole wheat flour), and it works with this recipe too
  • Cream of tartar
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon — I use ground cinnamon that’s most easily available in the baking section of most grocery stores.

Ingredient Spotlight

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (2)

What Cinnamon is Best for Snickerdoodles?

There are two different categories of cinnamon: Cassia and Ceylon. Cassia cinnamonis a ground reddish powder with a bold, intense flavor. It’s most often used in baking. Most cinnamon, unless otherwise noted, is Cassia. Ceylon cinnamonhas a more delicate flavor and is more expensive as a result of its rarity. You might use it for things like puddings or sauces. For the purpose of these cookies, I recommend using standard ground cinnamon (Cassia) because we’ll want the bold flavor it offers.

How to Make Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookies

  1. Cream vegan butter with sugar using a mixer until fluffy, around 2 minutes.
  2. Add the applesauce, milk, vinegar, and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. Stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt,
  4. Mix dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix well.
  5. Shape the dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
  6. Place on cookie sheets approximately 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
  8. Cool cookies for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions.

Interestingly enough, the cookie part of snickerdoodles is more like a puffy sugar cookie. However, rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture makes all the difference. I think you’ll be pleased that vegan snickerdoodles are so easy to make — you can make them in around 30 minutes.

Step One: Cream Butter and Sugar

We begin this recipe for vegan snickerdoodles by mixing the vegan butter with granulated sugar.

You can use either a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until nice and fluffy. This creates a light base for the cookie dough.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (3)

Step Two: Add Wet Ingredients

Next, we’ll add some of the wet ingredients, like applesauce, milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Beat this all together on medium speed until combined.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (4)

Step Three: Mix Dry Ingredients

Next, whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, including the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (5)

Make the batter by adding the flour to the butter mixture and either mix together with the mixer or stir it with a spatula or spoon.

Step Four: Cookie Dough Balls

Roll the dough into roughly 2-inch cookie dough balls. I use a cookie dough scoop to keep the sizes consistent. Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (6)

Step Five: Bake

Place the pan in the oven and bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes. I recommend removing them from the oven around the 8-minute mark. Because of residual baking, the cookies will continue to bake on the pan as they cool. Leave them on the pan for 1–2 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (7)

Marly’s Tips

  • You can refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes up to 24 hours before rolling into balls.
  • I stick to the 8-minute side of being these cookies. They are tender when you pull them out of the oven, but they firm up as they cool.
  • I use a whole cup of vegan butter in this recipe. However, you can substitute 1/2 cup peanut butter. My taste testers couldn’t detect the peanut butter.
  • Substitute 1/2 cup pumpkin puree for the applesauce to create pumpkin snickerdoodles.
  • You can freeze the cookie dough balls. Roll them into balls and place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Note, frozen cookie dough balls take longer to bake.
  • Transform these into vegan, gluten-free snickerdoodles by using gluten-free baking flour.

What is A Snickerdoodle?

A snickerdoodle is a soft cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. What makes this simple, puffy cookie worthy of such a silly name? They’ve also been lovingly referred to as kinkawoodles and tangle breeches. The recipe itself has been dated as far back as 1889. New England cooks were known for giving odd names to their dishes and so there is speculation that the snickerdoodle comes from this whimsical style of naming. One recipe from 1901 says that “Snickerdoodles is the somewhat fantastic name of quickly-made little cakes especially dear to the children’s heart.”

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

There are a lot of similarities between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies. However, sugar cookies are rolled in sugar before baking, and snickerdoodles are rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Egg-Free Snickerdoodles

You have lots of options for egg replacers when making vegan snickerdoodles. These include:

  • applesauce
  • flax egg
  • chia egg
  • mashed bananas (which will add flavor to the cookies).

Eggs can play many roles in baked goods; providing texture, richness, leavening, and binding. The key is knowing what role the eggs play in your recipe.

I chose unsweetened applesauce for these vegan snickerdoodles. It may seem like an unusual egg replacer for a cookie, but it works really well.

According to my taste testers, the end result was really yummy. I hope you enjoy these soft and easy, healthy vegan snickerdoodles!

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (8)

Reader Reviews

★★★★★
This is my favorite snickerdoodles cookie. Make them for my family all the time!

Stephie

More Vegan Cookies

If you love these vegan snickerdoodles, be sure to try these tasty vegan cinnamon cookies too:

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

22 mins total

Soft Molasses Cookies

85 mins total

Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

25 mins total

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (13)

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Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (14)

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (15)

Vegan Snickerdoodles

This Vegan Snickerdoodles recipe is the best! You'll love these soft, fluffy cookies rolled in sugar and cinnamon. See instructions for making these cookies fast and easy.

5 from 10 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 36

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegan butter , softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (see note)
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup plant-based milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Place the vegan butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or regular mixer, mix on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the applesauce, milk, vinegar, and vanilla and mix until combined.

  • In a separate bowl, add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined.

  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix well. Here you can choose to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or go straight to baking.

  • Heat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Get out a cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

  • Shape the dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. 
Pour the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

  • Roll cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar until well-coated.
 Place on cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart.

  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recommended Equipment

Electric Mixer

Spatula

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

Baking Time: It’s tempting to leave these cookies in the oven a little longer, but they firm up as they cool.

Butter: If you want, you can substitute 1 cup of vegan butter with 1/2 cup vegan butter + 1/2 cup peanut butter (I’ve done this and the PB taste does not overshadow the cookie) or you can use 1/2 cup vegan butter + 1/2 cup refined coconut oil.

Measure: If you want equally-sized cookies, measure the entire ball of dough and then divide by 36 to determine the size of each cookie dough ball. For me, the entire ball of dough weighed 32.25 ounces, so divided by 36, my individual cookie dough balls weighted .90 each.

Sugar: I used organic sugar, but coconut sugar would work well in this recipe too. If you don’t have either, granulated sugar works fine.

Resting the Dough: I recommend chilling the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. However, if you’re in a hurry, cut the dough ball in half and wrap both in plastic wrap. Place both dough balls in the freezer. Wait ten minutes, remove one of the dough balls, and begin rolling into individual cookie dough balls. Bake those and then remove the second dough ball and begin rolling it into individual dough balls.

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 42mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a rating below then tag @namelymarly on Instagram and hashtag it #namelymarly. I love seeing your creations!

Enjoy!

This post was originally published in 2009 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my snickerdoodles so soft? ›

Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie.

How can I make my cookies softer? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

Why didn't my snickerdoodles crack? ›

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.

Why are my snickerdoodles crunchy? ›

Granulated Sugar and Ground Cinnamon: These two are mixed together to create the classic cinnamon-sugar coating that snickerdoodles are known for. The sugar caramelizes slightly as the cookies bake, giving them a slightly crisp exterior.

How do you soften hard snickerdoodles? ›

You see, the only thing that you need to soften up a batch of day-old cookies is a slice of bread. This is a trick I learned from my mom after she saw me turn up my nose one too many times at a slightly crispy chocolate chipper (self-proclaimed gooey, chewy cookie fiend here!).

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Cornstarch Is The Secret To Soft And Chewy Cookies.

What makes cookies chewy and not hard? ›

Use Melted Butter

If the goal is a chewy cookie, then you absolutely need to be using melted butter. The technique of creaming softened butter and sugar together is often used for making cakes. And for good reason! The process of creaming incorporates air into the butter which results in a more airy and cakey cookie.

What is the trick to soften hard cookies? ›

Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.

Why did my snickerdoodles come out dry? ›

Overmixing the dough

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

How to know when snickerdoodles are done? ›

Evenly space the snickerdoodles on a large baking sheet so there is about 2-3″ between the cookies. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes. It's very important not to over-bake these snickerdoodle cookies. When they're done, the snickerdoodles will be puffed, a parts of the cookie will look set.

Why do my snickerdoodles come out flat? ›

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

How do you make cookies softer instead of crunchy? ›

Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter.

Why are my snickerdoodles too soft? ›

You might be baking them at too low of a temperature.

If you are using a home oven that is non-convection, try baking at 375 degrees instead of 350 degrees.

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be soft when they come out of the oven? ›

They puff in the oven and then settle back down while cooling into a soft, thick, supremely chewy cookie with a gorgeous crinkly top. They've received nothing but rave reviews! Snickerdoodle is sort of a strange name, yes?

Why did my cookies come out too soft? ›

Q: Why are my cookies not crisp enough? They are underbaked. Lower your oven temperature and bake longer but at a lower temperature. Using too much flour or the wrong kind of flour.

Why are my cookies soft instead of crunchy? ›

Soft cookies have a water concentration of 6% or higher – moisture being the variable in texture. To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough.

How do you know if snickerdoodles are undercooked? ›

Visual cues
  1. Colour: Raw or undercooked cookies tend to have a pale appearance, lacking that golden or slightly browned hue that indicates they're fully baked. ...
  2. Texture: Touch the surface of the cookies gently. ...
  3. Spread: Raw or undercooked cookies may spread excessively during baking and have a flatter shape than desired.
Nov 25, 2023

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