Vegan baking exposes every weakness in a recipe. There’s nowhere to hide. Without eggs or butter to prop things up, structure has to come from intention, not luck. Vegan snickerdoodle blondies were something I approached carefully, because the line between soft and gummy is thin.
This version matters because many vegan blondies lean cakey or dry. Others collapse once they cool. The goal here isn’t to imitate a cake or a cookie. It’s to build a bar that behaves like a blondie, with chew, softness, and a cinnamon sugar finish that still reads snickerdoodle.
In this guide, I’ll show you how I replace eggs and dairy without losing structure, what ingredients actually matter, and how I judge doneness when traditional cues don’t apply.
Quick Answer
Vegan snickerdoodle blondies are dairy-free and egg-free dessert bars made with plant-based fats and binders instead of butter and eggs.
They stay soft when moisture is balanced and the batter is built thick enough to set properly.
Why Vegan Blondies Are Structurally Tricky
Eggs provide binding. Butter provides fat and flavor. Remove both, and the batter loses two stabilizers at once.
In my kitchen, the biggest vegan blondie failures come from trying to replace everything one-to-one. That approach creates batters that either bake up crumbly or stay wet in the center.
The fix isn’t more substitutes. It’s fewer, smarter ones.
Vegan blondies need:
- Fat for tenderness
- A binder for structure
- Controlled moisture
Anything extra works against you.
How This Recipe Builds on the Base Structure
This recipe is developed from the same foundation used in my snickerdoodle blondies recipes built from one reliable base, but adapted for a plant-based pantry.
What changes:
- Plant-based fat instead of butter
- A simple egg substitute for binding
- Slightly longer rest time after baking
What stays the same:
- One-bowl mixing
- Thick batter consistency
- Cinnamon sugar topping for flavor and texture
The goal is familiarity, not imitation.
Vegan Snickerdoodle Blondies
Ingredients
Blondie Batter
- 1 cup plant-based butter or neutral oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water (flax egg)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk flaxseed and water; let sit for 5 minutes to form a flax egg.
- In a large bowl, mix melted plant-based butter or oil with brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Add plant-based milk, vanilla, and flax egg; stir until smooth.
- Mix in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Mix cinnamon sugar topping and sprinkle evenly.
- Bake for 25–28 minutes or until golden and set. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Vegan Snickerdoodle Blondies Recipe
Yield
One 9×13-inch pan, cut into 16 bars
Ingredients
Blondie Batter
- Plant-based butter or neutral oil
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Plant-based milk
- Ground flaxseed mixed with water (flax egg)
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Fine salt
- Ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Method
- Prepare the pan and oven
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for lifting. - Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the plant-based fat with both sugars until smooth. Add plant-based milk, flax mixture, and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined. - Add the dry ingredients
Sprinkle flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the bowl. Fold gently until a thick, cohesive batter forms. - Spread and top
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle evenly over the surface. - Bake
Bake until the edges are set and the center looks just set but still soft. Vegan blondies should not look dry when removed. - Cool completely
Let the pan cool fully. Vegan blondies firm up significantly as they cool.
In my kitchen, this works because the batter starts thick enough to support itself without eggs.
Choosing the Right Egg Substitute
Not all egg replacements behave the same.
I use a simple flax mixture because:
- It binds without drying
- It doesn’t puff the batter
- It sets slowly, which helps texture
Commercial egg replacers often add starches that push blondies toward cake. That’s not what we want here.
Why Fat Choice Matters More Than You Think
Plant-based butter adds flavor, but oil adds moisture retention. Both can work.
What doesn’t work is reducing fat too much. Vegan blondies without enough fat bake up stiff and crumbly once cooled.
I aim for richness without greasiness, which keeps the bars soft for days.
The Most Common Vegan Blondie Mistake
Overbaking.
Without eggs, the structure finishes setting after the bars come out of the oven. If you wait for a firm center, you’ll end up with dry blondies once they cool.
I pull these when the center still feels slightly soft to the touch.
How I Judge Doneness in Vegan Blondies
Time is less reliable here.
I look for:
- Set, lightly golden edges
- A center that holds shape but isn’t firm
- Cinnamon sugar melted into the surface
A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not raw batter.
Cooling Is Essential for Structure
Vegan blondies are fragile when hot.
I let them cool completely in the pan before slicing. This is when the flax mixture finishes binding and the crumb firms up.
Skipping this step guarantees breakage.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Room temperature: 2 days, tightly covered
- Refrigerator: 4 to 5 days, improves structure
- Freezer: Freeze individual bars up to 2 months
Vegan snickerdoodle blondies often slice better the day after baking.
Estimated Nutrition Per Serving
| Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 235 | 3 | 34 | 10 |
Values are estimates per bar based on a 16-piece yield. Actual values vary by ingredient brands and portion size.
When I Make These at Home
I make vegan snickerdoodle blondies when I want a dessert everyone at the table can eat without commentary. They’re simple, familiar, and don’t announce themselves as “different.”
Once you understand how plant-based binders behave, these stop feeling like a compromise and start feeling dependable.
What is the best egg substitute for vegan snickerdoodle blondies?
A flax egg works best for vegan snickerdoodle blondies because it provides binding without making the bars cakey. It helps vegan blondies hold together while keeping a soft, chewy texture.
Do vegan snickerdoodle blondies taste different from regular ones?
Vegan snickerdoodle blondies taste very similar to traditional versions when plant-based butter and brown sugar are used. The cinnamon sugar flavor stays front and center, and most people don’t notice they’re eggless or dairy free.
Why are my vegan blondies crumbly after baking?
Vegan blondies usually turn crumbly when there isn’t enough fat or binding. Using enough plant-based butter or oil and allowing the blondies to cool completely helps vegan snickerdoodle blondies set properly.
Can I use oil instead of vegan butter in vegan snickerdoodle blondies?
Yes, neutral oils like avocado or vegetable oil can be used in vegan snickerdoodle blondies. Oil helps retain moisture, though vegan butter adds more flavor and a slightly richer crumb.
How do you keep vegan snickerdoodle blondies chewy?
To keep vegan snickerdoodle blondies chewy, avoid overbaking and remove them while the center is still soft. They continue to firm up as they cool, which prevents dryness.
Why do vegan blondies seem underbaked at first?
Vegan blondies often look underbaked when hot because egg-free batters set more slowly. As vegan snickerdoodle blondies cool, the structure firms and the crumb becomes more stable.
Final Thoughts From My Kitchen
Vegan snickerdoodle blondies succeed when structure comes first. Fat provides tenderness. Flax provides binding. Cinnamon sugar provides identity.
This recipe isn’t about replacing ingredients one-to-one. It’s about building a batter that behaves the way a blondie should.