Your favorite cookie, but made as Snickerdoodle bars! They’re thick and soft, with a slight crunch from the cinnamon sugar. Snickerdoodles are such a classic cookie. They’re chewy cookies with the best soft texture and slightly tangy flavor from the added cream of tartar.
When you think of a classic Snickerdoodle cookie, you think of individual cookies. However, this Snickerdoodle cookie bar recipe pays homage to how the first traditional Snickerdoodles were made.
Thefirst printedSnickerdoodle recipes were more of a cake cut into bar form. Later on, they were baked as drop cookies, where the batter was spooned from the bowl onto a baking sheet. The drop cookies were sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on the baking sheets.
These days, snickerdoodle cookies are often rolled entirely in a cinnamon-sugar mixture as opposed to just being sprinkled with it.
I love cookie bars. This Snickerdoodle bar recipe tastes like a cookie, but individual rolling is unnecessary! The soft dough is pressed into a baking pan, then the cinnamon sugar mixture is sprinkled on the bars. Once baked, they are cut into individual pieces.
Ingredients
Find the actual ingredient amounts for this easy Snickerdoodle bars recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need –
- Butter at room temperature.This can be unsalted butter or salted butter. If using salted butter, you can slightly reduce the salt in the rest of the recipe.
- Granulated white sugar.Use it in the cookie dough and the sugar mixture for rolling.
- Vanilla. Use a vanilla paste or a good-quality vanilla extract.
- Egg.
- All-purpose flour.
- Cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is one of the ingredients in these chewy Snickerdoodle bars. It is there for both texture and helps to leaven the cookie bars and baking soda. Cream of tartar is very acidic. In baked goods, it helps stop the sugars from crystalizing, which leads to a softer cookie.
- Baking soda. The other leavening agent is the cookie dough.
- Ground cinnamon.A little ground cinnamon goes in the cookie dough and some in the crunchy cinnamon sugar mixture for topping.
- Salt.A flavor enhancer.
Cream of tartar substitute
If you have no cream of tartar, you can use baking powder. The baking powder already contains cream of tartar and baking soda. When using baking powder, omit the cream of tartar and baking soda.
Less cream of tartar is in baking powder than used in this recipe, so the taste will be slightly different and will mellow the flavor. However, it is still a great substitute if you have no cream of tartar.
Replace the½ teaspoon of cream of tartarand¼ teaspoon of baking sodawith½ teaspoon of baking powder.
Equipment
These easy cookie bars are quickest to make using an electric or stand mixer because the butter and the sugar need beating. If you have none, it can be made by hand. This will take a little effort to cream the butter and sugar together.
8×8 pan– You will need an 8-inch square pan.
How To Make This Simple Snickerdoodle Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Leave a paper overhang so you can easily lift the baked cookie from the pan once it is baked.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set these dry ingredients aside. In a large bowl, cream together the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar.
Beat them together on medium-high spee, for about a minute and a half, until lighter in color and creamy.
Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Beat together on low speed to combine it all into a thick but slightly sticky cookie dough.
Scoop the Snickerdoodle cookie dough into the prepared pan.
Use an offset or rubber spatula and press the cookie dough out evenly.
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar layer. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture in an even layer on top of the dough.
Baking
Bake the cinnamon cookie bars for approximately 18-22 minutes, until the edges are baked and the middle is just set. Don’t over-bake them.
Let the pan cool for 10 minutes before removing the cookie. Let it cool further on a wire rack.
Once cooled, cut the soft cookie bars into 16 pieces.
Storing
These classic Snickerdoodle bars can be stored at room temperature for six days in an airtight container.
The dough for these cookie bars can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Freezing instructions– The baked bars or the unbaked cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months.
Related recipes
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are some more delicious recipes you might like next time!
- Small-batch regular Snickerdoodle cookies
- Chewy Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
Yield: 16
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These cookie bars are thick and soft, with a slight crunch from the cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 188g ( 1 ½ cups*) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 large egg
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Leave a paper overhang to lift the baked cookie from the pan once baked easily.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set these dry ingredients aside.
- Add room-temperature butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat them with an electric mixer for about 2-3 minutes until lighter in color and creamy. If you have no electric mixer, beat them with a wooden spoon until creamy.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat together on low speed to combine it all into a thick but slightly sticky cookie dough.
- Scoop the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to press the cookie dough out evenly.
- Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle this in an even layer on top of the dough
- Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, until the edges are baked and the middle is set. Don't over-bake them.
- Let the cookie bar cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before removing. Let it cool further to room temperature on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, cut into 16 pieces.
Notes
*The cup sizes given are US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric. For best results, use grams.
Cream of tartar substitute
Replace the 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 142Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
