Make this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar for a delicious cookie that is rolled in cinnamon sugar, has a chewy middle, and a crunchy exterior.
This snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar creates the most delicious, soft, rich, chewy, and perfectly thick cookies with the right amount of cinnamon flavor.
These soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies are loaded with cinnamon and are made without cream of tartar!
Cream of tartar is one of those ingredients that many people don’t keep in their kitchen. This recipe shows that you don’t need cream of tartar to make these classic and delicious cookies.
If you like cinnamon recipes, check out our ginger molasses cookies, peach cobbler pound cake, pecan upside down cake, apple upside down cake, and pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Why this recipe works
- Ease- this recipe comes together in one bowl! Needs minimal tools.
- Cinnamon- tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Is the perfect cookie for cinnamon lovers.
- Time- Made in under an hour from start to finish. You will need to chill this cookie dough for only 30 minutes, which is fairly quick!
- Common ingredients- this recipe uses super simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
- No cream of tartar- this recipe uses simple ingredients and does not use cream of tartar and is perfect if you don’t have it available at home.
- Warm, spice cookies- these snickerdoodle without cream of tartar are packed with a warm cinnamon flavor that is so delish.
What is cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bitartrate is a white powdery acid that is commonly used to stabilize whipped egg whites in meringues and cakes, prevent sugar crystallization in candies and caramels and also act as the activating agent in baking powder.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this snickerdoodle without cream of tartar, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cookies to rise.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Eggs– To give the cookies a good structure and gives them a chewy texture. Make sure you’re using room-temperature eggs.
Cinnamon- we love adding ground cinnamon to the cookie dough, it adds so much flavor.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Instructions
Into a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature butter, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is creamy and light.
Add the eggs, and cinnamon, and mix until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180c (350f). In a small mixing bowl, add the cinnamon and sugar and mix until combined.
Use a cookie scooper to scoop out the cookies, roll each cookie into a ball, and roll each cookie dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture, making sure that the cookie dough is covered with cinnamon sugar coating.
Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 11-12 minutes.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cookies and not dense and dry cookies.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cookies release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookies scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, plus it ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Make sure that you are using fresh ingredients! One of the most common mistakes in baking and making cookies is not noticing that your baking powder or baking soda is expired.
- Chill the dough! This step is crucial and prevents the cookies from spreading out too much. After making the cookie dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat these cookies as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these cookies cool for at least 15 minutes so they will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
- I suggest letting these cookies cool for 5 minutes and then transferring them to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 more minutes. This step ensures that the bottom of your cookies will not be soggy from the steam.
