Healthier snickerdoodle cookies

These snickerdoodle cookies is what I have been craving lately. I guess it is the season! Soft, chewy and cinnamony cookies is what I am all about right now!

As a European, I had never heard of snickerdoodle cookies before I became a food blogger and followed a lot of (American) food bloggers on Instagram. What is a snickerdoodle? Where does the name snickerdoodle comes from? I looked it up and found a few different possible-origins; it might derive from the German Schneckennudel – a German Pastry similar to a cinnamon roll, but also that it has its origin in New England, that is was called Snipdoodle first and it wasn’t a cookie to begin with but a coffee cake topped with cinnamon sugar.

I guess what matters is that snickerdoodle cookies are really good and that I came up with a slightly healthier version!

Is there such a thing as a healthy snickerdoodle cookies?

A healthy snickerdoodle cookie, is there such a thing? Healthier, I would say, it is still a cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. I used healthier, less processed ingredients. Here is what worked and what didn’t.

the flour

I tried to make these cookies with spelt flour which works perfectly. I also made a batch using 1-to-1 gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill) and that worked as well. White whole wheat flour (which is hard to come by (here in Nicaragua)) was my third attempt and that worked like a charm as well! So if you don’t want to use all purpose flour these are 3 more wholesome options.

the sugar

To replace refined white sugar, I made a batch with coconut sugar. The cookies turned out soft and chewy and very similar to snickerdoodle cookies made with regular granulated sugar. Organic raw cane sugar is another great substitution with similar results. Using a liquid sweetener such as agave or honey changes the texture of the cookie too much, so I wouldn’t recommend using that if you want to stay close to the original texture and taste. And overall I used a bit less sugar in my recipe, without compromising the general outcome of the cookies.

the butter

Lastly the butter; I used less butter than in classic snickerdoodle cookies. To make sure the cookies still spread while baking I add a teaspoon of (plantbased) milk to the dough.

I tried to swap regular (dairy) butter for vegan butter or margarine. There were no significant differences to the outcome of the cookies; both resulted into soft, chewy cookies with the same look as original snickerdoodle cookies. I also made a batch of cookies using coconut oil. It works for sure, but the taste of the cookies changes a bit I have to admit.

How I make these healthy snickerdoodle cookies?

In a large mixing bowl I cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer on medium-high. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes. I continue until the butter mixture is pale and fluffy. After stopping the mixer, I add the egg, (plant based) milk and the vanilla extract and continue on medium-high until everything is incorporated.

I stop the mixer to add the dry ingredients; the flour, cinnamon, salt, cream of tartar and the baking soda.

Note: I highly recommend using a scale to measure (the flour) instead of using measuring cups. Too much flour will prevent the cookies from spreading, so they will look like little balls instead of round discs. It’ll also make them taste dry or cakey, rather than soft and chewy.

With a wooden spatula I mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. I make sure not to over mix the dough, because you want to dough to be airy and light. It will be a tiny bit sticky, but not too much that it sticks to the ice cream scoop.

For best results, I seal the bowl with cling wrap and chill it for 20 minutes. In the meantime I preheat the oven to 250F/175C, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and I get my (medium size) ice cream scoop out.

Once the dough for these soft cinnamon cookies is chilled, I take it out of the refrigerator. In a small bowl I mix coconut sugar and cinnamon. I scoop dough with the ice cream scoop and let them fall in the cinnamon sugar. With my fingers I gently roll the dough ball through the sugar until well coated. Now I place the sugared dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. I fill it with 8-10 balls. I slightly press down the center of each ball before baking them in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes.

The snickerdoodle cookies are ready when the edges are set. I make sure not to over bake them. They should be soft and chewy, not crispy! I let the cookies cool off on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack where they can cool off completely.

These snickerdoodle cookies are SO good! We all love them here in this household. I hope you do too. They are:

soft and chewy – not overly sweet – perfect to make with kids – made with wholesome ingredients – SO delicious!

Looking for more holiday spiced treats? How about this speculaas banana bread, gingerbread letter cookies, no bake apple pie bites, or these quick and healthy mini cinnamon rolls?

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you like this recipe, please consider rating it with the star rating system and leave a comment below – it’s so helpful for us and other readers. Thank you! And don’t forget to snap a picture if you make this and tag @familicious.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #familicious. Awesome! You can also find us on Facebook and Pinterest.