These quick and easy snickerdoodle cookies are so soft and chewy! Plus, they're filled with buttery goodness and jam packed with a sweet cinnamon flavor that's to die for. Best of all, they're made with simple ingredients, with no cream of tartar needed, and are ready in under 30 minutes!
I think snickerdoodles have to be one of the tastiest cookies you can make. For me, they're right up there with chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. As far as an easy snickerdoodle recipe goes, this is one you definitely don’t want to miss! It's convenient to make and results in cookies that your friends and family will think came from a bakery!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's quick to make. This recipe will take you about 30 minutes from start to finish since you don't have to chill the cookie dough. I've you've ever baked cookies before, you'll have no problem making this recipe!
- It's made with common ingredients. Since this recipe uses no cream of tartar, I can almost guarantee you have everything you need to make it at home!
- They're delicious. Warm, buttery, and filled with cinnamon sugar in every bite, combined with the fluffy, chewy texture, these cookies will make you fall in love with them after one bite.
Ingredients You'll Need
For the cookies:
- Butter- unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar- for the perfect sweetness.
- Vanilla extract- to enhance the flavors.
- Lemon juice- this replaces the cream of tartar.
- Whole egg
- Egg yolk
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda- to make the cookies light and fluffy.
- Ground cinnamon- for that iconic spice.
- Salt- essential in any good cookie recipe.
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
You can use a lot of the same ingredients, like cinnamon sugar, to make these apple empanadas and churro pancakes. So check those out next!
How To Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Step 1: Make The Dough
Before anything else, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with some parchment paper or put a silicone baking mat on it and set it aside for later.
Now, combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat them together until you get a light and fluffy consistency. Make sure to use slightly softened butter in this step.
Then, to those ingredients, you’ll want to add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, egg, and egg yolk. Now stir everything together until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients - sugar, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Gently mix the dough just until the dry and wet ingredients are fully combined. Also, make sure not to mix any more than this because you could risk overworking the snickerdoodle dough.
Step 2: Shape The Cookies
Now, with the snickerdoodle cookie dough ready, take a small bowl and mix the cinnamon sugar mixture together for the coating.
Next, use a cookie scoop to form 24 cookie dough balls. And if you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can measure out 1 ½ tablespoon of the dough and roll them into dough balls.
Now roll each one of the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar topping and arrange them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave around 1 ½-2 inches between each ball.
Step 3: Bake The Cookies
Finally, add some more cinnamon sugar topping to them if you want, and then slide the cookies into the oven and bake them for 8-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges look set but aren’t golden brown.
At this point, the snickerdoodles will look really soft and undercooked in the middle but don’t worry, they’ll continue to cook on the hot pan even when they’re out of the oven. Once they've cooled slightly, dig in and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do homemade snickerdoodles last?
Homemade snickerdoodles can last up to 7 days at room temperature when kept in an airtight container. You can also store snickerdoodles in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. If you’re going to freeze them, place a small piece of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them from sticking, and squeeze as much air out of the freezer bag as possible before storing the cookies.
What can I substitute for cream of tartar in snickerdoodles?
A cream of tartar replacement is lemon juice. It adds the same zestiness to the snickerdoodles that cream of tartar does, and it’s a lot more accessible too. For this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar, I used a ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice as a substitute for the usual 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar. You can also use baking powder at a ratio of 1.5 teaspoons per 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. It won't alter the flavor that much and will still give you delicious cookies!
What's the difference between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies?
Snickerdoodles and sugar cookies have a very similar texture and buttery flavor. The main difference is the snickerdoodle dough has cinnamon added to it, and it's rolled in more cinnamon sugar before baking.
More Cookie Recipes
- Crumbl cornbread cookies
- Double chocolate chip cookies
- Nutella cookies
- Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
- Chick-Fil-A chocolate chunk cookies
Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
These quick and easy snickerdoodle cookies are so soft and chewy! Plus, they're filled with buttery goodness and jam packed with a sweet cinnamon flavor that's to die for. Best of all, they're made with simple ingredients, with no cream of tartar needed, and are ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For coating:
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, whole egg, and egg yolk and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until well combined (do not overmix).
- Mix the coating ingredients (cinnamon and sugar) in a bowl.
- Scoop the cookie dough and roll it into balls. Coat them with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The edges will look set but should not be golden brown. The middle will look soft. It’s very important to take them out of the oven before they look cooked, they will be a bit raw in the center, they will continue cooking while they are hot on the pan.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Amy
Finally snickerdoodles that don't need cream of tartar!!!! They were incredible!
Fiona
Oh wow these cookies were delicious!!
Dave
Absolutely delicious cookies.
Christina
By far the best snickerdoodles that I have ever had!!
Lola
In love with the texture of these cookies.
Anna
I never can find a good snickerdoodle recipe, but I've found it! The cookies were delish!!
Abby Pelle
yum!!! The cookies were sooo good.
Skylar
I know this is probably weird but I added butterscotch chocolate chips to them and I thought they were some the yummiest cookies I've ever had!
Heather
These are just divine.