Lemon & Coconut Snickerdoodles

Toasty golden brown coconut shreds beautify the exterior of these perfectly lemon-y vegan snickerdoodle cookies. And within, these lemon snickerdoodles have it all, taste and texture both: they’re soft without being mushy, sweet without being saccharine, and sour without being mouth-puckeringly so. And better yet? They’re incredibly easy to make; in no more than 30 minutes will you be able to whip up a batch. So what are you waiting for? Your lemon-y baked disks of delightful coconut-coated vegan snickerdoodle await you!

“When life gives you lemons, chuck it right back.”

– Bill Watterson

What Will I Need To Make These Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies?

Most of the ingredients required for these vegan snickerdoodle cookies are fairly standard: sugar, melted vegan butter/coconut oil, all-purpose flour, but there are also several that are less commonplace.

Almond flour. This type of flour is of course nutty, but it also has a lot of moisture. The addition of equal parts almond flour to wheat flour gives these vegan snickerdoodle cookies a nice bite, and a slightly nuttier flavor that plays well with the coconut.

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut. It’s important that if you do plan to make these vegan snickerdoodle cookies that you use coconut shreds, rather than flakes, as well as an unsweetened version, too. Coconut shreds stick better to the cookie dough when it’s rolled, and they brown up much more evenly in the oven. Also, buying unsweetened coconut shreds allows you to add the sugar to sweeten them, and thus control the levels of sweetness on the outside of these vegan snickerdoodle cookies.

Cream of Tartar. This ingredient is partly what makes a cookie a snickerdoodle. Cream of tartar is a byproduct of winemaking, and so the powder itself is very acidic and has a slight tangy flavor. The addition of cream of tartar gives these snickerdoodles a certain tart funkiness that plays really well with the sourness of the lemon juice and zest.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (optional). This is a great alternative for people who cannot digest gluten. Everyone deserves a cookie once and awhile, and those with an enmity with gluten are no exception!

Have a look at my other snickerdoodle recipe, Espresso Snickerdoodles, too!

“When life gives you lemon, take it. Don’t waste food.”

– Giselle Marquez

Here’s a Recipe Video To Follow

For those visual learners out there!

To Rest or Not To Rest?

This is always the question that occupies my mind when making cookies.

I know that I should probably let the cookie dough rest for 30 minutes or so in the fridge, but I rarely ever do this. Firstly, I’m rather impatient, but secondly and much more likely because the cookies usually turn out well regardless.

With that said, there are plethora reasons to allow a rolled cookie dough to chill before baking them: they brown better in the oven, they have a nicer texture, the flavors will be ever-so enhanced, and the cookies won’t spread quite as much in the oven as they bake.

So, if you’d like to roll, coat and then chill these vegan snickerdoodle cookies for 30 minutes in the fridge, you can. They make take an additional minute or two to bake if you do this, since you’re warming them from cold rather than room temperature.

However, if you’re like me and don’t want to wait around for cookie dough to rest, you can also just pop them in the oven right after you form the dough, roll them in the coconut shreds, and place ’em on a prepared baking sheet (with eco-friendly parchment paper or a silicon baking mat).

The difference between resting and not resting these lemon snickerdoodles shouldn’t be all that drastic, but the choice is yours!

“When life hands you lemonade, don’t try to make lemons”

– Vince Guthrie

A Vegan Snickerdoodle Recipe

If you’re looking for a delicious vegan cookie recipe, then this is the one for you. The aroma of toasted golden brown coconut shreds pairs excellently well with the appropriately sour snickerdoodle dough. The texture is on the softer and cakier side, but not completely without a particular delightful firmness, either.

I’d recommend enjoying these vegan snickerdoodle cookies with a cup of tea, a glass of plant-based milk, or simply on their own, too!

“When life gives you lemons, make champagne and leave the whole world wondering how you did it!”

– Marjory Sheba

If you enjoyed these vegan snickerdoodle cookies, consider leaving me a comment and recipe rating before you go!

May you have good food in good company,

That Vegan Nephew