Desserts
Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy and incredibly fluffy.
- These cookies are crispy on the edges, but soft and gooey in the center.
- Jam packed with pumpkin spice flavor, making them the perfect seasonal cookie.
- Pretty quick and easy to make and only requires 30 minutes chilling time.
- As written, these cookies are completely vegan, plant-based and dairy free.
- Can easily be made gluten free with the use of gluten free flour blend instead of all purpose flour.
- They have that infamous tangy flavor from the cream of tartar.
- As written this recipe is completely nut-free.
- Check out my healthier snickerdoodles for another classic recipe.
Ingredients And Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles. Scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
This recipe calls for all purpose flour, however, if you wanted to make these cookies gluten free, you can easily swap for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthurs. I have not tested this recipe with oat flour, almond flour or coconut flour.
For the seasonings you will need pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use just cinnamon, or sub for a touch of nutmeg and all spice.
Baking powder will help these cookies rise during baking time and have a fluffy exterior. If you are gluten free, make sure the baking powder you are using is certified gluten free baking powder.
Cream of tartar is not required, but it is necessary if you are looking for an authentic tasting snickerdoodle. This ingredient is what gives the cookie that tangy flavor and fluffy, chewy texture.
A touch of salt helps balance out all the flavors.
Instead of butter, I used tahini which is a healthy fat content. You can however sub for butter, almond butter or cashew butter. I’d recommend sticking to a nut butter that is pretty simple and doesn’t have a ton of flavor, otherwise it will come out in the cookie.
Using two types of sugars is what helps create a fluffy, yet chewy cookie. For this recipe I used granulated sugar and coconut sugar. You can sub the coconut sugar for brown sugar.
Vanilla extract adds a lovely flavor to any baked good.
Use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
And of course for that cinnamon and sugar coating, use granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
How To Make
ONE: Start by squeezing out the excess juice in the pumpkin puree. Do this by placing the pumpkin puree in a couple pieces of paper towel, then squeeze until all the juice comes out. This is going to help create a more flat, yet chewy texture instead of being super pillowy.
TWO: Next, cream together the tahini and sugars for about 2 minutes on high speed in an electric mixture. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and whisk once more. Scraping down the sides as needed.
THREE: Add in the all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar next. Mix once more until just combined. Don’t over mix the dough.
FOUR: Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. When ready, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Prepare the cinnamon and sugar mixture in a small bowl.
FIVE: Take the dough out of the fridge and using a double cookie scoop, scoop the batter and roll into a ball with the palm of your hands and then generously coat in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then, flatten the dough into a circle with the palm of your hands before placing on the baking sheet. Top with more cinnamon and sugar if desired.
SIX: Bake for 12-15 minutes, let cool slightly before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Tips And Tricks
Use runny tahini, almond butter or cashew butter. Stay away from nut or seed butters that have palm oil, this will alter the texture of the cookies. I used plain tahini from Soom Foods.
The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a knife. Don’t scoop the flour with your measuring cup. This will result in overpacking your flour and you’ll have a very dense cookie.
Don’t over mix the dough. Over mixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you a gummy and dense cookie.
Press the cookies down slightly to help them spread during baking time.
Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 12-14 minute mark to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously chewy center.
How To Serve And Store
Serve these Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles warm with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea.
Store snickerdoodles in an airtight container on the counter and enjoy within 3-4 days.
Taste And Texture
These Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles have a tangy flavor due to the cream of tartar and are filled with pumpkin spice flavor.
The texture is crispy on the edges, but soft, chewy and gooey in the center!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes totally!
Yes, just use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthurs. I have not tested this recipe with oat flour, almond flour or coconut flour.
No, you don’t have too. But cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that tangy flavor.
Other Recipes You May Like
- Healthier Snickerdoodles
- Brown Butter Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Coffee Cake Cookies
- Small Batch Maple Butter Cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
If you make these Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below, under the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest!
