Name: Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1/3 cup white sugar; 1 egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 1/3 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour; 2 teaspoons tapioca starch; 1 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips; 1/4 cup sanding sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon

These brown butter chocolate chip snickerdoodles are like three cookies in one! With a rich buttery flavor, lots of cinnamon and chocolate chips, these gluten free snickerdoodles are a one bowl, family favorite recipe.

gluten free snickerdoodles with melted chocolate chips

Brown butter, cinnamon sugar, melty chocolate chips… these gluten free snickerdoodles are like the three best cookies in one!

There’s no crazy ingredients, so if you’re a regular gluten free baker, you probably already have everything in your pantry.

The dough does require chilling to ensure the cookies don’t spread prematurely, but I promise it’s worth the wait. If you love this recipe, try my classic gluten free chocolate chip cookies next!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Loaded with flavor
Easy to make
Crispy edges
Gooey centers
Pantry staple ingredients

Key ingredients

BUTTER. We’ll brown the butter on the stove which creates a really rich and almost nutty flavor that works so well in snickerdoodles.

SUGAR. A mix of white and brown sugar will ensure the cookies are chewy on the inside and have a slight crisp on the outside.

EGG. One egg will bind all ingredients together and help give that chewy texture.

VANILLA. A generous two teaspoons of vanilla extract will add a lot of flavor to these gluten free snickerdoodles.

FLOUR & TAPIOCA. We’ll use gluten free all purpose baking flour as the base, and then a bit of tapioca starch to help absorb some of the excess moisture.

CREAM OF TARTAR. Cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles the distinct tangy flavor and chewy texture.

CINNAMON. We’ll add cinnamon into the cookie dough plus roll the cookie dough in a cinnamon sugar mixture. I like using sanding sugar because it has a courser texture.

two images showing how to make the dough

How to make gluten free chocolate chip snickerdoodles

Cut the butter into 1 inch cubes and add to a pot over medium/low heat. Once melted, stir fairly continuously for about about 5 minutes while it sizzles.

It will turn golden brown and the milk solids at the bottom will be toasty brown. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat safe bowl and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Once it has cooled, add to a mixing bowl with both sugars and cream for 1 minute. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 20 seconds.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Add in all dry ingredients, aside from the chocolate chips, and mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

two images of the cookie dough before baking

Mix the sanding sugar and cinnamon in a small dish. Use a 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and scoop into balls.

Roll in the cinnamon sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set all the dough balls in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Ensure you have enough space between each cookie for spreading, then bake for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

I like to use these round cookie cutters to create perfect circles and swivel around the cookie as soon as they come out of the oven.

Let cool on the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

gluten free chocolate chip snickerdoodles on a wire rack

How to store and freeze

TO STORE: To store these gluten free snickerdoodles after they have baked, keep them in a container with the lid slightly ajar for up to 4 days. They can get a bit mushy if the lid is fully covered (at least in this Texas heat)!

TO FREEZE: You can freeze both the cookies after they bake and the cookie dough before baking. If you freeze after baking, allow the cookies to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 1 month.

To freeze before baking, scoop, roll and chill the dough as usual, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 325 for a few extra minutes to account for the frozen dough.

TO REHEAT: To reheat the cookies, just pop in an oven at 300 and heat until warm through the center. Just a few minutes if the cookies were at room temperature, but closer to 5-10 if they were frozen.

stack of the gluten free cookies with melted chocolate chips

Can I make them vegan or dairy free?

DAIRY FREE. You can definitely swap the butter for a dairy free alternative like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s. Just keep it mind it doesn’t brown quite the same as regular butter.

It will take a bit longer than regular butter, but keep a very close eye on it and stir constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.

VEGAN. You can likely swap out the egg for an egg replacer since we only have one in this recipe. My suggestion would be either a flax egg, apple sauce (about 3 1/2 tablespoons) or a store bought egg replacer.

one bite taken out of the cookie to show gooey texture

If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below!