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Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic American cookie that are soft, pillowy and chewy with a coating of cinnamon sugar and although not the most show stopping of cookies, are a favorite amongst cookie lovers. My vegan version hits all those classic notes but I have some tricks and tips for making the perfect snickerdoodle that I’ll share with you!

Standard recipes call for flour, sugar, salt, butter or vegetable shortening (or both like my recipe), and eggs in the dough (I’ve substituted vegan yogurt as it adds moisture and tang), as well as a mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar for rolling balls of dough before baking. Most—but not all—rely on a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar for leavening. Purists believe cream of tartar is essential to the chewy texture and its slightly tangy taste. Cream of tartar activates the baking soda and keeps sugar crystals from forming, so the cookies end up pillowy rather than hard and crisp. Non-purists believe it’s the cinnamon-sugar that accounts for the appeal of these cookies, and leave the cream of tartar out, replacing it with baking powder for leavening which can be done but I don’t recommend it.

Some say that snickerdoodles originated in New England, and that the name is simply a nonsensical word that results from a regional naming tradition but others says they’re Pennsylvania Dutch Amish in origin. Some say that the name is a deviation a German word meaning “crinkly noodle” or “snail.” Though no one knows for sure where the snickerdoodle came from, one thing is for sure: This beloved American cookie seems to be here to stay!

Why my recipe is different!

No flax eggs! I found that the fat in vegan yogurt plus the added tang was what this recipe needed.
More cinnamon! I add cinnamon to the dough to amp up the flavor.
Vegan butter plus shortening! Butter gives flavor but shortening provides tenderness making these cookies softer and chewier than most other recipes.
Brown sugar! Most recipes just use granulated cane sugar but I found adding some brown gives the bake a bit more moisture and chew.

Tips for success:

Use a dense vegan butter like the stick style not from a tub. The sticks contain less water.
My recipe replaces eggs with vegan yogurt for moistness and tang. Use plain or vanilla style (I used Silk soy vanilla) but avoid fruit flavors obviously.
The baking of these is crucial if you want a chewy cookie. Over baking will eliminate that texture so do not over bake. All ovens vary and I bake with convection which cooks faster so I bake at 325° but standard ovens should be set to 350°. The size you make the cookies will also determine baking time. I use a 1.5” scoop to make sure they’re all uniform but if you make them larger or smaller, remember to adjust your baking time accordingly.
Take out the cookies when they look barely golden at the edges. They’ll seem underbaked but they’ll continue to bake as the cookie sheets cool down resulting in a perfect bake. They’ll puff up a bit when baked but will settle down once cooled. You do need to flatten them somewhat with the bottom of a glass otherwise they’ll be a puffy ball instead of a flat cookie.

Spice things up! Here are some flavor variations you might want to try:

Gingerbread spiced version: add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves to the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Add some mix-ins: Add dried cranberries and vegan white chocolate chips and a bit of orange zest to the dough. Add nuts like walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts.
Pumpkin spice version: add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the cinnamon sugar.
Eggnog inspired: add 1/4 teaspoon rum or brandy extract to the dough and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar mixture and replace the sugar with a colored version if you want to be super festive!
Funfetti snickerdoodles: add 1 teaspoon cake batter extract to the dough and add some rainbow sprinkles to the cinnamon sugar mixture.

I hope you enjoy these any time of year and don’t forget to rate and review if you try them!