Craving soft, chewy, and buttery snickerdoodles, but want an easy vegan version? Everyone who's tasted our easy vegan snickerdoodles has loved the taste and texture, and we're sure you'll be making them on repeat.
Love vegan desserts? Make sure to try these chocolate chipper chips and these easy cardamom snaps.
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About
The origins of the unusual name for this cookie are unclear, but it could be a corruption of the German name Schneckennudeln, which means "crinkly noodles".
Snickerdoodles most likely originated in New England during the 1800s, and have been popular ever since.
Ingredients
What makes vegan snickerdoodles different from regular ones? Fortunately, you won't have to do a ton of substitutions to make them vegan. It's easy, just swap the egg for applesauce and regular butter for vegan butter.
- Egg Alternatives: ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce is what our easy recipe uses. You can also use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (affiliate) stirred with 2 ½ tablespoons of water, then let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.
- Butter Alternatives: The vegan butter alternative called Earth Balance, sold in a plastic tub, works well in this recipe. Feel free to try the plant-based butter in a stick form as well.
- Cinnamon: Since cinnamon is the key spice in these cookies, make sure you're using top-quality cinnamon. Our absolute favorite is the McCormick Saigon cinnamon (affiliate), which has a delicate spicy flavor and rusty brown color.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for these easy vegan snickerdoodles.
- Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl.
- Beat the vegan butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes. Make sure that the mixer is on medium speed. Then, add the applesauce and vanilla, along with a spoonful of the flour mixture.
3. Gradually add the rest of the flour mixture, running the mixer on low speed until the ingredients form a dough.
4. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Mix together the additional sugar and cinnamon, then roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar.
5. Space the easy vegan snickerdoodles evenly apart on 11x17-inch cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, fitting 12 cookies per tray.
6. Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes per tray, then let them cool on wire racks. The cookies will look underbaked when they come out, but they will set up considerably as they cool.
Enjoy your freshly baked easy vegan snickerdoodles with family and friends! They won't last long.
Recipe FAQs
Easy vegan snickerdoodles are made with many of the same ingredients as the traditional ones except for the vegan butter and applesauce to replace the egg. Cinnamon gives them a touch of spice and cream of tartar their signature tanginess and soft texture.
Yes, you can make them without the cream of tartar, but the texture and taste will be different. Cream of tartar is the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles that differentiates them from sugar cookies. Cream of tartar gives the cookies a slightly tangy flavor and soft texture, and when combined with the baking soda in the dough, helps the cookies rise.
If you don't have any cream of tartar on hand, substitute it with 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice per ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar. That means for this recipe, you'll need 4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. If you're in a really big pinch, you could also use white vinegar.
The dough is quite buttery, so there's no need to flatten the snickerdoodles before putting them in the oven. The dough will naturally melt and flatten out as it bakes.
If your snickerdoodles aren't flattening out, you may have used too much flour.
Be sure to use a kitchen scale (affiliate) to measure your flour accurately. If your cookies are flattening out too much, your oven may not be calibrated (baking at a lower temperature than necessary), or you may not have used enough flour.
One cookie contains 92 calories, 14 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of protein, and 1 g of fat. For more about nutrition, check the nutrition label at the end of the recipe card.
Store
Freezer: Freezing is actually the best way to keep leftover snickerdoodles fresh for a longer period of time. Simply let the cookies cool completely on wire racks, then seal them inside a freezer-friendly zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Be careful not to overbeat the butter and sugar, or the vegan snickerdoodles may not flatten properly.
- Don't skip the cream of tartar or the cookies will have a different taste and texture. Substitute it with 4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar if you don't have any on hand.
- Use a high-quality cinnamon, such as Saigon, for the best taste.
- Dough too sticky? Add an extra ¼ cup of flour or chill the dough for a couple of hours.
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Recipe
Easy Vegan Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup softened vegan butter, such as Earth Balance
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Rolling
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, making sure the rack is in the center. Line two 11x17-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream them together on medium speed until the mixture has lightened in color and is fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla along with a spoonful of the flour and mix until combined.
- Sift the cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and the rest of the flour into the mixture and mix on medium-low speed until the dough is evenly mixed.
- Stir together the additional sugar and cinnamon in the small bowl. This is for rolling the dough balls before baking them.
- Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Place 12 balls per tray, spacing them equally apart.
- Bake the cookies at 375 F for 8 minutes per tray. The edges of the cookies will be set, but they will look soft, puffy, and underbaked. This is how they should look when they come out, as they will flatten and firm up considerably as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire to cool. Enjoy while warm or at room temperature. Repeat steps 6-8 with any remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- Make sure not to overbeat the butter and sugar, or the cookies may not flatten as well.
- Don't have cream of tartar on hand? Substitute it with 4 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar.
- It's best to use a high-quality cinnamon, such as Saigon, for this recipe.
- Is the dough too sticky to roll into balls? Add an extra ¼ cup of flour or chill the dough for a couple hours.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 16, 2020, but has been updated on November 16, 2021 with reformatted content.
Anita
These cookies are some of the best I have ever tried!! The texture is perfect and they have just the right amount of cinnamon. My new favorite cookie.
Emma
That's so wonderful to hear, Anita! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the snickerdoodles so much.