Vegan Snickerdoodles Made with Pumpkin, Spice & Everything Nice

Vegan & Gluten-free Snickerdoodles That Taste and Smell Just Like the Snickerdoodles We Remember

Until two weeks ago, it had been years since my last snickerdoodle cookie. Then my friend Heide and I celebrated our recent birthdays together at a local restaurant. Snickerdoodle mounds (rather than flats) were in their bakery case. We noted that they were made with almond flour and pumpkin purée and ordered two of them, expecting not so much. Instead, we were so surprised with their wonderful texture and taste, that we wanted to make them ourselves. Once home, I searched online for vegan snickerdoodles with almond flour and pumpkin, and found a promising recipe on the blog Wholesomelicious.com.

Heide went back to see if she could get the recipe from the restaurant. While there, she photographed the list of ingredients. Preferring a vegan recipe, I decided to make the online recipe with just a few adjustments.

Pumpkin Purée in Snickerdoodles?

According to Martha Stewart, “in recent years, as dessert mash-ups became wildly popular, the name snickerdoodle has been applied to cinnamon-flavored desserts of all kinds. You’ll find recipes for snickerdoodle cupcakes, coffee cakes, pies, tarts, ice creams, puddings, lattes, and beyond, including cookies that include pumpkin purée.”

Besides adding moistness, the pumpkin turns the snickerdoodles a beautiful shade of gold, just as if they were made with eggs with deeply golden yolks. And, this happens without the cookies tasting of pumpkin.

A wonderful surprise that these modern, vegan snickerdoodles taste and smell just like the snickerdoodles we remember.

Our Family’s Snickerdoodle Memories

Ever since my (slightly) older sister, Sharon, brought home a Snickerdoodle recipe from her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Seiber, in the mid-1950’s, they became a family favorite. Our mother continued to make snickerdoodles for PTA events, Girl Scout, Brownie and Cub Scout events, school events, bake sales, picnics, and just because. My sister even remembers our mother creatively decorating the tops of her snickerdoodles with colorful icing and sprinkles.

Signature Cracks on Tops

Admittedly, I was hesitant and most suspicious when the department administrative assistant I worked with at UC Berkeley brought in a batch of her snickerdoodles. Could they really be snickerdoodles being smooth rather than with cracks on top?

She explained that she had changed the recipe. (Unheard of at the time.) She made her cookies with all butter instead of the recipe required vegetable shortening. Despite the sacrilege, those, too, were delicious snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodle History   

“Snickerdoodles have their own Wikipedia entry – perhaps some disagreement over the actual original recipe and history of the name, but no disagreement about their place in American food lore. All are in agreement over how special the ‘silly named’ cookies are…to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee/tea and a good friend.”   Sharon Kaiser

Vegan Snickerdoodles Made with Pumpkin, Spice & Everything Nice

• Inspired by and lightly adapted from a recipe from Amy at https://www.wholesomelicious.com/
• Vegan, Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
• So easy and quick to make and bake. Recipe is easily halved, doubled or more.
• As freshly baked snickerdoodles have the best flavor and texture, I usually make half a recipe at a time.
• For those of you wondering why “cream of tartar” is not listed in the ingredients list, there’s a simple answer. Baking powder consists of 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). No need to measure cream of tartar and baking soda separately when one measure of baking powder will do.

Makes 18, 1 ¾-inch cookies                    Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ tablespoons organic granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Position an oven rack in the oven’s middle position.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, pumpkin purée, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
4. Use a rubber spatula to combine the wet and dry ingredients
5. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
6. Use a #40 scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to form balls (about 1 ¾ inches in diameter). Roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies to about ½ inch thick.
7. Bake the cookies for about 13-14 minutes. They will feel firm on top, though be soft in the center.
8. As they cool, the centers continue to firm up a bit more.
9. Let the vegan snickerdoodles cool completely before removing them for storage.

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