Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy inside, these gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies are perfect for Christmas and the holiday season. A batch of these come together very quickly, and are great as homemade gifts or just snacking on whenever you have a craving for sweet cookies! Also dairy-free, but no one would know, so make sure you keep this easy snickerdoodle recipe handy!

What are Snickerdoodles?

If you don’t know what snickerdoodle cookies are and have never tried them before, you’re in for a treat!

Highly popular in the United States, snickerdoodle cookies are essentially a type of cookie made with sugar, butter or oil, and flour, which are rolled in cinnamon sugar before being baked. These cookies are often leavened with cream of tartar and baking soda, and a distinguishing characteristic in their appearance is the cookies’ unique cracked surface.

What’s the Difference between Snickerdoodle Cookies and Sugar Cookies?

While many people refer to snickerdoodles as sugar cookies, there are a few differences. First up, sugar cookies are rolled in sugar only, while snickerdoodles are rolled in a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon.

In terms of taste, snickerdoodle cookies have a slightly tangy taste because cream of tartar (the powdered form of tartaric acid) is used a a leavening agent together with baking soda. As for texture, snickerdoodles also tend to be chewier than sugar cookies as well.

A Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Version

I’ve had it on my list to test and develop a gluten-free and dairy-free snickerdoodle recipe for a few months now, and I’m so glad I’ve finally got to it! I’ve used coconut oil in place of butter to make them dairy-free, and of course I’ve used gluten-free flour as always.

These snickerdoodle cookies are a HUGE hit at home (Juan loves them!), and the recipe comes just in time for the holiday season! Because the holidays and Christmas means eating plenty of cookies, so make sure you keep this snickerdoodle recipe handy, because these cookies are crazy good!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredient Notes/Substitutes:

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I highly recommend using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch), as this will result in a lighter texture. I do NOT recommend flour blends that use heavier flours such as bean flours as that will result in a denser texture.

• Xanthan Gum: In this case, xanthan gum replaced the role of gluten in a gluten-free flour blend. If your blend already includes xanthan gum, you can leave it out completely.

• Cream of Tartar/Baking Soda: Cream of tartar is the powdered form or tartaric acid, and despite the word “cream” in its name, it does not have an dairy at all. Cream of tartar is essential in a snickerdoodle recipe because it prevents the sugar from crystallizing to get a light and fluffy and chewier texture, and also and gives the snickerdoodles the traditional tangy taste, which is what sets it apart from a typical sugar cookie. However, if you don’t have cream of tartar, simple replace the cream of tartar and the baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead.

• Sugar: I’ve used light brown sugar in this snickerdoodle recipe, but feel free to swap it out for equal amounts of normal white sugar or dark brown sugar. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend that you use Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute with zero glycemic index).

• Coconut Oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil in my baking because it has a neutral flavor (as opposed to refined coconut oil which has a strong coconut taste and smell). If you don’t have coconut oil, feel free to use palm shortening or vegan butter in equal quantities instead. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead of use butter if you prefer.

• Egg: I personally haven’t tried this snickerdoodle recipe without an egg, but I believe it should work with aquafaba or an egg-replacer.

• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is essentially what sets snickerdoodle cookies apart from normal sugar cookies, so I would not omit this.

How to Make these Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies:

1. Preheat and Line

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line two large baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

2. Whisk Flour Mixture

In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine.

3. Cream Sugar and Coconut Oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and coconut oil together until you get a light and creamy mixture.

4. Add Egg and Vanilla

Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract and whisk to get a smooth liquid mixture.

5. Prepare Cookie Dough

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk well until a soft dough is formed. Let dough chill for 5 minutes in the freezer.

6. Form Small Balls

Once the dough is chilled, scoop out 1 teaspoon of dough and roll into small balls (approximately 1 1/2-inch balls) and place them on a plate. You should get about 18 to 20 balls in total. Let the balls chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. 

7. Prepare Cinnamon Sugar:

As the cookie dough balls are chilling, mix the light brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a shallow bowl until you get a homogeneous mixture.

8. Roll Balls in Cinnamon Sugar

Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until they are coated all over. Place the coated balls on a plate and let them chill in the fridge for 5 minutes.

9. Bake till Golden

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets at least 3 inches apart (roughly 9 balls per sheet) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden, rotating the sheets halfway through.

10. Cool Completely

Let the gluten-free snickerdoodles cool for at least 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Helpful Tips/Tricks:

• Chilling the Dough: When testing the recipe, I realized that chilling the dough even just 5 minutes before rolling it into small balls makes the dough so much easier to manage. Also, chilling the dough balls before placing them on the baking sheet and baking ensure that they do not flatten out too quickly or too much.

• Use a Silpat/Parchment Paper: Lining the baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper is important to prevent the dough from sticking to the sheets. I highly recommend using a silpat because it’s reusable and ensures that the baked cookies never stick, but parchment is fine as well if that’s what you have!

• Allow Cookies to Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool completely as they continue to cook with the residual heat. When just fresh out of the oven, they may break easily, so patience is key! Wait a few minutes before transferring them from the baking sheet to a wire rack for them to finish cooling.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

• Easy Buckwheat Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Coconut Macaroons (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Almond Butter Coconut Flour Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Double Chocolate Almond Coconut Cookies (Grain-free)
• 8 Amazing Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes

Holiday Recipes to Indulge in:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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