Vegan Cardamom Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodle. It is the most fun cookie name, in my ever-so-humble opinion. And I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a year now, and finally get to share it!

Last year I signed up to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, which benefits Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. It was so fun to make cookies and ship them off to three other bloggers, and equally fun to get cookies in the mail! The trouble was, I was also about four months pregnant, and the kitchen was not my favorite place to be. I was really struggling to keep up with the blog at that time, so while the cookies got shipped, I never posted the recipe. Fast forward one year later, and I’m spending almost all of my time in the kitchen it seems, and am participating in the cookie swap again! So, at long last, I present to you, Vegan Cardamom Snickerdoodles.

Why cardamom? Because, CARDAMOM IS WONDERFUL. If you’ve ever had chai tea, you’ve had cardamom. Its aroma is intoxicating, but don’t worry, it’s legal. And combined with cinnamon, it makes a beautifully spiced and fragrant cookie. Even though cinnamon is present here, I definitely let the cardamom shine in this one.

Cardamom comes in three forms – the whole pod, the seeds from inside the pod, and the seeds ground into powder. You can grind the seeds yourself, if you wish, but you will likely have the easiest time finding the powder already ground. Don’t be like me and think that you can grind the whole pods into powder – you can do it, but the flavor isn’t great. The seeds are where it’s at when making the powder. If you can find the pods, grab them, because steeped with black tea and some other whole spices, you can make the most amazing chai tea at home. More on that soon…

Ok, so in addition to these cookies have a major flavor enhancement thanks to the cardamom, they are also a bit healthier for you on the fat front. Rather than one cup of butter, I use 1 cup of raw cashews and 1/2 cup of refined coconut oil for these cookies. The fat is cut down considerably, and you get the nutritional benefits of cashews. Score!

To make these cookies, you just blitz up the cashews, coconut oil, non-dairy milk, sugar, vanilla, and egg replacer of your choice in a food processor or blender. Then stir that mixture into the dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and ground cinnamon and cardamom. Super quick and easy. Then roll up the dough into small balls (about 2 tablespoons of dough), and pat the balls into the topping made up of sugar, cinnamon, and, you guessed it, cardamom.

Bake em’ up for 10 minutes or so until just barely golden brown on the bottom edges. Let them hang out on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before diving in!

They are so yummy, and really quick to make, so they are perfect for gifting! In fact, I made some for a few of you! If you read my newsletter Eat-Mail (and if you don’t, you should!), you know that I did a drawing recently for 3 lucky readers to get cookies from me. My pal Meredith was one of the winners, and she wrote to me recently to say how much she liked the cookies but couldn’t put her finger on one of the flavors. Hope this solves the mystery for you, Meredith! Thank you so much for being a fan from the very beginning – you are such an encouragement to me!

I can’t believe that 2015 is already coming to a close, what a year it’s been! I’m gearing up for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 2016, and I hope you’re ready for lots more recipes to fatten your wallet and skinny your jeans! Because, they’re coming.

If you make these, please, oh pretty please, tag #eatwithinyourmeans on Instagram! It snickers my doodle. Which is the International Language of Cookie for “makes one happy.”

Now go make some cookies for someone you love!

Vegan Cardamom Snickerdoodles

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Beth Hornback | Pass the Plants
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies
• Category: Cookie

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Description

These vegan cardamom snickerdoodles have less fat by swapping the traditional butter for raw cashews and flavorless coconut oil! Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The perfect holiday treat!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 cup unrefined granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3 Tablespoon warm water or aquafaba*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the topping

• 1/2 cup unrefined granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Instructions

1. In a food processor or blender, puree the cashews, coconut oil, milk, vanilla, ground flaxseed, and water/aquafaba until smooth and no large pieces of cashew remain (there might be little bits, and that’s ok).
2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine until thick dough forms. If the dough seems dry, and warm water one tablespoon at a time until it becomes soft enough to roll into a ball, but not sticky.
4. Scoop 2 two tablespoons of dough and roll into balls (a small cookie scoop works perfectly for this). Coat each ball in the sugar/spice mixture, and press each dough ball down lightly in the sugar before placing on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until just slightly browned on the bottom edges. Remove to a cooling rack and let sit for at least 5 minutes before enjoying!

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Notes

*aquafaba is the name for the brine in a can of beans, most commonly chickpeas, navy beans, or cannelini beans. It is a newly discovered egg replacer that works beautifully.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction