Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

Soft, thick and perfectly chewy, these dairy free snickerdoodles are a MUST for the holidays or any day of the week! Buttery without the actual butter and packed with cinnamon sugar goodness, they are seriously delicious and easy to make. Soy free. 

A white plate filled with Dairy Free Snickerdoodles with coffee to the side.

In the mood for a little baking? Well then let’s get in the kitchen and make these dreamy dairy free snickerdoodle cookies!

Soft and puffy, yet still perfectly chewy in the centers, these little babies are hard to resist. 

And are of course packed with plenty of cinnamon sugar goodness. 

They also feature a touch of cream of tartar (which is dairy free despite the name!). 

We use this to give the cookies that ever so slight hint of tang + extra softness that makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle. And not just a regular ol’ sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. 

Make these for the holidays, make them for a random friday night. 

And maybe serve with a big glass of almond milk or oat milk for washing down. Yes to the yes.

A glass mixing bowl filled with cookie dough and a spatula.

How To Make Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

So, let’s talk about how these simple cookies go down.

Mix the dry ingredients. First up, we’ll whisk together our flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

Beat the wet ingredients. Next, we’ll beat together some softened coconut oil and sugar until nice and fluffy, then add in an egg, egg yolk and plenty of vanilla. 

Combine then chill. The two get mixed together and then the dough gets transferred to the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. 

Roll in sugar. We’ll form our chilled dough into balls, before rolling in a dreamy cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Bake until just set. Finally, we’ll pop our cookies in the oven and bake until lightly golden and just set around the edges. 

The hardest part? Letting them cool slightly before grabbing one straight from the baking sheet.

Four white plates with a Coconut Oil Snickerdoodle on each.

Tips & Tricks 

  1. I use unrefined virgin coconut oil in these cookies. I personally don’t think you can taste any coconut flavor (thanks to all the ground cinnamon), but if this concerns you use refined coconut oil instead. 
  2. Now, along those lines, you want your coconut oil to be softened but NOT melted. When it’s chilly in the house, I pop mine in the microwave (after scooping out the correct amount) for about 5 to 10 seconds to get it to that softened state. But sometimes during the summer, I don’t need to soften it at all. 
  3. I have NOT tested these with dairy free butter (the brands I can find near me often leave a weird aftertaste), but I think it should work in place of the coconut oil if you want to go that route.
  4. When measuring out your flour, fluff it in the container then scoop into your measuring cup with a spoon and level off. Don’t dunk the cup straight into the bag as you’ll likely use too much.
  5. Finally, while I normally try to avoid my stand mixer for cookies, I’ve found that this dough comes together nicer and easier using one. A hand mixer will still work, you just may need to beat the wet ingredients longer / fold in the flour mixture by hand.  

A white plate stacked with Dairy Free Snickerdoodle Cookies.

How To Store

Counter: Let the cookies cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. They’ll keep like this for about 4 to 5 days at room temperature.

Freezer: Store cooled and baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough to bake off at a later time. Prepare the dough balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (they can be close together), then transfer to your freezer. Once hard, add the balls to a freezer safe bag or container, then keep in the freezer until ready to enjoy.

Bake straight from the freezer, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time (but keep an eye on them as you may not need to add any time at all).

A Dairy Free Snickerdoodle on a plate with a bite taken out.

Additional Dairy Free Cookies You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

Yield: about 17 to 18 cookies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Soft, thick and perfectly chewy, these dairy free snickerdoodles are a MUST for the holidays or any day of the week! Buttery without the actual butter and packed with cinnamon sugar goodness, they are seriously delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup solid-state coconut oil, softened (but not melted)   
  • ¾ cup pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract               

For rolling:

  • ¼ cup pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the coconut oil and sugar on medium for 2 minutes, until sort of fluffy (it won’t look quite the same as with regular butter).
  3. Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat again for about 30 seconds, until well combined. 
  4. With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. 
  5. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for rolling.
  8. Scoop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the chilled dough and form into balls (about 1 ½ inches in size). Roll / press the balls in the sugar mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart.*
  9. Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes, until the cookies are just set (they’ll look a little underdone in the centers but that’s okay - don’t overbake!). Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Notes

*If you find the cinnamon sugar coating doesn’t really stick when rolling - place the balls on the baking sheet and then sprinkle the mixture over the tops instead (I’ve found this dough sometimes doesn’t stick well when rolling in the sugar). 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.