Thick, soft, and warmly spiced, you won't be able to get enough of these gluten free snickerdoodles! Coated in cinnamon-sugar and made with whole grain oat flour, these cookies make the kitchen smell like a dream, and they are utterly delicious.
Classic snickerdoodles (essentially chewy-soft sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar) are always a favorite! My gluten-free version keeps all the traditional flavors and textures of this beloved cookie but trades oat flour for all-purpose flour.
My girls LOVED these cookies (I didn't tell them they were gluten-free, either). And, the house smelled amazing while they were in the oven. Snickerdoodles are certainly welcome any time of year, but I particularly love them in the holiday cookie box along with gluten free peanut butter blossoms, oat flour sugar cookies, and gluten free shortbread.
Jump to:
Why I Love Oat Flour Snickerdoodles
Making gluten-free versions of favorite treats is kinda my thing, and these snickerdoodles are so good I doubt anyone will notice they're made with oat flour!
- Irresistibly soft. I do love a chewy cookie, but there's something about snickerdoodles that makes me want them to turn out more cake-like. These cookies totally hit the mark.
- Feel so festive. The scent of spices wafting from the kitchen always signals "holiday" to me (although these are yummy no matter the season).
- Kids love 'em. If my girls are any indication, I think most kids will gobble up these cookies in a flash.
For more holiday cookie ideas, see my post on gluten free Christmas cookies!
Ingredients Needed
Simple cookie ingredients and a few spices are all you need to make these cookies! Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter brought to a softer room temperature so that it easily blends into the dough.
- Sugars - A mix of granulated sugar and light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs - Large or medium-sized eggs work.
- Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Spices - Ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Baking powder
- Salt - I used fine sea salt, and table salt works fine, too.
- Oat flour - My forever-fav gluten-free oat flour is lovely here, bringing structure and whole-grain goodness. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free blend or my homemade gluten free flour blend, or try brown rice flour instead.
- Rolling mix - Cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's an overview in photos of how to make these cookies:
1. Cream butter: Cream the butter and sugars, then add the eggs.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Combine: Beat the dry mix into the butter mix, then chill the dough.
4. Roll: Form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon sugar.
5. Press down: Arrange on a lined baking sheet and press down lightly.
6. Bake: Place in a 350F oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Chill the dough. Once combined, the dough is pretty wet, as are many gluten-free cookie doughs. Place the bowl in the fridge to let the oat flour hydrate and the butter firm up a bit. This will make them easier to form.
- Other spices. A classic snickerdoodle has lots of cinnamon! But I love to make this into cardamom cookies by swapping the cinnamon in the topping for cardamom. Or try another ground spice you like.
- Use cream of tartar. I prefer a more cakey cookie, but other recipes call for a combo of cream of tartar and baking soda. If you like, try 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar + 1 teaspoon of baking soda rather than baking powder.
- Freeze the dough. I love making cookie dough and freezing it for another time! Roll the dough balls, skip the cinnamon-sugar, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes or until firm. Then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen.
Can I Give These as Gifts?
Yes! I love adding gluten free snickerdoodles to my holiday cookie tin, and they keep really well. I like to line my tin or box with parchment, then add the cookies, then cover tightly with plastic wrap before replacing the top. This helps to keep the cookies fresher, longer.
Proper Storage
- Counter - In an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place cookies in a freezer-safe bag with little squares of parchment between each one to prevent sticking, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge before eating or adding to cookie boxes.
More Oat Flour Cookie Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups oat flour (360 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Rolling
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the 1 cup unsalted butter with the ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar. Add 3 large eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla and mix until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups oat flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Beat the dry mix into the butter mixture until combined. Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- When ready to bake the cookies, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, stir together the ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
- Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon balls and roll each in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Place on the prepared baking sheets and lightly press down on each one.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just set and very lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon to lightly flatten the tops if you like, then cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Linda Varro says
These cookies are delicious! My dough was very soft and sticky and hard to roll into balls. I think I made the balls too big as the cookies really spread out and then fell apart when I tried to take them off the cooling rack. Suggestions? I did sub out the butter for Becel as I needed them to be dairy free. Don't know if this would have made them crumble.
Nicole Spiridakis says
Hi - were you able to let the dough rest in the fridge for a bit? It is definitely a soft/sticky dough and hydrating and chilling it will help make it easier to work with. I'm not familiar with Becel but it should work similarly to butter. Also, were the cookies fully cooled when you moved them? Let me know!