Sugar-Free Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe (Keto, Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Who doesn’t love a soft, chewy cinnamon spiced cookie? These are popular around Christmas, but requested multiple times a year in my household. The sweet buttery flavor is perfectly balanced with warming cinnamon and the signature tanginess comes from the cream of tartar. This detoxed cookie holds up to any traditional style snickerdoodle with a fraction of the calories and carbs and all the flavor and texture. 

Cream of tartar is an acid that reacts with the baking soda to give it more rise and a slight tang, you can adjust the amount of this ingredient to suit your taste preference. I personally love the tang.  These are deliciously simple cookies that take only a few minutes to whip up using basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

The Detox Desserts Flour Swap makes it easy to turn your favorite cookies gluten-free, while promoting healthy digestion. The psyllium husk contained in the Flour Swap and inulin contained in the Egg and Sugar Swaps both help to feed and increase friendly gut bacteria. Plenty of good flora in your intestines can promote a strong immune system along with digestive benefits. Whole psyllium husk binds waste and toxins in the intestines and helps clear them from the body. This easy recipe for sugar-free snickerdoodle cookies is not only free of unhealthy ingredients found in traditional cookies but it’s actually gently detoxifying to the body…double win!

The plant soluble fiber in the psyllium husk and digestive resistant fiber in the inulin work synergistically to slow down the digestion of this healthy cookie. The slowed digestion helps provide more blood sugar stability throughout your day which can keep you feeling full and satisfied. Blood sugar stability keeps energy levels consistent and prevents the crash one would experience after eating a traditional, carb-loaded dessert.

I’ve tested this vegan snickerdoodle cookie recipe with Whole-Grain and Grain-Free Flour Swap a few times. Cookies made with Whole-Grain Swap will have a few more slowly digesting carbs and have a hearty flavor from the buckwheat. The tanginess is more dominant and they have a soft, crumbly texture. The Grain-Free Flour Swap will provide this cookie's lowest carb (keto/paleo) version and has a slightly sweeter, nutty flavor and softer texture. I suggest using both flours (⅔ cup Whole-Grain plus ⅔ cup Grain-Free to equal the full 1⅓ cup of Flour Swap the recipe calls for) because it creates a flavor and texture profile that is most similar to a traditional snickerdoodle cookie. Plus, mixing the flours is a great way to create a lower-carb gluten-free snickerdoodle and still allows for a small dose of healthy grains.

For most of my patients, I’m an advocate of balanced macronutrient meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here is an easy way to choose your Flour Swap to create a balanced macro meal that incorporates dessert. We’ll use dinner as an example. If your dinner consists of just protein and veggies, I recommend eating dessert made with Whole-Grain Flour Swap to serve as your healthy carb source. Conversely, if you already had a healthy carb with dinner (quinoa, sweet potato, beans, etc), I recommend dessert made with Grain-Free Swap so you don’t overeat carbs at that meal. Easy, right?!

Balanced macro meals are the best thing you can do to keep your metabolism firing optimally, create blood sugar stability, and keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout your day (or night). If you’re a diabetic or need to stay in ketosis, always bake using the Grain-Free Flour Swap.

4. Use your medium sized cookie scoop to make equal sized dough balls, roll each ball in your hands then completely coat each ball in cinnamon sugar. Press each cookie down on the parchment paper. The Grain-Free dough is quite thick, so it’s easier to flatten and shape each cookie with your hands before coating it in cinnamon/sugar. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar on the tops of the cookies before baking.

5. Bake for about 8-9 minutes until puffed and slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet until they are cool enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Store covered in the fridge for up to a week or wrap tightly and freeze for longer term storage.

For the best taste, texture, and health benefits, refrigerate all Detox Desserts overnight before indulging.