Grain-free Snickerdoodle Cookies
gluten-free | grain-free | tree nut free | refined sugar free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | January 25, 2024
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These grain-free snickerdoodle cookies are everything a snickerdoodle should be… sweet, soft in the middle with crispy edges, and allergy-friendly! I was seriously amazed at how good these cookies turned out. There are a few secrets to getting the soft yet crispy texture just right, but they are pretty easy to master! Crinkly, crispy, soft and bursting with cinnamon sugar flavor… these grain-free snickerdoodle cookies are definitely going to be a staple in your homestead kitchen!
Pioneer Recipe
Did you know that snickerdoodle cookies are actually a pioneer recipe? While this recipe does vary a little bit from what a traditional pioneer snickerdoodle cookie would be, it falls pretty close to being a healthier version of a traditional snickerdoodle.
A pioneer snickerdoodle was actually called a scotch cookie. Scotch cookies are very similar to our modern-day snickerdoodles and molasses cookies. They were easy for the camp cooks to make and usually contained the simple ingredients that the pioneers would have had on hand: flour, sugar, and molasses. If there’s one thing that you should know about the early pioneer ingredients, it is that molasses and dried fruit were pretty common ingredients in both trail meals and baked goods! But that’s beside the fact, let’s get back to the cookies.
For these grain-free snickerdoodles, I omitted the molasses since I wanted to stick to a classic snickerdoodle-cinnamon-sugar flavor. Aside from being a traditional pioneer recipe, these snickerdoodles are also allergy-friendly, making them a great modern pioneer recipe too! These snickerdoodle cookies are:
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- tree nut free
- corn free
- refined sugar free
These snickerdoodle cookies are a traditional pioneer recipe turned into an allergy-friendly modern pioneer treat! Wait ’till you give ’em a try!
Snickerdoodle Fun Facts
‘Snickerdoodles’ is just a fun word to say, never mind a delicious cookie to eat! I don’t often wonder about the origin of a recipe, especially when they taste as good as snickerdoodles do, but sometimes I do get a little curious about how some baked goods got their name.
While the recipe for ‘snickerdoodle-like’ cookies have been around for a long time, they haven’t always been called snickerdoodles. Many believe that snickerdoodles have a Dutch or German origin. The Amish seem to have a favoring for snickerdoodle cookies and they are a common staple in many Amish country bakeries. Others say that the snickerdoodle name came from England, where they were known to give their baked goods unique names just for the fun of saying them!
Regardless of where the snickerdoodle recipe came from or how they got named, I like both eating and baking these fun, delicious little cookies! However, I must say, my favorite origin story for snickerdoodles is probably that they were made by the pioneers and camp cooks when the American West was being settled.
Also, if these grain-free snickerdoodle cookies aren’t quite enough to satisfy your cookie baking cravings, make sure you check out these recipes:
- grain-free double chocolate cookies
- gluten-free flourless monster cookies
- gluten-free s’mores cookies
- grain-free peanut butter cookies
The Secret to Making Perfect Snickerdoodles
Okay, so I mentioned earlier that there are some secrets to making these snickerdoodle cookies. While I am positive that they will taste good no matter how you make them, I can guarantee that if you follow these certain tips, your grain-free snickerdoodles will turn out just like a traditional snickerdoodle cookie! Normally I would include any recipe secrets in the Recipe Tips section below, but since these secrets are important ones for this recipe, I decided to make a special section for them!
Tip #1. Create A Stir– The first secret to these cookies is pretty easy, simply hand stir your batter! You might not think that hand stirring versus beating would make a big difference in cookies, but it does! I have read countless accounts where people have tested this theory with their snickerdoodles and have always preferred the hand mixed ones. So roll up your sleeves and get out your mixing spoon!
Tip #2. VIP Ingredients- The second secret has to do with the cookie’s ingredients. The cream of tartar and baking soda in this recipe are what help give these cookies their perfect texture. They provide some leavening to the cookies, but they also provide that soft interior texture and crispy edges to these cookies.
Tip #3. Just Chill– The last secret that I want to make a point of mentioning is the chilling of the dough. I have found this step to be essential for preserving the texture of these cookies. Something about baking the cold dough at a low oven temperature makes the texture of these cookies amazing! So yes, I know you have to wait for the chilling, but trust me, it’s well worth the wait! And it makes the sticky dough sooo much easier to roll into balls!
How to Store Snickerdoodles
Storing cookies has never been a really big deal in my house. I like just about any cookie frozen, so I usually store mine in the freezer. However, there are other cookie storing options!
These grain-free snickerdoodle cookies are actually one cookie that I don’t mind if they are left room temperature or if I freeze them. I like them both ways! Snickerdoodles can be enjoyed fresh from the oven, cooled and at room temperature, or frozen!
Before storing the cookies at all, make sure they are completely cooled. I let my snickerdoodles cool on a wire rack before moving them to a storage container. Letting them completely cool also allows them to finish getting nice crispy edges and prevent moisture from building up in the storage container.
Once they are completely cooled, they should be stored in an air-tight container. At room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh for 4-5 days. Stored in the freezer, they can last 3-4 weeks without getting frosty.
Snickerdoodle Recipe Tips
Besides the few baking secrets I shared with you earlier, these snickerdoodle cookies are fairly easy to make. They require all the essential and traditional steps of making snickerdoodles, like shaping them into balls and rolling them in a cinnamon sugar mixture. If you follow the snickerdoodle secret baking tips I shared above along with these baking guidelines, your snickerdoodles should turn out perfectly!
- Room Temp– Ideally, all of your ingredients should be at room temperature. You can set out all your ingredients ahead of time to let them come to room temperature, however, if you don’t have the time for that, the most important ingredient that should be room temperature is the eggs.
- Dairy-free– You can substitute coconut oil for the butter in this recipe. Either one should be mostly melted in order for the dough to have the right consistency.
- Flour Substitutions– I have not tried this recipe with any flour substitutions. However, you can use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour in these cookies.
- Egg Free– I have also not tried making an egg free version of these cookies. The egg helps keep these cookies together and adds some moisture.
- Sticky Dough– After the dough has been chilled and you start making the dough balls, you may have to periodically stick the dough back in the fridge to keep it from getting too sticky.
These grain-free snickerdoodle cookies have the perfect sweetness, the amazing cinnamon sugar coating that’s classic for snickerdoodles, and the perfect soft yet crispy texture! You won’t be missing traditional snickerdoodles after you have a bite of these!
Grain-free Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic, grass-fed butter melted
- 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup pure maple sugar
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- 1 large free-range, organic egg room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- 3 T. coconut flour
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Rolling Mixture
- 1/2 c. coconut sugar
- 1 T. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, coconut sugar, maple sugar vanilla extract, and room temperature egg. Stir until combined.
- Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt, cinnamon, and coconut flour. Stir until combined. Add the maple syrup and tapioca flour and stir until the dough is smooth.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the cinnamon sugar ingredients in a small bowl.
- Once the dough has chilled, take tablespoon size pieces and roll them into balls. If the dough seems a little sticky, let it chill for longer. Roll the cookie balls in the cinnamon sugar then place them on the baking sheets. Leave at least 2" of space between each cookie since they will spread. Sometimes it helps to roll the ball around in the cinnamon sugar mixture then finish rolling it into a perfect ball once its coated in sugar to reduce its stickiness.
- Flatten each dough ball slightly. Bake for 14-15 minutes. The cookies should flatten and be lightly browned around the edges.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. These cookies can be eaten fresh or frozen!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Anthony’s organic tapioca flour
- Barred Woods maple sugar
- Anthony’s organic coconut flour
- Simply Organic vanilla extract
- Anthony’s cream of tartar
- Bob’s Red Mill baking soda
- Anthony’s organic coconut sugar
- Simply Organic ground cinnamon
- Supplies: cookie baking sheets, unbleached parchment paper
These grain-free snickerdoodles cookies are the perfect pioneer recipe that has been turned into a classic, allergy-friendly modern pioneer treat! They make an amazing holiday dessert or a cozy mid-afternoon snack. The soft, sweet insides with the crispy, delicate edges will melt in your mouth. Good luck having just one of these delicious snickerdoodles!
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