Dreamy Vegan Snickerdoodles
Dreamy Vegan Snickerdoodles- cinnamon sugar cookies with perfectly chewy edges and a pillowy soft center. So good that you would never guess that they’re gluten-free and dairy-free!
I feel kind of silly calling a cookie dreamy but that’s the best word I can think of to describe these snickerdoodles. They’re like the Ryan Gosling of cookies.
They look mostly innocent yet still give off that bad boy exterior that makes you reallllly want to take a bite. But what you didn’t realize is that what’s inside is actually good for you and you don’t feel so bad afterwards. Instead you’re left with pure and total bliss.
Are we still talking about cookies?
Okay seriously, you guys. These snickerdoodles are everything you could want and more. They don’t call for any eggs or butter and they’re made from whole grain, naturally gluten-free flours. However, the texture and the flavor is so incredible that you would never guess that they weren’t your grandma’s favorite recipe from way back when. I’m telling you, they’re perfect.
I based them off of my Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies but used almond flour (shout out to my fave Bob’s Red Mill) instead of almond meal for a finer texture. I also tested them with both vegan butter and coconut oil. Both will work but I found the coconut oil gave them a slightly softer texture.
Speaking of texture, what makes these so great is that the edges are nice and chewy but the center is soft and pillowy. Finding that balance is not easy, my friends.
It took me a few tries to get them right and eventually I discovered that the trick is to under bake them. For me that means exactly 10 minutes, but it could be a little less or a little more depending on your oven. When you see them start to puff up and slightly spread out with just a few crackles on the top is when they’re just right!
Dreamy Vegan Snickerdoodles
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 20

Ingredients:
Cookies
- 1 cup almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup oat flour*
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup solidified unrefined coconut oil**
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or organic brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
Topping
- 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Stir to mix then set aside.
For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oat flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift together then set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl using a hand mixer), add the solidified coconut oil, coconut sugar, cane sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk. Cream together on high speed for about 20-30 seconds, until well-combined.
With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl two parts. Allow to mix until a dough forms, for about 30 seconds. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides then mix again on high for 15 seconds. If the dough seems to dry/crumbly, continue mixing until a smooth dough forms. If it still seems to dry, try adding 1-2 tablespoons of plant-based milk and mixing again.
Take 1 and 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the dough balls into the cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, until they are puffy and just starting to spread. Be sure to peak through the oven door when checking on them rather than opening it and letting the heat out. If you cook them too long, they will spread too much.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They might seem soft in the middle, that’s okay! As the coconut oil cools, the middle will solidify more. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days at room temperature.
*Be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour for allergies, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
**If coconut oil isn’t soft enough to scoop at room temperature, try microwaving it (without the lid) for about 10 seconds. This should make it so that it’s scoopable but still solidified enough.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Oh. My. Gosh. These snickerdoodles look AMAZING, Sarah!! I love that they’re so soft and chewy – that’s my favorite type of cookie. ;)
Me too! Thanks Sarah!
Haha – If these are the “Ryan Gosling of cookies” I simply HAVE to have them ;)
I love your use of almond and oat flours – so healthy and so decadently delicious looking!
Haha! I’m glad you share my sentiments on Ryan Gosling. :)
I LOVE snickerdoodles and haven’t had any in so long since I haven’t found any good DF or GF versions. These look perfect though!
Thanks Kelli! I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out. :)
I’ve been searching vegan snickerdoodle reicpes all day and randomly clicked on your blog and saw these! Making them tonight!
Yay! It was serendipitous. :)
I hope you enjoy them!!
Loved your description of these beauties! They look really delicious. Sometimes we just have to use those kinds of adjectives to describe anything, including a finished food product like these!
Do you have any suggestions on checking on the baking cookies if you don’t have a glass front stove? Mine is a solid metal door and I can’t peek through it! Thanks for any help you can offer. :)
P.S. I read through your recipe a few times and can’t find the oven temp to bake the cookies.
Oh no! Thanks for catching that, Jerilyn! I just fixed it. It’s 350. :)
As far as your oven goes, I would say to check them between 9-10 minutes. At that point they should be mostly done!
Mmmm I love Ryan Gosling…..I mean cookies! Haha. Though now I am officially distracted from work with thoughts of Ryan Gosling…..
I am totally a snickerdoodle lover!!! These look so fantastic. Having a soft center is KEY :)
I completely agree! Thanks Tara! :)
I’m allergic to almonds.. What do you think I could substitute the almond flour with? Can’t wait to try these! Thanks! :)
Hi Brianne! I wish I knew of something else but almond flour is a very important part of the recipe because of it’s fat content. The only thing I can think is another sort of nut flour, like hazelnut flour. But that usually has the skins which could make it gritty. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
RYAN GOSSLING COOKIES?!! Sign me the eff up! These cookies do look magically dreamy – I wouldn’t in a thousand years think they were eggless! Huge kudos to getting the recipe just perfect! I’m always up for an almond flour + coconut oil cookie adventure and now I’m fantasizing about spending some quality time with Ryan Goss–err…I mean, these snickerdoodles ;)
The Ryan Gosling of cookies….I love it! These DO look dreamy Sarah — you did an amazing job with these! It’s definitely not easy getting that balance of soft-pillowy inside and chewy outside, especially without eggs. I don’t think I’ll ever make regular snickerdoodles after seeing these!
Such pretty snickerdoodle cookies!! And I love the ingredient list. I’ve been seeing so many holiday cookie recipes that call for SO MUCH butter and sugar, and all I can think is how unnecessary it is when you can make delicious cookies that are just better for you. I’ve been all about tricking friends & neighbors with holiday treats that taste decadent but are pretty healthy as far as desserts go!
Oh my, Sarah!! I adore snickerdoodles as much as a tender peanut butter cookie, so these are totally flippin my switch! They look pillow soft, and as you said, dreamy! I’ve yet to try buttery coconut oil, but have got to give it a go. I’m certain it would change the way I bake! I don’t think I would share these, though… I’d be hoarding them all to myself! ;)
My daughter is vegan and I was thrilled to find your recipe to make her a special treat for Christmas. But…Did I do something wrong? Mixed your proportions according to you directions but the “dough” was SO dry I added another 1/4 of the coconut oil. Was afraid to add more but the drought was still very dry. I managed to roll into balls but the never flattened; they remained in a ball. . They taste okay but still dry. Suggestions?
I’m so sorry to hear you had issues with this recipe, Loretta. I tested it three times and they were not dry at all. Did you use solid state coconut oil? And did you add almond milk?
What brand almond flour did you use?
I swear this recipe used to call for just oat flour. Did you change it?
Yes! I personally prefer the recipe you see here as it requires less coconut oil. But I saved the old version in case you would rather that one. Here it is:
1 and 1/2 cups oat flour*
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (could sub soymilk or coconut milk)
1/2 cup unrefined melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter
1/8 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for rolling
I made these cookies today for my son who is lactose intolerant. They are delicious, but mine looked nothing like yours. They were, once cooled flat like an oatmeal cookie, but still tender and soft in the middle. I don’t think anyone will mind the different appearance when the taste is so good. My dough was very soft, so maybe next time I will refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes before baking to see if they will spread less. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Vivian! First of all, thank you for taking the time to comment to let me know how they turned out! I think the issue is that they probably need to cook for less time in your oven. The goal is to take them out right as they begin to spread and still look puffy. For me this was around 9-10 minutes, but it could be shorter for you.
That’s assuming you used solid-state coconut oil. If you used melted coconut oil then that would cause them spread faster.
But like you suggested, refrigerating the dough would also help. I hope they turn out better for you next time!
Hi. When I take them out of the sugar and cinnamon, do I put them on the cookie sheet like that? Or do I flatten them out with a fork? These look devine.
Hi Mary! You just put them on the cookie sheet, no need to flatten them. They should spread on their own when baking. I hope you enjoy them!
Thank you for a fantastic recipe! I’ve made them twice…the only change I made is to use all coconut sugar…they look slightly darker, but taste great! My college age daughter asked me to send some in a care package!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear these turned out well for you. Thank you for letting me know!
Pingback: 30 Healthy Ways to Enjoy a Snickerdoodle Cookie - Ritely
These cookies are really good! I put them in for 10 minutes and let them cool but, they weren’t completely done in the middle so I had to put them back in which made them go a little flat. Even after that they stayed very soft after a couple days!
Hi Sarah! They are actually supposed to be a little soft in the middle but they will firm up as you let them cool. Since they are vegan, there’s no worry about under baking them. As the coconut oil cools, it solidifies which will make the cookie seem less undercooked. :)
Pingback: Grain-free Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cookies - Making Thyme for Health
Pingback: 30 Festive Treats To Make the Season Bright | Hummusapien
Pingback: 20 Christmas Cookies for Vegan Santa – Honey Lune Hivery
Is there any substitute for cream of tartar?
The cream of tartar gives them a distinct flavor but you can try substituting it with baking powder!
Pingback: Spice Up Your Life: Cinnamon - Noom Inc. | Noom Inc.
Sarah – thank you for the recipe. While delicious, I have to say mine have a distinct “tang” to them. Is this the cream of tartar?
Hey Ashleigh! Yes, it’s the cream of tartar that gives them the tang. That is supposed to be the signature taste of snickerdoodles. You can leave it out if you don’t like it though. :)
My husband asked me to make some cookies for his men’s bible study, so I made some snickerdoodles. Since he is a new vegan and I knew another guy was GF, I found your recipe and decided to try it. I made my husband try both cookies and he loved this one the best. Then I took the leftovers to a meeting and was asked to make them again for another meeting the next week! (from a non-vegan) They really are delicious! Thank you!
I love hearing that, Dede! Thank you for sharing that with me. :)
Can I use coconut sugar only, instead of part cane sugar? Thanks!
You can but they will be less like actual snickerdoodles which use cane sugar. They’ll still be delicious just more caramel flavored. :)
Amazing, moist cookies! I made them tonight. I wasn’t expecting much as I measured my coconut oil in my liquid form, and then I froze it for a few minutes. It was hard to mix it with the sugar. So I thought I did something wrong. But actually I was amazed by how they came out. Mine they were still shaped as a ball after 13min, with some cracks on the surface. They were a bit crunchy on the outside and nice and moist on the inside. I will definitely make them again. My husband loves them. They are nice and healthy and on top of that vegan. What more could you ask for? Thank you, Sarah for this wonderful recipe!
Pingback: The best vegan versions of all your favorite holiday treats
I want to make the old version of these cookies ( in the comments), but it calls for melted oil. How would I change the directions to reflect that? Thanks!
You can just mix the ingredients in a bowl using melted oil!
I’ve made these cookies many times before and they’ve always been delicious. Then I moved to Colorado and the elevation is causing them to flatten out. They aren’t as pillowy and soft as they were in Ohio. Do you have any suggestions for adjusting the recipe? Thanks!
You might try chilling the dough for at least an hour prior to baking. That should help prevent them from spreading too much!
These cookies look and sound great…I really want to roll out the dough and roll it for pinwheel cookies so I’m going to try the “old” recipe which is all oatmeal flour no almond.