These gluten free snickerdoodles are soft, chewy and so easy to make. They’re perfectly sweet with just the right amount of cinnamon and made in one bowl. They can easily be made dairy free!
These gluten free snickerdoodles are more or less a cinnamon sugar cookie. They have a classic buttery flavor with just the right amount of cinnamon, both in the dough and in the cinnamon sugar mixture the dough gets rolled in.
They can easily be made dairy free and even vegan! All you need is a few simple pantry staple ingredients and about 10 minutes of active bake time. The dough does require chilling, but I promise it is SO worth it.
This is the perfect recipe when you’re craving some sweet but don’t want chocolate and need a no-fuss easy to make recipe. If you love these, be sure to try my peanut butter cookies next!
How to make gluten free snickerdoodles
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. You want to do this for about 1 minute or until it looks nice and fluffy.
Step 2: Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Step 3: Fold in all dry ingredients. Always be sure to spoon and level your flour to measure, don’t scoop right from the bag or you can end up with too much flour by accident.
Step 4: Scoop the dough into balls, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Bake for 11-15 minutes. They will continue to firm up when they cool, so if you like chewy gluten free snickerdoodles, take them out on the earlier side. Let cool before serving, then enjoy!
Make them vegan!
While I already have a gluten free and vegan snickerdoodle recipe, they call for almond flour and are not nut free like this recipe.
If you want to make these vegan, you can swap the egg for apple sauce, a flax egg or a store bought egg replacer.
To make a flax egg, just whisk 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let thicken for 10 minutes, then add it to the recipe as usual!
How to properly store cookies
let them cool fully, then transfer to an air tight container for up to 5 days. I like to pop one in the microwave before serving, just about 7-8 seconds does the trick!
You can also freeze them, either before or after baking. To freeze before baking, add the chill dough balls to a freezer safe bag. When ready to eat, bake at 325 Fahrenheit for 14-16 minutes.
To freeze after baking, let the cookies cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. Defrost in the oven until warm through the center!
Frequently asked questions
What does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodles?
Cream of tartar helps give snickerdoodles their slightly tangy taste. It also prevents the sugar from crystalizing and giving the cookies a crunchy texture. The cream of tartar and cinnamon are what set snickerdoodles apart from regular sugar cookies.
If you do not have any cream of tartar, you can replace it AND the baking soda with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Why did they spread flat?
These gluten free snickerdoodles should not spread completely flat! They have a very small (1/4 teaspoon) amount of baking soda to prevent flat cookies. It’s also very important to chill the dough!
Chilling cookie dough allows the butter to harden and the flour to absorb some of the wet ingredients which prevents rapid spreading. I recommend at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour but up to 24 hours. This also creates a richer flavor!
What flour is best?
I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour which I recommend here! You can use another gluten free all purpose flour, but make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix to ensure the cookies are not crumbly.
Try these cookies next!
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Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- ½ cup butter dairy free or regular
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose baking flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Rolling
- ¼ cup sanding sugar see notes
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the butter and both sugars to a bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together for about 1 minute.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour, don't scoop from the bag.
- Scoop into balls using about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of dough (I like these cookie scoops), then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour.
- During the final 15 or so minutes, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- The cookies will spread so I recommend only 6 on a baking sheet at a time. Bake for 10-14 minutes. They will continue to harden as they cool, so avoid over baking.
- Let cool so they don't crumble, then enjoy!
Deanne says
I followed the recipe exactly and monitored the baking as I am high altitude and am always cautious of the oven temp. Mine did not spread but stayed in a ball shape still, they tasted good. Next time I will bake 2 minutes less as they got very dry in texture
Claire Cary says
I don’t have experience with high altitude baking so I can’t offer much advice there. But I would try flattening the balls before baking and baking for a few minutes less as you mentioned.
Ashley says
I really like the flavor! By any chance is there a way to make it more moist? I cannot seem to find a single GF snickerdoodle recipe that isn’t so drying. Unless that’s just the way GF cookies are? I am new to Gf baking
Claire Cary says
These definitely should not be dry! I’d make sure you’re measuring the flour correctly, using a large egg and not over baking. If that still doesn’t work, you can add in 2-3 tablespoons of apple sauce.