Over the past 20 years my mom and I have made over 100 kinds of holiday cookies in our annual cookie baking marathon. After perfecting this easy snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar, this recipe has continued to be on our “must make” Christmas recipes list each year. With our detailed instructions and step-by-step photos, you’ll have a batch of these scrumptious snickerdoodles ready in just 30-minutes!
If you know me well, you know that being in my kitchen baking cookies is my happy place. You will always find a batch of dough balls for chocolate chunk cookies or death by chocolate cookies in my freezer (you know, just in case you need a cookie fix! Or maybe I should say in case you have unexpected guests over and need a quick dessert…), But when I’m not in the mood for chocolate, snickerdoodles is where I always gravitate to.
This small-batch cookie recipe yields 12 cookies. Perfect for when you want a treat, but not too many extras. But our recipe is also easy to double or triple if you’re making these for a cookie exchange or holiday gathering. Basically, the perfect cookie for any situation.
Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
Simple recipe. This easy recipe is great for new bakers and advanced bakers alike! It’s pretty much measure, mix, scoop, roll in cinnamon-sugar, and bake.
Delicious Flavor. Cinnamon-sugar, buttery sugar cookie goodness.
Wonderful texture. Is there anything better than a soft and chewy cookie?
Quick to make! It will take you approximately 30 minutes to make a single batch these cookies. Time may vary depending on the size of your baking trays, and how many trays you bake at one time (30 minutes assumes you put in two trays at different times).
No chill time required. Goes right into the oven after your dough is ready, no waiting required!
A popular Christmas cookie made with standard pantry ingredients! It’s likely you already have what you need to make these cookies!
What’s the Deal with No Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar is often used as the leavening agent in snickerdoodles (instead of baking powder or baking soda). Its most common use in baking is to act as a stabilizer for whipped eggs (think meringues) and to prevent crystallization from occurring (in things like homemade candies and caramels). But the average home baker likely isn’t using the ingredient often, and may not even keep cream of tartar in their pantry.
The substitute for cream of tartar has already been worked out for you in this easy spice cookie recipe! I’ve worked hard to find the perfect amount of baking powder to use to give your cookies just enough rise, and still allow for them to be nice and chewy.
What You’ll Need for this Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe (No Cream of Tartar)
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Ingredient Tip
Using room temperature eggs is often suggested for baking because the eggs will incorporate into the softened butter easier. This results in a smooth, uniform batter. If you’re setting your eggs out on the counter to bring them up to room temperature, the standard rule of thumb is to set them out for at least 30 minutes prior to using them.
How To Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream Of Tartar
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Set baking pans aside to use once the dough is ready.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar, and the egg.
Cream until well combined. The mixture should look pale yellow and fluffy. It will also be a little grainy because of the granulated sugar.
Add in the vanilla and stir to incorporate into the rest of the wet ingredients.
Slowly stir in the dry ingredients (the baking powder and all-purpose flour) until a dough is formed.
Optionally, if the dough is sticky, cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate your for 30 minutes – 1 hour before rolling and dipping.
Using a medium cookie scoop (or approximately 2 Tablespoons) scoop dough into your hand and roll into a ball.
Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to fully coat.
Place rolled dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between them.
Bake each tray of cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges just look set. Do NOT overbake to ensure you have soft and chewy cookies (the cookies will continue to set up after they’re pulled out of the oven).
Variations Of Snickerdoodle Cookies Without Cream Of Tartar
- Change the spices your cookies are rolled in. We sometimes like to mix things up and make chai snickerdoodles by replacing about half of the cinnamon with cardamom instead! You could also try using pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon for some extra fun.
- Use unsalted butter. Some purists would say you should always bake with unsalted butter… but I admit I personally love baking with salted butter, especially in cookie recipes. If you’d prefer to use unsalted butter (or that’s what you have in your fridge), swap the butter 1-for-1 and add ½ teaspoon of salt to your dough.
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
This recipe is vegetarian as written. One small modification is needed to a gluten-free cookie recipe:
- To make this into a gluten free snickerdoodle recipe, replace the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe with a one-to-one gluten free flour alternative. Note: I have not done this myself, but have used this one-to-one gluten free flour alternative successfully in other bakes.
Tips For This Snickerdoodle Recipe (No Cream of Tartar)
Do NOT overbake your snickerdoodles!
To get soft and chewy cookies, you need to pull them out of the oven once the edges are JUST set and starting to turn golden brown. Per the directions, leave them on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This will give your cookies time to continue to set, and will result in nice and soft snickerdoodles!
Get your cookies to all be the same size by using a cookie scoop
While not a necessity, a cookie scoop is a super helpful tool that I use a lot in my kitchen. For the best snickerdoodle cookie, I like to use a medium cookie scoop.
If you prefer smaller cookies, a small cookie scoop is what you’ll need (and what I use for many of my cookie recipes, like Peanut Butter Blossoms and Death by Chocolate Cookies).
If you love those extra large bakery-style cookies, you can use a large cookie scoop. If you do this, you will need to add a few minutes to your baking time.
Get your cookies to be perfectly round with “the cookie scoot”
When you pull your cookies out of the oven, use a circular cookie cutter (or a round glass larger than your cookie) to gently “scoot” your cookies in a circular motion to help shift the edges and create perfectly round cookies.
How Do I Store Snickerdoodles?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Can I freeze snickerdoodle cookies?
Yes! Place cooled cookies into a freezer bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, remove the cookies from the freezer and allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
FAQs For This Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar
Simply put, a snickerdoodle cookie is a sugar cookie that is rolled in cinnamon-sugar before it is baked. Snickerdoodles have a characteristic cracked top and can be soft or crispy depending on the ingredients used and how they are baked.
Cream of tartar is often used as the leavening agent in snickerdoodles (instead of baking powder or baking soda). Cream of tartar is more acidic than other leavening agents, and gives bakes a distinctive tanginess when used. Some associate this hint of tanginess with snickerdoodle cookies.
No, but you can! If you find that your dough is particularly sticky, I recommend covering it and placing it in the fridge for about a half hour. This will make the dough easier to work with when rolling and dipping into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Snickerdoodle cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to one day. If you decide to do this, let your dough warm up at room temperature for about 10 minutes prior to scooping, rolling, dipping, and baking.
There are two main reasons your snickerdoodles may be flat. First, your leavening agent is old and no longer doing it’s job (for this recipe it’s baking powder). This is a common mistake (especially if you don’t bake often). Try grabbing a new canister the next time you’re at the store to see if it fixes your problem. Second, you may be baking your cookies at the wrong temperature (or the temperature of your oven is off). If cookies are baked at too high of heat the fats in the dough tend to melt before the other ingredients become activated causing the cookie’s rise. Double check the recipe card and verify you’ve set your oven to the correct temperature.
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Snickerdoodle Recipe (No Cream of Tartar)
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Ingredients
- ½ C salted butter, softened*
- 1 large egg
- ¾ C granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 + ¼ C all-purpose flour
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture for Rolling
- 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Set baking pans aside to use once the dough is ready.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, sugar, and egg together until smooth and well combined.
- Once a uniform mixture has been created, add in the vanilla and stir to incorporate.
- Slowly stir in the baking powder and all-purpose flour until a dough is formed.
- If your dough is sticky, cover your mixing bowl and refrigerate your dough for 30 minutes – 1 hour (up to overnight if that is better for your schedule). This will make it easier to roll.
- In a small bowl, make the cinnamon-sugar mixture by stirring together the ground cinnamon and sugar.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (or approximately 2 Tablespoons) scoop dough into your hand and roll into a ball. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to fully coat. Place rolled dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between them.
- Bake each tray of cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges just look set. Do NOT overbake to ensure you have soft and chewy cookies (the cookies will continue to set up after they’re pulled out of the oven).
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Shannon says
These snickerdoodles were absolutely fabulous! I made a double batch 4 hours ago and they’ve already vanished. Will definitely be making these again real soon. Maybe even today!!
Meredith says
Ahhh, I’m so glad you loved these snickerdoodles too! And a double batch gone in 4 hours? You guys are my kind of people. hehe, enjoy the next batch!
Kendra says
So yummy and SO easy!!! Plus, all stuff you normally have on hand!
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these Kendra!! Happy Holidays 🙂
Linda says
These Snickerdoodles are full of fluffy deliciousness! Just the right amount of everything and super easy to make! I highly recommend 10/10
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you loved these Linda! Thanks for the 10/10 rating, I’m so happy to see this.
Ben R. says
Love this recipe! Easy to make, tastes great, and I love that it’s a small batch recipe.
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed these!! Thank you for making my recipe 🙂
Vivienne says
These are fabulous! I like the small batch idea…there is nothing like freshly baked cookies. I like the use of cardamom in the cinnamon – sugar mixture too..a different flavor profile and a change of pace. This good old fashioned cookie cannot be beat!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these Vivienne! Love mixing cardamom in with the cinnamon-sugar mixture to for a little change up – so yummy!
Elizabeth Turner says
Awesome! My crew can’t get enough
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so happy to hear everyone loved it Elizabeth!! Thank you for making my recipe 🙂
Emjay says
In the recipe, it says baking powder but in the instructions, it mentions baking soda?
ourlovelanguageisfood says
Hi Emjay – thank you for letting me know! It is baking powder, in the amount listed in the ingredient list. The instructions have been updated.