Before I tell you about these amazing cookies, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all of the kind comments on my marathon recap. You guys sure know how to make me cry over, and over, and over again. Of course I do this for me first, but your support really makes it worth all of the pain and challenges so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I made these cookies to compensate for my visually challenged cookies. As soon as they came out of the oven with that perfect crackle on top, I was thrilled that not just a better looking cookie had come out of my oven, but a downright beautiful cookie! Then the pessimist in me decided that surely they were going to taste bad, because that’s how that day was going.
You.Guys. They were so the opposite of bad!!! I bit into one, and was greeted with my most sought after cookie texture–slightly crunchy on the outside, with a soft, gooey, buttery (even though they include NO butter!) texture inside. In my book, that is cookie perfection!
When I stopped freaking out about the texture miracle, I started to focus on the flavor of these bad boys, and holy cow, they are delicious! Spicy homemade chai spice blend mixed with sweet sugar cookie flavor creating a sweet and comforting cookie that tastes like it came from your grandma’s old recipes.
“Okay maybe these are the best cookies you have ever made.” My husband’s cookie heart is so fickle.
Ultra soft vegan & gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies with warm, comforting chai spices--perfect for fall or winter holidays!
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- dash salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch cloves
- pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together apple butter,sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk until well combined. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, combine ingredients for the coating. Lightly spray hands with nonstick spray, then roll dough into one inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat completely, then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. They may look underdone, but do not over bake. They will set more as they cool. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Lightly adapted from Post Punk Kitchen
Omg I just had a flash back of boarding school – I used to go to the coffee shop next door to school every day and get a Soy Milk Chia Tea! SOOOO GOOD! I bet that would go really well with these cookies
Yum yum yum! These sound absolutely amazing! Pinned for future baking!
You just won my heart.
i just made these and they are sooooooooo delicious and addictive! you are SO right about the buttery taste — apple butter does wonders! thanks for recipe.
i can’t believe these are vegan Ari!! Wow. They look like the perfect snickerdoodle! And I’ve been obsessed with chai tea lately… more so than usual. I think you made these just for me.
nice lookin cookies! My son’s fav is snickerdoodle…I will have to try these and see if he can tell that there is no butter! I love chai- so these are a must try for me, thanks Ari!
I love chai! I have a cup of tea almost every nite (decaf) . And you made cookies with it. And used apple butter and kept them vegan! I love snickerdoodles and these are so impressive!
Gorgeous cookies with perfect crackles on top. I’ve never used apple butter in a cookie before. Must try!
I made these tonight, and they’re great! I used a gluten-free flour blend I keep on hand (sorghum, brown rice, tapioca, sweet rice) and added a little buckwheat as well. The dough seemed soft, so I refrigerated it for a while, but I don’t really think it needed it– the cookies hardly spread at all. I scaled back the cardamom a bit and added in some black pepper to the coating mix. The crackly tops are lovely! Thanks so much for this great find.
Wow, these look so perfect! I looooove using chai spices on snickerdoodles, I don’t even know why I started doing that but it is so good. It’s been years since I made snickerdoodles… That has got to change!
I love anything Chai flavored! And I love soft cookies! This sounds like a winner! Great post!
That is one gorgeous looking cookie and I am in awe that it has no butter. I love chewy cookies and I love chai…this is one cookie that we are going to love here! I even have apple butter in my fridge!!! It is pinned for sure!
Thank you so much Jocelyn! I always keep apple butter around for cookie making
I’m excited to hear what you think!
Ok, this really looks like the ultimate cookie perfection!