These soft & chewy Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar are the perfect Christmas cookie if you don't have cream of tartar at home! The same nostalgic cookie using baking powder instead!
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These snickerdoodles without cream of tartar are soft, buttery, and full of that delightful cinnamon sugar flavor! These chewy snickerdoodles use simple pantry ingredients and come together in 10 minutes. Plus, there is no dough chilling required!
I absolutely love a snickerdoodle this time of year, it is honestly the coziest cookie! But, I don’t always have cream of tartar on hand so I knew I had to make a recipe for chewy snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar!
These are really simple cookies to make, so they are perfect to whip up for the holidays! These snickerdoodles are light and fluffy with a little bit of chewiness to them. This snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar might not have the same tang as a traditional snickerdoodle, but it still has that nostalgic buttery cinnamon sugar flavor!
If you are looking for more inspiration for Christmas cookies, you have to try my Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies, as well as my Snowball Cookies!
Why You Should Make These Snickerdoodles
- These thick and soft snickerdoodles take just 20 minutes from start to finish!
- You don’t have to chill the cookie dough before baking, my favorite kind of cookie recipe.
- This chewy snickerdoodle recipe uses pantry staple ingredients, so you’ve probably already got everything you need!
- Instead of using the cream of tartar, found in a traditional snickerdoodle, I’m using baking powder as the acidic ingredient. Fun fact, baking powder is actually a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar!
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some notes on a few ingredients- please see the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve tested this recipe with all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: classic snickerdoodles are made with cream of tartar, but I’m using baking powder instead. Baking powder is a mix of cream of tartar and baking soda.
- Butter: I’m using unsalted butter because it is important to control the amount of salt in these cookies!
- Eggs: this recipe uses one whole egg and one egg yolk. That extra egg yolk is going to make your snickerdoodles soft and chewy.
- Cinnamon: you’ll need a bit of cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar to roll the cookies in.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3: In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, so all the cookie dough is getting mixed.
Step 4: Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until there are no more streaks of flour.
Step 5: Use a medium cookie scoop, about 1 ½ tablespoons, to scoop out the cookie dough. Roll into a ball using your hands, then roll the cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar. Roll the cookie dough ball again between your hands to make sure the cinnamon sugar sticks to the dough. Roll in the cinnamon sugar once more and then place it on the cookie sheet. Repeat with all of the cookie dough.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them and place them on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve substituted cream of tartar for baking powder, which is a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar. These cookies won’t have the exact same tang as regular snickerdoodles, but they will still be soft, buttery, and delicious!
Make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired! Your baking powder might have been old which is why your cookies came out flat.
There are a couple of reasons why your cookies came out dry. First, make sure you are measuring your flour properly - it should be spooned and leveled. Next, make sure not to overmix the cookie dough once you add the dry ingredients. And finally, make sure not to over bake these cookies!
Tips and Tricks
- Measure your flour properly - Make sure to measure your flour correctly or use a kitchen scale to ensure you aren't adding too much flour, otherwise your cookies will come out dry!
- Under bake the cookies - I recommend taking the cookies out of the oven just as they look set. If you over bake these cookies they might be dry.
- Rolling in cinnamon sugar - I recommend rolling these cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture twice! The first time you roll them, make sure to then roll them between your hands to make sure it is really sticking to the dough. Then, roll once more! This will ensure the coating is really sticking and you get that delicious cinnamon sugar flavor.
Storing & Freezing
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months, just let them thaw at room temperature.
Want to try more cookie recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar for coating
- 3 teaspoon cinnamon for coating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula when necessary.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until no streaks of flour are left.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1½ tbsp) to scoop the cookie dough and roll it into a ball using your hands. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough in your hands again (to ensure the coating sticks to the dough), and roll in the cinnamon sugar one more time. Place on the cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, and then remove onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure your flour properly - Make sure to measure your flour correctly or use a kitchen scale to ensure you aren't adding too much flour, otherwise your cookies will come out dry!
- Under bake the cookies - I recommend taking the cookies out of the oven just as they look set. If you over bake these cookies they might be dry.
- Rolling in cinnamon sugar - I recommend rolling these cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture twice! The first time you roll them, make sure to then roll them between your hands to make sure it is really sticking to the dough. Then, roll once more! This will ensure the coating is really sticking and you get that delicious cinnamon sugar flavor.
Nutrition
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vanessa says
loved these! i never have cream of tartar on hand so this was perfect thank you!