Snickerdoodles are classic holiday cookie from my childhood. They are absolutely in my top five cookies that must be baked for Christmas. This year, I started thinking about how I could put a new spin on them. These Vegan Eggnog Snickerdoodles scream holiday - they capture the flavor of eggnog perfectly, without any egg or nog!

I didn’t expect to venture into vegan baking as much as I have recently, but with more and more of my friends embarking on plant-based lifestyles, I’ve been thinking about them often and how I can help them enjoy baked goods (especially for the holidays!). Eggnog is certainly not vegan, although there are good non-dairy, egg-free vegan versions out on store shelves these days. These cookies capture the flavors of eggnog by using rum extract and ground nutmeg, the classic flavor pairing that gives eggnog it’s signature taste.

Instead of eggs in this cookie recipe, I use aquafaba - the liquid from canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). It’s often used as an egg replacer in vegan recipes, especially for baking. It’s viscous like egg whites. Simply drain a can of chickpeas, catching the liquid in a jar or food storage container (see photo below). Store the aquafaba in the refrigerator for up to one week. Use the chickpeas to make one of my other recipes, like Lemon Curry Chickpea Soup or Crispy Chickpeas and Greens over Pasta!

According to my dad (my chief cookie tester and life-long cookie monster), who knew that you could improve upon snickerdoodles?! I hope you make these Vegan Eggnog Snickerdoodles for your holiday cookie plate this season!

‍

‍

‍

Original publication date: December 10, 2020