These soft and chewy gluten-free snickerdoodles have an irresistible cinnamon-sugar coating and classic cracked tops! They're so easy to make, no chill time and no mixer needed. Made with almond flour, they have a nice neutral base for the cinnamon sugar to shine.
What was your favorite cookie growing up? In truth, I liked all cookies, especially jammy gluten-free thumbprints, but my one true love was snickerdoodles. I don't recall ever making them at home, so every time I ate a snickerdoodle it was a rare treat.
I've been honing my gluten-free snickerdoodle recipe for years and this final version puts all other cookies to shame. With an almond flour base, these tender cookies have a perfectly chewy center and crisp, crinkly edges.
Why you'll love these snickerdoodles
- Tender, soft and pillowy: The cookie bakes up tender and soft. If you like a cakier cookie, add 1 minute to the bake time! That soft pillowy cookie enveloped in a cinnamon-sugar coating is pure bliss.
- Chewy centers: As written, these cookies have a tender soft crumb, but the centers are chewy, just as a good cookie should be, in my opinion.
- Crisp crackly edges spiced with cinnamon-sugar: The snickerdoodle characteristic is that crisp cinnamon sugar blanket that gives away to the tender melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- Easy almond flour base: With a neutral almond flour base, these snickerdoodles pack all the nostalgia with none of the gluten.
- Easy with no mixer required: I've made these cookies plenty of times with just a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon!
Key Gluten-Free Flours Used for These Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
- Superfine Blanched Almond Flour: Almond flour offers a subtle sweet nuttiness and is one of the most neutral gluten-free flours to capture that classic cookie flavor and texture. If you can't tolerate nuts, use the fully tested oat flour version in the recipe notes.
- Millet Flour: Millet flour is a neutral flour here to balance the others out so the cookies are neither too gummy nor too crisp.
- Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour offers chewiness and adds to the fluffiness of the cookies. It's what keeps the cookies from being too dense.
Why no cream of tartar?!
There will be purists who insist these are not snickerdoodles and instead just sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Classic snickerdoodles must have cream of tartar, they say. It's what gives the cookies their soft texture and unique tang. And while that may be true for traditional snickerdoodles, I've made this gluten-free recipe many times, both with and without cream of tartar. All my taste testers unanimously agree that this non-cream of tartar version is the best.
The only perceivable difference is the texture, with this version softer and fluffier, more like classic snickerdoodles, without any flavor compromise. My best guess is that gluten-free flours are just more flavorful than all-purpose flour, which masks the taste effect of cream of tartar. You can add a teaspoon of cream of tartar if you insist, but your cookies will be thinner.
If you want soft sugar cookies, here's my favorite recipe for soft gluten-free sugar cookies!
How to Make Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
These snickerdoodles are super easy to make.
Cream the butter and sugar together - you can do this with a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or even by hand with a wooden spoon.
Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom, but do not overmix or the batter will get greasy from the almond flour.
Scoop then roll 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll into a ball. I recommend a medium cookie scoop!
Roll each cookie ball in the cinnamon sugar.
Place 2-inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 11-13 minutes!
Prefer Cakey Cookies?
If cakier rather than chewy snickerdoodles are more your jam, these cookies will still work for you! Just add 1 minute to the bake time until the centers appear fully cooked and your cookies will be even more pillowy soft!
Freezing Cookie Dough
After you roll the cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar, freeze the balls in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Bake directly out of the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to your bake time.
Recipe
Soft & Chewy Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles with almond flour
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) super-fine blanched almond flour, see nut-free version below
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (172 g) millet flour
- 1 cup + 1½ tablespoons (132 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, I recommend organic sugar which is coarser
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, millet flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed butter and beat on medium speed until just combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs, beating until the flour is just completely combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon coating together.
- Scoop then roll 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll into a ball with your palms. Toss each cookie ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Working in batches, bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, until set, but still very soft. (See note below). For nut-free version, bake only 10 minutes. If baking from frozen, add 1-2 minutes to your bake-time. Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Bake time
For me, 11 minutes is perfect. I've had my oven calibrated, but every oven is slightly different, so if you've got the time, I recommend baking one test cookie and letting it cool for a few minutes. The cookies will look and feel under-baked when they first come out of the oven and will firm up as they cool. If you cook them too long, they won't be as soft and chewy and will become cake-like (still delicious!).Nut-Free Version
Now that both my kids attend nut-free schools, I've developed a nut-free version of this recipe that's just as delicious. For a nut-free version, replace the measurements for almond flour, millet flour, and tapioca starch with these quantities below and reduce the baking time to just 10 minutes.- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) gluten-free oat flour
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons (110g) sweet rice flour (also called Mochiko and is different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour")
- ½ cup (74g) millet flour
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (103g) tapioca flour
Tatiana -
Not needing to be GF myself, I am very picky. I believe that these snickerdoodles are the best that could possibly be accomplished with GF ingredients. I can only very slightly tell they are GF. The taste is fantastic and I am left wanting more. Hubby loves them.
oli -
Thank you Sara for this AMAZING recipe!! I didn't have millet flour, so I replaced it with glutinous rice flour and replaced sugar with erythritol. These cookies turned out so fluffy and delicious– I can always count on your gluten-free recipes!
oli -
Thank you Sara for this AMAZING recipe!! I didn't have millet flour, so I replaced it with glutinous rice flour and replaced sugar with erythritol. These cookies turned out so fluffy and delicious– I can always count on your gluten-free recipes!
Natalie -
WOW these snickerdoodles look soooo good! Wouldn't believe it's gluten free. I have to try it soon :)
Debbie Feely -
Wahoo! My first true success! I’m following Bojon Gourmet and after a problem with millet flour Bob’s Red Mill suggested I try again. Alanna pinned this just as I needed a recipe with millet and baking soda instead of baking powder (searching out bitter flavor). These turned out exactly as you describe. I’m so encouraged. I cannot eat any of the gluten substitutes out there so I’m so happy to find a few of you don’t depend on them. Thank you!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean -
Oh my, it's been too long since I've had a snickerdoodle. These look absolutely pillow soft, perfectly sweet and you've captured them so beautifully, Sarah! I was never picky as a kid when it came to cookies... but most of the cookies I ate came from a slice and bake log or a package - a far cry from homemade! But as an adult, anything chocolate chunk or short bread. But it's easy to forget about how fabulous snickerdoodles are... seeing these makes me long for a giant one - the kind you can get at Pike Place Market in Seattle! Delicious work, Sarah!
2pots2cook2 -
Love the idea of gluten free version and, of course, your photos just urge me to try doing these beauties ! Thank you so much !
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
I stand with Alanna. These cookies are PERFECT, and I usually am suspicious of gluten free cookies (Never yours though, obviously ;) And seriously, THANKS for the tip about the dough and stinky cheese. TOTALLY something I would do. "Forge ahead!" haha!
Abby @ Heart of a Baker -
Ohh I love these little cookies! I'm not a cookie purist, so I love that these have sugar and spice and everything awesome!
Alanna -
Ahhhhh you made these so pretty! I can attest - these cookies are doodle perfection! I hope you saved me some??? ;)