Snickerdoodle Sandwichs (Gluten & Dairy-free)

Everyone must love the warming spice and sugar overload from a snickerdoodle. I first tried these delicious cookies on a Sunday afternoon at Broadway Market after buying them from a delightful vegan cake stand. If it wasn’t for that cake stall, I might have gone another 30 years without realising the joy of these little spicy cookies. But like all great recipes I wanted to experiment, making sure it's gluten and dairy free while bringing my own little twist. Elevate an already perfect recipe by sandwiching two snickerdoodle cookies together with buttercream. This truly is one of the best gluten and dairy free snickerdoodle cookie to have with an early grey tea in the afternoon.

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What is a snickerdoodle?

The origin of the snickerdoodle isn't fully known but believed to have come from German descent and brought to America. It was popularised in New England during a time of whimsical cookie creations. It is very similar to a sugar cookie and can be either soft or hard in texture (Personally, I prefer a softer snickerdoodle). It's traditionally made with sugar, flour, fat, salt and cinnamon. Over time eggs have been added to the recipe, as well as bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. The cream of tartar and cinnamon are the two ingredients that truly bring the classic snickerdoodle cookie flavour that Americans have fallen in love with over the decades.

Additional Note: This recipe has been inspired by traditional snickerdoodles and whoopie pies to create a modern twist to a classic treat. If want a more classic gluten and dairy-free snickerdoodle recipe I suggest omitting the buttercream and rolling the cookie in a sugar-cinnamon mixture before baking. Then serving as individual cookies instead of the chunky sandwich-style cookies.

Ingredients you'll need

I always recommend using the best quality ingredients and sustainably sourced when possible. Also, if this is your first time cooking gluten-free for someone with Coeliac disease, I always recommend checking the ingredients label before using because Gluten can sneak into recipes when you least expect it. Below is each ingredient you will need:

• Granulated sugar - White granulated sugar works best with this recipe. If you want a subtle hint of molasse and an even softer cookie you can swap the granulated white sugar for light brown sugar at a 1:1 ratio.

• Egg - I only cook with organic free-range eggs. However, I am conscious that cooking gluten-free is already very expensive, so any quality egg will do. The egg quality won't change the flavour of these cookies.

• Almond milk or soya Milk - I tend to stick with using either; almond or soya milk, as my partner is dairy-free. But any gluten-free milk alternative will do. I have experimented with all types of alternative milk, swapping that out at a 1:1 ratio and never encountered any problems. If you're not dairy-free, you could experiment with using whole milk.

• Dairy-free butter - You'll need a vegan block butter in this recipe as it's solid at room temperature. If you tried to use oil instead it would make the cookie dough too wet. Luckily enough, there are tons of dairy-free/vegan block butters on the market these days. I tend to either use Stork Block butter or Naturli Vegan block, the latter is my preferred due to being less processed.

• Vanilla extract - Use a good quality vanilla extra in this recipe as you want a flavour to compliment the cinnamon. Don't use a vanilla flavouring or essence as this won't deliver the same complex flavour. Also, vanilla flavourings and essences might need different measuring sizes.

• Gluten-free plain flour - I tend to only ever cook with a gluten-free plain flour blend from Doves Farm FREEE foods. The blend contains rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, maize flour and buckwheat flour. You could experiment with using alternative brands for gluten-free plain flour or using your own gluten flour plain flour blend by recipe but results may vary.

• Xanthan gum - Depending on the gluten-free flour blend you use you might want to omit the Xanthan gum or reduce the amount. It's typically needed to give the cookie dough its structure replacing the need for gluten and making it easier to work with.

• Salt - Table salt is all you need. Don't be afraid of adding salt to your baked goods, as salt helps enhance flavours.

• Ground cinnamon - You will want to use ground cinnamon here. The newer a jar of ground cinnamon, the better the flavour, as it will deteriorate over time. But don't worry if you have an old jar of cinnamon as these cookies will still taste delicious.

• Bicarbonate of soda - When combined with liquid bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) will release gas, helping to create light and airy cookies. Just remember to space the cookies out as the bicarbonate of soda will also cause them to spread out, and if they are too close, they will stick to each other.

• Cream of tartar - Don't leave this ingredient out! It helps create the classic Snickerdoodle cookie tang we love. Also, it will work with bicarbonate of soda to create even softer, lighter and airy cookies.

• Icing sugar - You need icing sugar to cream the fluffy and light buttercream icing that will go in between two Snickerdoodle cookies, creating this whoopie-style treat. Granulated, caster sugar or brown sugar can't be used as a replacement due to being too thick. They won't dissolve into the vegan block butter. If you don't have icing sugar, you can create this Snickerdoodle recipe without the buttercream centre. Instead, mix 50g of white sugar with 1 tsp of cinnamon. Roll each cookie in the cinnamon sugar before placing them on the baking tray.

Frequently asked questions

If you have a question you want to ask that isn't in the frequently asked questions section, please send me your question or drop a comment at the bottom of the recipe. I try to answer every question, ensuring you create perfect recipes every time.

Can I make this snicker doodle sandwich recipe gluten-free?

As someone with Coeliac disease, all my recipes are 100% gluten-free. Although you can easily trick gluten eaters into thinking it's not gluten-free with how delicious these snickerdoodle cookies taste.

With this in mind do be cautious of cross-contamination if your household kitchen isn't 100% gluten-free and you are cooking for someone with Coeliac disease. As well as checking all the labels of the ingredients you use in this recipe. This is especially the case when using bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) which sometimes isn't free from cross-contamination due to being packaged in factories that handle wheat, barley, and rye.

Can I make this snicker doodle sandwich recipe dairy-free?

Nearly all of my recipes are dairy-free due to feeling better not eating dairy. Plus, my partner is lactose intolerant. So, I like to ensure my recipes are dairy-free for him! Even the delicious buttercream icing in this recipe is dairy-free as it's created with vegan block butter, but don't be fooled into thinking it's healthy. It's still packed full of sugar and fat, making it so delicious!

Can I make this snicker doodle sandwich recipe vegan?

While the delicious buttercream icing is 100% vegan thanks to using a dairy-free alternative to block butter. The snickerdoodle cookie itself isn't vegan due to using an egg. There are vegan egg replacements on the market where you can substitute the egg at a 1:1 ratio. However, I haven't tried making these snickerdoodle cookies using this method. If you decide to make them vegan, I suggest you proceed with caution, and if it's successful I would love to hear about your results so please share in the comments.

How do I store these snicker doodle sandwiches?

To keep them fresh: I recommend storing these gluten and dairy-free snickerdoodle sandwiches in an air-tight container for up to three days. You don't have to worry about storing the buttercream icing separately either because it's vegan and won't spoil quickly. Just fill your cookies with vegan buttercream, stick them together, and store them in a biscuit tin or plastic container.

Can I freeze these snicker doodle sandwiches?

You can freeze these cookies for up to a month in the freezer. I have even tested freezer the snickerdoodle cookies in the freezer after they have been filled with the vegan buttercream icing and noticed they still tasted as good as they do fresh. However, I recommend letting them defrost at room temperature for several hours before eating. Don't defrost them in the microwave or oven. It will cause the buttercream to defrost faster, melting out of the cookie sandwich.

Recipe

Here's my recipe for these highly addictive, gluten and dairy-free snickerdoodle sandwiches with just the right amount of cinnamon.

Serving: 10 large cookies

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Special equipment  

• Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachment
  

Ingredients

• 90g butter

• 150g sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 175g plain gluten-free flour

• ½ tsp xanthan gum

• ⅛ kosher salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Vegan cinnamon buttercream icing

• 70g vegan butter

• 140g icing sugar

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract 

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°c and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper. 

2. In a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine all your wet ingredients; butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix all your dry ingredients together; flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, and cream of tartar. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and set on low until combined.

5. Place the raw cookie dough into the fridge for two hours or freezer for 15 minutes to solidify and make it easier to work with.

6. Measure 1 heaped tbsp of cookie dough and place on the baking tray. 

7. Put in the oven for 8-10 minutes. When golden brown and crispy on the edges, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

8. To make the buttercream icing. Put all the ingredients into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix on low until the icing sugar has almost completely dissolved and then speed up for a few minutes to make the buttercream light and fluffy.

9. Once the cookies have cooled down. Add 1 tbsp of buttercream into the centre of the flat side of one cookie. Grab an uniced cookie and place it on top of the cookie with the buttercream. Slightly twist as you stick them together to evenly distribute the icing and set aside. The buttercream will remain soft, but will develop a slight crust over time.

10. Serve with a warm drink or by itself and enjoy!

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