Eggless Snickerdoodle Cookies

These eggless snickerdoodles are everything you want from a classic snickerdoodle. They’re soft and chewy, rolled in plenty of cinnamon sugar, and have that slight tang that makes a snickerdoodle taste like a snickerdoodle. And you don’t need a single egg to make them.

They’re also really simple. You don’t need applesauce, flax eggs, or any special egg replacer. Butter and a little milk hold the dough together, a short chill makes it easy to roll, and the cookies bake in about 12 minutes. They’re a great one to have in your back pocket for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, or any day you’re out of eggs and want something sweet.

Why You’ll Love These Snickerdoodles

These cookies are:

• made without eggs or egg substitutes
• soft and chewy with lightly crisp edges
• rolled in a thick layer of cinnamon sugar
• made with simple ingredients you probably already have
• ready in about an hour, including the chill time

They still have the classic snickerdoodle crackly tops, so no one will guess they’re eggless.

What Makes a Snickerdoodle a Snickerdoodle?

It’s the cream of tartar. Lots of cookies get rolled in cinnamon sugar, but cream of tartar is what gives a snickerdoodle its subtle tang. It also works with the baking soda to give the cookies their soft, chewy texture and crackly tops. Without it, you’d basically have a cinnamon-sugar cookie.

How Do You Make Snickerdoodles Without Eggs?

You don’t need to replace the egg with anything special. The butter adds richness and holds the dough together, and 3 tablespoons of milk add the moisture an egg would normally bring. It’s the same approach I use in my Eggless Gingerbread Cookies, and it means there’s no applesauce, banana, or flax to change the flavor.

Why Chill the Dough?

A quick 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge firms up the butter. That makes the dough much easier to scoop and roll, keeps the cookies from spreading too much, and helps them bake up chewy. You want it firm, not rock-hard, so don’t leave it in there for hours.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Unsalted butter. Make sure it’s softened but not melted. Butter that’s too warm makes the cookies spread too much.
• Granulated sugar. Most of it goes into the dough, and a few tablespoons go into the cinnamon-sugar coating.
• Milk. Whole or 2% milk adds the moisture an egg would normally bring.
• Vanilla extract. It adds warmth and rounds out the cinnamon.
• All-purpose flour. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh it. Too much flour is the most common reason eggless snickerdoodles stay round and puffy instead of spreading.
• Cream of tartar. This is what gives snickerdoodles their signature tang, so don’t skip it.
• Baking soda. It works with the cream of tartar to help the cookies rise and crackle.
• Salt. A little bit balances the sweetness.
• Ground cinnamon. This goes in the coating with the sugar. Be generous when you roll the dough balls.

How to Make Eggless Snickerdoodles

Step 1 – Cream the butter and sugar.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and ⅔ cup of sugar with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes, until it’s pale, smooth, and fluffy.

Step 2 – Add the milk and vanilla.

Mix them in until combined. It might look a little separated or curdled after the milk goes in, and that’s fine.

Step 3 – Whisk the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Step 4 – Make the dough.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low, or fold them in with a spatula, just until a soft dough forms. Try not to overmix.

Step 5 – Chill the dough.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, until the dough is easy to scoop and roll but not rock-hard.

Step 6 – Make the cinnamon sugar.

While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon.

Step 7 – Roll the dough in cinnamon sugar.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and roll it into a ball. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon sugar.

Step 8 – Flatten slightly.

Place the dough balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the baking sheets, then press each one down very slightly into a thick disc. Don’t flatten them all the way. This just gives the eggless dough a head start on spreading.

Step 9 – Bake.

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and spread, the edges look set, and the centers still look soft.

Step 10 – Cool.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. The centers will keep setting as they cool.

Tips for Soft, Chewy Snickerdoodles

Don’t wait for the centers to look done. Pull the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still look pale and soft. They finish setting on the baking sheet, and overbaking is the easiest way to lose that chewy texture.

If they don’t spread, flatten them a little more. Eggless dough doesn’t spread quite as much as dough made with eggs. If your first batch stays round, press the next batch down a bit more before baking, and double-check that you didn’t use too much flour. Don’t add extra milk to fix it.

If they spread too much, chill longer. Give the dough 45 to 60 minutes in the fridge before you change anything else.

If the dough is dry and crumbly before chilling, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it comes together. You usually won’t need to.

Can I Make These Dairy-Free?

You can swap the milk for any neutral nondairy milk. Vegan butter is a little less predictable because brands have different amounts of water, so the cookies may spread more. If you use it, chill the dough on the longer side before baking.

Storage and Freezing

Let the cookies cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days.

The dough freezes really well too. Scoop it into balls, but skip the cinnamon sugar for now. Freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough balls thaw a little, roll them in cinnamon sugar, and bake as usual. Doing the coating last keeps it from getting patchy in the freezer.

FAQ

Can you make snickerdoodles without eggs? Yes! Butter and a little milk hold the dough together, so you don’t need eggs or an egg substitute.

What does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodles? It gives them their classic tangy flavor and works with the baking soda to make them soft and chewy with crackly tops.

Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar? You can, but they won’t taste quite like snickerdoodles. Without it, they’re closer to a cinnamon-sugar cookie. For the classic flavor, it’s worth picking some up.

Why aren’t my snickerdoodles spreading? The most common reasons are too much flour, dough that’s too cold, or dough balls that weren’t flattened enough. Weighing your flour helps a lot.

How do I know when snickerdoodles are done? Look for set edges and centers that still look pale and soft. They’ll firm up as they cool.

Can I make them crispier? Yes. Leave them in the oven a minute or two longer for firmer centers and crispier edges.

Can I freeze snickerdoodle dough? Yes. Freeze the plain dough balls, then roll them in cinnamon sugar right before baking.

More Eggless Cookies to Try

• Eggless Gingerbread Cookies. These are made the same way, with butter and milk instead of eggs, and they’re rolled in sugar for a crackly finish too.
• Soft Eggless Pumpkin Cookies. If you love how soft these snickerdoodles are, the pumpkin version is just as tender and full of warm spice.
• Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re another egg-free cookie that’s great any time of year.
• 5-Ingredient Pecan Snowball Cookies. These egg-free cookies look great next to snickerdoodles on a holiday cookie tray.
• Classic Christmas Spritz Cookies. Bake these buttery little cookies alongside snickerdoodles for a cookie exchange.
• Copycat Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte. It’s a sweet, cozy latte to sip with a warm snickerdoodle.

And if you want more cinnamon in your life, try my Moist & Fluffy Eggless Pumpkin Bread for a cozy fall bake.