These Gluten-Free Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles have a soft and chewy center and slightly crispy edges with hints of warm chai spices. Made with coconut sugar, these cookies have a lower glycemic index than those made with granulated sugar.
These Gluten-Free Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles are a totally satisfying gluten-free cookie!
One of my favorite cookie recipes to make when my kids were young was Snickerdoodles. I haven't made them for years, so I decided to try a gluten-free version. A well-made Snickerdoodle cookie should have a soft and chewy center and slightly crispy edges.
I decided that life without the occasional Snickerdoodle was definitely missing something, so I searched online for a good gluten-free recipe. The Washington Post had one that appealed to me, and since I had just made a batch of my own Chai Spice Mix, I set out to adapt it and make it a little healthier.
This recipe for gluten-free Snickerdoodles delivers! It's made with coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar, giving it a delicious caramel flavour.
🛒 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these gluten-free snickerdoodles. You'll find a complete list with quantities in the recipe card below.
- gluten-free flour blend (I use Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill)
- cream of tartar* (see note)
- baking soda
- Chai Spice Mix
- sea salt or Kosher salt
- butter or coconut oil
- coconut sugar
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
🔪 Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then combine the two. Roll the batter into balls, then roll them in a sugar-chai mixture
Next, flatten the dough balls slightly and bake!
❓Reader's Questions
Cream of tartar gives Snickerdoodle cookies a unique tangy flavor and helps to keep the inside of the cookie soft. Cream of tartar and baking soda work hand-in-hand to act as a leavening agent.
While the cookies won't taste quite the same without it, a substitute for cream of tartar in cookie recipes is baking powder.
If you don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute the 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar AND the ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. The result will not be identical, but the cookies will still be good!
🥶 How to freeze gluten-free snickerdoodles
Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer. They will last for up to 3 months.
If you want to make this dough long before you need the cookies, you can form it into a thick disc, wrap it tightly and freeze it in an airtight container. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight and have warm baked gluten-free snickerdoodles at a moment's notice!
Alternatively, you can form the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight container.
Crinkly tops, spiced with chai, soft and chewy--it's not only their name that makes these cookies fun to make--and eat!
Enjoy, everyone!
🗒 More recipes for gluten-free cookies and bars
- 20 Favorite Gluten-free Christmas Cookies and Bars
- Cranberry Pecan White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Orange Cardamom Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
- No-Bake Chocolate Almond Snowballs
🌟 Did you make these gluten-free snickerdoodles?
When you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Chai Spice Mix* NOTE: you will only use 2 teaspoon of this mix to make the Snickerdoodles and ½ teaspoon for rolling them.
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 teaspoon ground ginger
For the cookies
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I use Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill)
- ¼ teaspoon xantham gum (if your g/f flour blend doesn't contain it)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar* (see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Chai Spice Mix*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For rolling
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon Chai Spice Mix*
Instructions
- Combine the spices to make a small bottle of Chai Spice Mix to use in this recipe and save the remainder for another time.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together--flour, (xantham gum), cream of tartar, baking soda and 2 teaspoons of the Chai Spice Mix.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, beat the butter or coconut oil with the sugar until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days. At this point, you can also freeze the dough to bake at a later date.
- Make the rolling mixture by combining 6 tablespoon coconut sugar with 1 teaspoon Chai Spice Mix in a small bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll it into balls in the palm of your hands. Roll in the sugar/spice mix and space 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Using the base of a glass, gently flatten each cookie slightly.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. The cookies may look slightly under-baked. Don't overbake or they will be dry. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer carefully to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was adapted from Chai-Spiced Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles in the Washington Post.
Joanne
Can another flour be subbed for the gluten free blend?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Joanne, I haven’t tested this recipe with anything else yet, so I really can’t advise you. Apologies!