Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

These gluten free snickerdoodles are the classic, super-soft cookies you remember, with that classic, crisp cinnamon-sugar crackle outside. Follow my tips to make sure the sugary crust always sets up just right!

Why this recipe works

The cinnamon-sugar on the outside is kind of crunchy, and the inside is a bit chewy and almost cakey, with a tender crumb. The dappled brown color should come mostly from the cinnamon-sugar coating, not from more than just a little caramelization on the bottom and sides.

To get them just right, double-coat the soft cookie dough in cinnamon-sugar, then bake them at a high temperature for only about 10 minutes. That way they crackle as they bake, but don't brown too much.

Key ingredients explained

As you gather the ingredients to make these cookies at home, here's what each does to make these cookies:

• Butter – Adds moisture, tenderness and flavor. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before starting this recipe so that it's at between 68°F and 70°F when you're ready for it.
• Sugar – Adds sweetness and tenderness because it locks in moisture. The cinnamon-sugar blend on top of the cookie also creates a crispy shell.
• Pure vanilla extract – Adds depth of flavor. Artificial vanilla has more intense vanilla flavor, but the pure kind made from vanilla beans has more complexity.
• Gluten-free flour blend – Be sure to choose a blend that provides enough support that the cookies don't flatten too much in the oven, with finely ground rice flour as its base. I like Better Batter's classic blend, which has enough xanthan gum already or Nicole's Best multipurpose, with added xanthan gum. If you're using Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 in the blue bag, it will work but add another 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum since it has too little. For information on making your own blend, see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page.
• Salt – Brings out the other flavors and balances sweetness.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm spicy flavor and lots of rich aroma.
• Baking soda – Reacts with cream of tartar to create rise, and helps the cookies brown in the oven.
• Cream of tartar – Reacts with baking soda in the oven to create rise that then falls a bit to create the signature crackled texture, plus adds a tanginess that's unique to snickerdoodles.

How to make gluten free snickerdoodles (step by step photos)

The full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below. Here are some step by step photos to guide you, and explanations of why the recipe instructions call for the steps they do:

1. Make the raw cookie dough

Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour with xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cream of tartar) to avoid any clumps which could cause pockets of over-risen and under-risen cookie dough.

Beat the butter and sugar for 4 minutes, until the butter absorbs the sugar and the mixture becomes fluffy. This aerates the cookie dough and makes a thicker, fluffier cookie. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until just combined to avoid overbeating the egg.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, creating a thick, fluffy, sticky cookie batter.

Wrap and chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator to allow the flour to absorb some of the moisture and so the dough is cold. That will make the cookie dough easier to handle, and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.

2. Shape the dough

Use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to divide the dough into 12 roughly even 2 tablespoon portions of chilled cookie dough. A #40 cookie scoop works perfectly, if you have one.

Place the portions 2 inches apart from one another on a lined baking sheet, to give the cookies enough room to spread without overlapping. Roll each piece of dough into a ball in clean palms.

3. Coat the cookies

Combine the cinnamon-sugar rolling mixture in a small bowl. Place each ball of dough in the mixture one at a time and shake and rotate the bowl to coat the dough in the mixture.

Replace the dough on the baking sheet and let it sit for about 5 minutes so the dough can absorb some of the coating. Repeat the process, coating each ball again in cinnamon-sugar. This is how we guarantee that the coating is thick enough to crackle and crack as the cookies flatten and bake in the oven.

4. Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies in a hot oven, at 375°F, only for about 10 minutes. They'll flatten, rise, and then fall a bit as they crisp on the edges, brown on the bottom, and crackle all around.

Let them sit for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet until they're stable enough to transfer off the baking sheet onto a bare wire rack to finish cooling.

Expert tips

Don't skip the cream of tartar

Cream of tartar gives the cookies their iconic tang and chewiness, transforming them from butter cookies to snickerdoodle cookies.

Cream of tartar is a dry, white acidic powder that’s made when grapes are fermented into wine. You’ll find it in the spice aisle of most regular grocery stores, and it’s super useful for lots of things like stabilizing beaten egg whites instead of using lemon juice.

Chill the raw dough

It can be frustrating to wait for the cookie dough to chill for an hour before shaping and baking it. But chilling the dough is essential to making it less sticky, so you can roll it into rounds, and to preventing it from spreading too much in the oven.

Coat the dough twice

A proper snickerdoodle has a thick layer of cinnamon sugar that caramelizes slightly in the oven as the cookies bake and crackles as they spread. The key to getting that thick-enough layer of cinnamon sugar is the double coat.

Toss the disks of raw cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture once, wait 5 minutes for the cookies to absorb some coating. Then toss them again in the mixture.

For thicker cookies

You can also shape the dough as directed in the recipe, but freeze the shaped and dipped dough until solid before baking it. The edges will be lacy and the cookies thicker overall.

Ingredient substitutions

Dairy free

I’ve made these cookies successfully with Earth Balance buttery spread in place of the butter, but they do spread a bit more. Try using 7 tablespoons (98 grams) instead of 8 tablespoons, or 112 grams), to help control the spread. You might have more luck using vegan butter, like Miyoko’s, Melt, or Trader Joe's own brand.

Egg free

I recommend trying a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). Bob's Red Mill's egg replacer or Just Egg refrigerated liquid egg replacer are also worth trying.

Cream of tartar

Cream of tartar has two functions in these cookies, and we have to replace them both: tangy flavor, and rise from a chemical reaction with baking soda. You can replace it with an equal amount of citric acid, if you have that. Otherwise, try replacing both 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. For some tanginess, add 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar.

Storage instructions

Store them in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

You can also prepare the raw dough ahead of time, shaped and coated, in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week before baking. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, and consider coating again in cinnamon sugar in case any has fallen off during storage.

For longer storage of finished cookies, place them in a freezer-safe zip top bag, squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

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