These gluten-free Easy Snickerdoodle Bars are made with almond flour and coconut flour for a simple grain-free dessert. Vegan.
It has come to my attention in recent weeks that cinnamon and sugar spark joy.
Simple joy. But joy all the same.
Snickerdoodles are the perfect vehicle for such joy. And that starts before they are even out of the oven. To make things easy, this classic cookie bakes up as a soft and chewy cookie bar.
Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Bars Ingredients
To keep these vegan snickerdoodle bars soft, chewy, and cinnamon-sugar sweet, here's the major ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Arrowroot starch (cornstarch can be subbed)
- Vegan butter
- Maple syrup (or honey)
- Organic cane sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Cream of tartar
- Vanilla extract
Almond flour
Often you can substitute almond meal for almond flour. I don't recommend that with this recipe. Superfine almond flour made from blanched almonds gives you the best results.
Coconut flour
The coconut flour in this recipe lends a sweetness to the dough while also working as a sort of binder. Substitutions are not recommended here.
Arrowroot starch
In lieu of eggs, arrowroot starch and water act as a binder. Arrowroot also adds texture. Substitute cornstarch if you don't have arrowroot starch.
Maple syrup
To add sweetness and a gooey factor, a little maple syrup brings things together. If you don't have it on hand and aren't vegan, sub with honey.
Cream of tartar
Cream of tartar gives that slightly tangy signature flavor that snickerdoodles are known for. You can make this recipe without it, if needed.
Love anything snickerdoodle? Try these keto snickerdoodles! Or in need of more cookie bar recipes? Check out Beth's grain-free chocolate chip cookie bars!
More Gluten-Free Bars Recipes
Gluten-Free Cherry Crumble Bars
Easy Snickerdoodle Bars
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted I use Earth Balance
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey if not vegan
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar 75 g
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract I use Rodelle
- 2 ½ cups almond flour (not almond meal) 220 g
- 4 tablespoons coconut flour 31 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8x8 baking pan lightly with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add arrowroot starch and water. Whisk to combine. Add melted butter, maple syrup, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk again to incorporate.
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. Stir, using a rubber spatula, until dough forms and ingredients are fully combined. Transfer dough to the prepared pan.
- Use the spatula to spread the dough towards the 4 corners of the pan. Then, since dough will be sticky, lightly dampen your hands and continue to gently spread dough into an even layer. Make sure all corners are filled, but do not pack down. An extra piece of parchment paper can be used for this as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together topping ingredients. Sprinkle over top of dough. I find using a spoon to sprinkle helps do so evenly.
- Bake for 18 minutes. A tester should come out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan and slicing into bars.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature. I prefer storing mine in the fridge.
Brynne
Fun twist on a classic! Great for my gf friends.
Rachel Gold
these look amazing! is there something that can be used instead of the coconut flour?
Tessa
Thanks, Rachel! :) Coconut flour is a difficult one to substitute because it is so absorbent. To sub with something else like almond flour, typically you'd sub in 1 cup of almond for every 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Usually, this also means the liquid in the recipe needs to be slightly adjusted. I have not tried that with this recipe so I can't tell you how well it would work. I often buy my coconut flour on Amazon.