I adore snickerdoodles!  Maybe it has a little to do with the name (Yes, I am just that goofy – tee-hee!), or maybe it is the fact it is just a simple, uncomplicated yet really good cookie.  Snickerdoodles are unadorned except for the lovely cinnamon-sugar coating, with a crisper edge leading to a soft center.  Mmmm…

When I make Gluten Free Dairy Free Snickerdoodles, I like to bake them with someone I love.  This is a perfect cookie to get the whole family involved.  Even the littlest one can help roll the dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Snickerdoodles speak to me of lazy days curled up with my kids before the fire or picnics at the zoo.  They are a homey, comforting cookie.  A cookie that invites you to kick back and relax.  No wonder they are a favorite to so many people.

The Recipe: Gluten Free Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

This is adapted from a recipe I got from my Grandma. She made the BEST cookies and BEST pickles.

Ingredients

  • For cookie:
  • 1 cup gluten and dairy free margarine, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, replace eggs with 2 T ground golden fax and 6 T boiling water. Set aside until gelled and cooler, about 5 minutes. Add 1/3 teaspoon gluten free baking powder to dry ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla
  • 3/4 cup finely ground white rice flour
  • 10 tablespoons finely ground brown rice flour
  • 8 tablespoons sweet rice flour
  • 7 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch, or arrowroot
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons potato starch
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For coating:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Cream together the margarine and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until well incorporated, then add vanilla. Whisk together the dry ingredients (except for the coating ingredients). Add dry to the sugar mixture, mixing until well incorporated. Chill dough, covered, for a few hours to overnight. (This really helps to smooth out the more grainy flours and hydrate the dough so that you get the texture you want.)
  • When ready to bake, mix together the coating ingredients in a small bowl. Using a 2 tablespoon sized scoop and your hands, make nice round balls of dough. Roll the dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on a baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.