I have always loved Snickerdoodles, but it occurred to me today that I have never made a vegan version before.
A Snickerdoodle is a type of sugar cookie that is rolled in cinnamon sugar and has a beautiful crackled surface. They are often over-looked when it comes to cookies, but I just love their simplicity and short ingredient list.
You can make Snickerdoodles crisp or soft depending on your preference and you can also determine their thickness with an adjustment to the temperature of the dough before cooking. If you bake the dough at room temperature the cookies will be flatter and spread out more, but if you bake the dough when it has been chilled in the fridge the cookies will remain thicker and more pillowy.
This Vegan Snickerdoodle is the first cookie in my Favourite Vegan Holiday Cookies feature. From now until the end of the holiday season, I will be featuring a new vegan holiday cookie at least once a week. If you have any suggestions for cookies you would like to see, let me know. I won’t be able to get to all of them, but I will try to make popular requests! :)
Shall we begin?
[print_this]
Snickerdoodles
These vegan Snickerdoodles have a crisp edge with a soft centre and they are a breeze to throw together. Instead of all-purpose flour, I amped up the nutrition in these cookies by using whole wheat pastry flour. I also reduced the sugar substantially while still creating a delicious tasting cookie. If you prefer, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour for a more classic Snickerdoodle. This recipe makes about 10 cookies, but it can easily be doubled if you’d like a bigger batch.
Inspired by Joy of Baking.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar* (see note)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 flax egg (1/2 tbsp ground flax + 1.5 tbsp warm water)
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or butter)
- Cinnamon sugar: 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon, mixed together
Directions: In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 flax egg. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl cream the sugar, Earth Balance (or butter), and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the flax egg and beat for about 60 seconds. In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (cream of tartar, baking soda, flour, and pinch of cinnamon). Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Use your hands to knead together the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 375F and take about 1.5 tbsp of dough and shape into a ball. Roll in cinnamon sugar and then press the ball with a fork to flatten slightly. Repeat 9 more times to make 10 cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (If you want chewy cookies bake for 10 minutes and if you want crispy cookies bake for 12 minutes.) Cool for about 10 minutes. Makes 10 cookies.
Note: I have heard that you might be able to get away with substituting the cream of tartar and baking soda with baking powder. However, I have not tested this out myself. If you try this leave a comment and let me know how it worked out.
[/print_this]
There are not many ingredients at all in these cookies! Very easy to throw together.
I also made a mini-batch because sometimes you just want a handful of cookies and not enough to feed the entire neighbourhood. ;)
However, you can easily double or triple this recipe should you wish.
Cream together your Earth Balance (or butter), sugar, and vanilla…
Beat in the 1/2 flax egg…
Add dry ingredients…and stir.
It will look something like this. Now get in there with your hands and squish it all together!
Form a slightly flattened ball and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Chilling the dough results in a slightly thicker and more pillowy cookie. However, if you don’t mind flatter Snickerdoodles you can bake them right away. The cooking time might differ slightly though.
Make your cinnamon sugar.
I reduced the sugar a lot in this recipe and I got away with it because I knew the cookies would be rolled in cinnamon sugar. There is no sense in making a super sweet cookie when you will be rolling it in sugar. The result was PERFECT too!!
After chilling, roll into 10 balls.
Roll in cinnamon sugar.
Flatten slightly with a fork.
Easy!
Now bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F. I baked mine for 10.5-11 minutes and the result was a crispy edge and a soft middle.
I am in love with the slightly crunchy edge and soft centre and light cinnamon flavour.
These Snickerdoodles are definitely in my top 5 cookies of all time!
What are your favourite holiday cookies?
I too love snickerdoodles! Also love the hershey kiss thumbprint cookies =)
You’re snickerdoodles look delicious! Anything cinnamon sure makes it to my favorite list! I also made candy cane cookies with hershey kisses that were quite good :).
have a crisp edge with a soft centre and they are a breeze to throw together = MY kind of cookie!!!
In h.s. I used to work in the mall. Next to a Mrs Field’s cookie store. Not sure if you Canadians have those but basically cookies that are defi NOT health food…but dang they taste good :) Anyway, I used to LOVE their snickerdoodle cookies b/c they are soft in the middle w/ a little hardness on the edge. And anything w/ butter and cinny/sugar, I am totally into :)
Great recipe, Angela!
Oh this is wonderful!! Snickerdoodles are some of my favorite cookies but I’m always terrified to veganize recipes. I can’t wait to try these!!
Those look so amazing. I’m going to have to try them asap.
I love ginger chew cookies, and sugar cookies. Biscotti is always a great choice as well for the Holidays.
Umm…yes, please!! Thank you for making this into a vegan cookie. I loved snickerdoodles as a kid and will be making these ASAP as the ingredients are so basic and ones that are typically on hand. BTW….love your print button feature! Oh….and in case I haven’t told you enough how much I loved your pdf file of the vegan thanksgiving—priceless, thank you, you’re the best! ;)
aww thanks! Glad u enjoy
I loove snickerdoodles! But for me, nothing beats a frosted sugar cookie at the holidays!
Snickerdoodles are my all time fave- I never really thought of them as a holiday cookie though! Yummmm!
i dont know that i’ve ever had snickerdoodles, but those look so yummy! . . . my favorite is the Linzer cookies (with the raspberry jam) ummmmmm – i would love for you to healthify those!! happy holidays!!
Hi Angela! Great snickerdoodle recipe! I actually don’t believe I’ve ever had a snickerdoodle! Crazy, right? But they sound delicious!
Quick question:
I am making your Pumpkin Pecan Brownie Pie and was wondering if I should bake the brownie layer before putting the pumpkin and pecan layer on? Also, I see on your recipe it says to scoop 2 tbsp of the brownie mixture into the pan. I’m assuming that was only for the cupcakes and for the pie you add all of the brownie mixture to the pan?
Thanks for reminding me I need to fix that on my pdf!!!
It should say the entire lot…not just 2 tbsp :)
Also you bake it all at the same time
Thanks so much :)
Just when I think it couldn’t get any better… you post this! Thanks :)
Awww, I MISS snickerdoodles! My grandma used to make some amazing ones, soft and chewy, super moist. Yum.
You need to do a post on your food photography skills! You’ve always had great pictures, but it seems more recently that they have been really breath-taking!
lately I have been doing two things:
1) using a tripod
and 2) turning off the yellow lights
I also shoot in RAW, use a macro lens, and use adobe lightroom :) its fun!
love snickerdoodles…your recipe looks great! going to add this to my oh she glows recipes to make. i’m looking forward to your sugar cookie recipe too.
these look soooo yummy! I have tried a couple of your recipes (apple strudel cake and mini cinnamon chocolate cupcakes) my husband had no clue they were vegan. He loved them! BTW flax eggs are an amazing invention!
I’ve never had snicker doodles before but this look delish!
YUM!
I don’t have earth balance and I don’t want to use butter. ANy suggestions? Would flax or oil work?
not sure…worth a shot perhaps
No, you need some kind of solid fat for cookies – butter or shortening. If you use just flax it would turn out something like a weird sweet cracker. And if you use oil it would turn out kind of like crumbly pie dough, which might be a fairly tasty creation! :) but they wouldn’t cookies. After all, its that unique texture that makes a cookie a cookie and not a cake or a scone! Solid fat creamed with sugar + flour = cookie! :)
Looks SO good..maybe I’ll have to make these along with the two other types of cookies I’ve made this week lol.
Please give us a great Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (without PB!)
My favorite vegan cookies of all time are the ones at Whole Foods bakery… Vegan Almond cookie, Vegan Coconut Nut Cookie, Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. If you can replicate any of those bad boys, I will worship the ground you walk on eternally :)
ps. I ADORE your blog!
Yum! I’m looking forward to making some cookies with my kids soon. We may have to include snickerdoodles in our baking. They are a classic and very good. The main feature for us is sugar cookies, which are simple and so fun to decorate. :)