Vegan Snickerdoodles

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Try these vegan snickerdoodles for a chewy, soft, and delicately spiced cookie recipe. With the perfect ratio of cinnamon and sugar, you’re going to have a hard time stopping at just one! Serve them as a midafternoon snack with coffee, tea, or plant milk.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

Everyone loves cookies, but these vegan snickerdoodles without cream of tartar are one of our favorites! We know you’ll love them because they’re:

• Easy: Snickerdoodles are simple to whip up, making them great for beginner bakers.
• Kid-friendly: Kids love them, and they can easily help with prepping the dough!
• Plant-based: This recipe is completely egg and dairy-free, which means more people get to enjoy the sweet, comforting flavors!
• Soft & chewy: Much like our ginger molasses cookies, the texture of these vegan snickerdoodles is perfectly moist, soft, and chewy. No need for eggs or cream of tartar!

If you love snickerdoodles, you need to try our Mexican sprinkle cookies, vegan peanut butter cookies, Cookie Monster cookies, and tahini cookies.

🍪 What are snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles are often synonymous with sugar cookies, but there are a few distinctive qualities that make them unique.

A typical snickerdoodle cookie recipe calls for butter, flour, sugar, and cream of tartar. The dough balls are then rolled in cinnamon sugar before being popped into the oven.

With this list of ingredients, snickerdoodles turn out lighter and fluffier than traditional sugar cookies. They also taste slightly tangier with a classic cinnamon-sugar coating.

🌱 Are snickerdoodles vegan?

Most snickerdoodles without cream of tartar often call for butter and eggs, deeming them vegetarian-friendly.

In this recipe, we’ve swapped out dairy-based butter for our favorite plant-based brand. We’ve also replaced eggs with cornstarch for an ultra-chewy cookie texture.

🥛 What is cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar is one of those misunderstood ingredients found on the lists of popular recipes like snickerdoodles and meringue.

Despite what you might think, cream of tartar is an acidic powder. It’s formed as a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine.

Cream of tartar is also known by other names like potassium bitartrate, potassium hydrogen tartrate, or tartaric acid.

Fun fact: A lot of the time, baking powder is made from a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar.

🤨 What does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodles?

Cream of tartar plays a key role in various recipes. For snickerdoodles, it does the following:

• Leaving agent: When mixed with baking soda, it gives rise to snickerdoodles and prevents a dense texture.
• Tangy: Cream of tartar provides a characteristic tanginess to snickerdoodles.
• Prevents crystalizing: Cream of tartar prevents sugar from hardening, which results in a chewier inside.
• Weakens gluten bonds: It keeps gluten bonds weak, creating softer cookies.

🤔 Can you make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?

You can absolutely make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar! In fact, baking powder had quite an interesting role in the early days of snickerdoodles.

Some experts argue the oldest recipes contained baking powder, while others say it was a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar. Regardless, both act equally well as leavening agents, though the cookies won’t be as tangy with baking powder.

You can read all about the history of baking powder for more information.

📜 History

There are quite a few theories on how snickerdoodles originated, but the most famous tale begins with snipdoodles (so many doodles, so little time).

The Pennsylvania Dutch are credited with the invention of snipdoodles, a type of German coffee cake. While the name initially referred to a variety of coffee cakes, recipes evolved to include cinnamon, butter, and a dusting of sugar.

In Stella Parks’ cookbook, Bravetart, she mentions that by the late 19th century, snipdoodle cakes were made in shallow baking pans, cut into bars, and topped with cinnamon sugar. Over time, these cakes turned into snickerdoodle cookies with the earliest recorded recipe in 1889.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Flour: We use all-purpose flour, but you can replace it 1:1 with a gluten-free blend (though we haven’t tested it). For a more accurate recipe, make sure to weigh the flour.
• Butter: Use dairy-free stick butter that is softened to room temperature. We always look for Miyoko’s, Fora, Melt, or Earth Balance for the best baking results.
• Baking powder: To leaven the snickerdoodles instead of cream of tartar and baking soda. Your cookies won’t be quite as tangy with baking powder, but you can add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar if you’d like.
• Cornstarch: We prefer cornstarch and water to replace eggs in this vegan snickerdoodles recipe. The combination creates a perfectly chewy cookie texture. You can also use a flax egg instead of cornstarch.
• Sugar: Use cane sugar or vegan-friendly granulated sugar. We haven’t tried this recipe with brown sugar or sugar alternatives.
• Vanilla: To enhance the flavor of the snickerdoodles. Use pure vanilla extract whenever possible as it adds a much more aromatic and intense taste.
• Cinnamon: Mixed with extra cane sugar to roll the cookies in. Use Ceylon (true) cinnamon over cassia cinnamon for a more balanced sweetness.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan snickerdoodles

Step 1: Sift the dry ingredients

In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Sifting helps aerate the flour, resulting in light and tender cookies. Set the bowl aside while you cream the butter and sugar.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients

In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter and cane sugar together for a few minutes. It should be light and fluffy.

Step 3: Mix the “egg”

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and lukewarm water together until there are no clumps left. Add the cornstarch “egg” and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture.

Step 4: Finish mixing the wet ingredients

Beat the wet ingredients for another 30-60 seconds to incorporate the cornstarch and vanilla. The dough should look quite light and airy at this point.

Step 5: Combine the ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix the dough on low until just combined. Be careful not to overmix it as this can result in flat, dense cookies.

Step 6: Chill the dough

Cover the bowl and chill the dough in your fridge for a few hours or overnight. When the dough is firm enough, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Step 7: Roll the cookies

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl. Scoop out 2 tablespoon balls and roll them in your hands until smooth. Roll each one in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.

Step 8: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just turning a light golden color. Leave your vegan snickerdoodles on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to finish setting, then transfer them to a wire rack. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making vegan snickerdoodles without cream of tartar, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥛 What to serve with snickerdoodles

There is nothing quite like a vegan snickerdoodle and plant milk combo, but you might like to venture into some more interesting drinks like these:

• Hokkaido milk tea: A Japanese-inspired drink prepared with milk, black tea, and light brown sugar.
• Champurrado: Masa-thickened hot chocolate sweetened with piloncillo.
• Rice atole: A creamy Mexican drink made from rice, cinnamon, and milk.
• Jasmine milk tea: Floral jasmine green tea served with milk and sweetener.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

If you’re making vegan snickerdoodles in advance, keep these storage times in mind:

• Room temperature: Snickerdoodles can be kept at room temperature for up to a week. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Once they are completely cooled, transfer your snickerdoodles to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months this way.
• Thaw: To thaw vegan snickerdoodles, bring them out to room temperature until they’re soft again.
• Freezing the dough: To freeze for later, roll the balls of dough in cinnamon sugar and line them on a baking sheet. Place the pan in your freezer until the balls are solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for storage.
• Reheating: We always love warming our cookies back in the oven. Heat them at 300 degrees F for about 60-90 seconds, or until warmed to your liking. If you’re using frozen cookies, they will take a bit longer to warm up.

♻️ Variations

• Gluten-free: Although we haven’t tested it, you can try replacing all-purpose flour with King Arthur Baking Measure for Measure gluten-free flour.
• Other spices: Create a unique twist on your snickerdoodles by adding spices like anise, chai, or cardamom. You never know. It could be even tastier!
• Cream of tartar: For a more classic recipe, make your vegan snickerdoodles with cream of tartar.
• Acid: If you’re missing the tangy flavor that cream of tartar provides but don’t have any on hand, add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to your dough.
• Pumpkin: Add pumpkin purée to the dough and roll the cookies in pumpkin spice seasoning for a fall version of snickerdoodles.
• Frosting: If you’re feeling adventurous, try cinnamon frosting on top.
• Chocolate chips: Add vegan chocolate chips to the dough before chilling it.
• Nutty twist: Try adding chopped pecans or walnuts for a crunchy texture.
• Coconut: Mix unsweetened coconut shreds into the dough for a sweet, tropical flavor.
• Matcha: For a green tea twist, add a little matcha powder.
• Chocolatey: Add ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Use softened butter: Ensure the vegan butter is softened for proper creaming with the sugar. Just don’t let it completely melt!
• Sift the flour: For more accurate measurements, sift your flour before measuring it. This will also help break up unwanted clumps and aerate the ingredients.
• Beat the butter and sugar: The more air you whip into the butter, the lighter and fluffier your cookies will be.
• Chill the dough: Don’t skip chilling the dough, as it helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
• Cookie scoop: For evenly sized cookies, try using a cookie scoop.
• Coat evenly: Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.
• Baking mats: Use silicone baking mats or parchment paper to avoid any sticking. 
• Use a thermometer: To reduce your chances of under or overbaking your vegan snickerdoodles, use an oven thermometer.
• Do a test: Since oven temperatures vary by design, we recommend testing a small batch first.
• Even spreading: Leave enough space between the dough balls on the baking sheet so they spread evenly.
• Let them cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. This will help prevent any breaking or crumbling.
• Transfer to a wire rack: After letting the cookies cool on the baking sheet, transfer them to a cooling rack right away to keep the insides soft.

🍴 More baking recipes

If you enjoy these vegan snickerdoodles without cream of tartar, try baking some of our other popular baked goods like these:

• 2-ingredient peanut butter cookies: Just peanut butter and powdered sugar.
• Cookie dough bites: No-bake chocolate chip cookie dough treats.
• Pumpkin banana muffins: Healthy, naturally sweetened, and fall-inspired muffins.
• Oatmeal raisin cookies: Chewy, soft, sweet, and raisin-packed cookies.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.