About My Best Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
Looking for a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar? You’ve found the best recipe on the internet! Hundreds of readers have made these cookies and given them a 5-star review.
Why? Because this snickerdoodle recipe makes a classic snickerdoodle cookie full of butter and cinnamon flavors. And if you bake frequently at home, you likely already have all the ingredients you need for these cookies. Because this recipe uses baking powder instead of cream of tartar to make the cookies!
All The Reasons To Make This Recipe (Besides Not Having Cream Of Tartar)
- This recipe makes the BEST snickerdoodle cookie texture. This recipe makes flat snickerdoodles that are soft yet chewy in the middle, with crispy and lightly puffed edges. If you love the texture of regular chocolate chip cookies, you’ll love these snickerdoodles!
- And the recipe is quick and easy, too! These snickerdoodles come together SO quickly. In fact, making the dough for these cookies only took me 10 minutes or so, with another 5 minutes to assemble into cookies. Baking takes another 12 minutes per tray. You can wrap this whole project up in an hour!
Looking for more delicious, classic cookie recipes on Hummingbird High? Check out my Cookie Recipe collection! Reader favorites include these Perfectly Chewy Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe (No Frosting Needed!) and My Best Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (No Stand Mixer Or Chilling Required!).
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar, let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
Can you freeze snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?
Yes! You can freeze the snickerdoodles in two ways:
Freeze the unbaked cookie dough.
After portioning the dough into balls, place the balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes, or until the dough is hard enough to handle without being sticky. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Note that the dough will be frozen WITHOUT the snickerdoodle topping. When ready to bake, you’ll need to roll the cookie dough balls in the snickerdoodle topping. There’s no need to thaw the cookie dough balls before baking. Follow the instructions for baking in the recipe, but increase the Bake Time to 14 minutes.
Freeze the baked cookies.
Individually wrap any leftover cookies in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the cookies from absorbing any other flavors or odors in the freezer. When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
My Best Recipe Tips
For Making The Cookie Dough
- Because this dough has a LOT of butter in it, it has a tendency to really want to stick to the bottom and sides of the bowl when mixing. For the best cookies, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the paddle and the bowl repeatedly. I like to liberally scrape things down two to three times during the creaming process (once after every minute of creaming). Once after every egg addition, and finally, two more times after adding the dry ingredients (the first time after ALL the dry ingredients have JUST been added, the second time after they’ve just been mixed together).
And Coating The Snickerdoodles
- Each cookie will need to be rolled in the cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle topping before baking. To make things more efficient, I create a “snickerdoodle cookie assembly line” that starts with using a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough into even cookie dough balls. Once the cookie dough balls have been formed, roll each one in the bowl with the cinnamon sugar topping. Toss and coat every single dough ball completely.
- For the best snickerdoodle cookies, be sure to cover your cookie dough balls with a LOT of the cinnamon sugar topping. But be warned: you may still end up with some of it leftover since the recipe makes a generous amount. I like to save the leftovers in an airtight container to sprinkle on my breakfast oatmeal and toast throughout the rest of the week—I wouldn’t keep it any longer than that though (because I mean… you did roll raw cookie dough in the stuff, lol).
For Baking The Cookies Perfectly
- Snickerdoodle cookies are baked at a higher temperature than most other drop cookie recipes.This higher temperature encourages the baking powder to activate quickly, puffing the centers of the cookies as they bake. When pulled out of the oven, the centers then fall, giving each snickerdoodle cookie its signature crispy edges.
- I like to bake the cookies one pan at a time. I find that doing so makes the best cookies, ensuring that none of them have overly burnt bottoms or raw centers. However, to save time, you can bake two sheet pans at a time. Position a rack in the upper-third position of the oven, and a second one in the lower-third position of the oven. Bake a pan on each rack, swapping their positions half way through the Bake Time.
Video Tutorial
Use the video player below to watch my Instagram Story tutorial on how to make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar! Clicking the left and right sides of the frame allow you to move through the different recipe steps.
Get the Recipe:
Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
This snickerdoodle recipe makes snickerdoodles that are soft and chewy in the middle, yet crispy and lightly puffed around the edges. The best part? Unlike most traditional snickerdoodle recipes, this recipe does NOT use cream of tartar. The recipe uses baking powder instead! As a result, it’s likely that you already have all the ingredients you need to make these cookies at home!
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For the Snickerdoodle Topping
For the Snickerdoodle Dough
For the Snickerdoodle Cookies Without Cream of Tartar
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Prep the oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
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Make the snickerdoodle topping. Whisk together ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
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Make the snickerdoodle cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
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Assemble the cookies. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Roll each in the snickerdoodle topping, covering them completely. Place the coated cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
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Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
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Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
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