Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles? ›

Sugar cookies are usually rolled and cut out with cookie cutters (but not always). Snickerdoodles have cream of tartar in the dough and are rolled into balls then rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking. They puff up and then flatten out to make circle shaped cookies. Both are delicious!

You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

The snickerdoodle dough can be sticky and tough to handle. I like to grease my hands with cooking spray so they are easier to handle. Refrigerate. Also, after you have rolled one tray of snickerdoodles, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Without cream of tartar, you'll get the same baked good in the end, but the consistency may not be as flawless. If you're worried about your cake coming out too flat or your lemon meringue pie going runny, adding cream of tartar is an effective way to prevent it.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is a good cream of tartar substitute for cookies because it is synergistic with baking soda. You'll need 1.5x the amount of baking powder substitute for the cream of tartar called for in the recipe. Baking powder is a great cream of tartar replacement because it doesn't impart any flavor.

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

The Joy of Cooking claims that “snickerdoodle” comes from “Schneckennudel,” a German word that literally means “snail noodles.” Schneckennudels don't have anything to do with snails or noodles, though—they're actually delicious-looking German cinnamon rolls.

You might be baking them at too low of a temperature.

If you are using a home oven that is non-convection, try baking at 375 degrees instead of 350 degrees. Too low of a temperature can also dry out your cookies.

It's always best to follow the recipe exactly, which means including cream of tartar if the recipe has been tested with it. If you omit it, you may get different results than expected. WHY DO MY SNICKERDOODLES TASTE BITTER? Your snickerdoodles may taste bitter if you are sensitive to the taste of cream of tartar.

Generally when baking, cakey texture is from more flour and less sugar. The ratio of fat, sugar and flour is what achieves the texture of the cookie. Also, when you are whipping the eggs in the recipe as well.

Why don t my snickerdoodles crack? ›

If yours aren't cracking, your oven may not be hot enough or your ingredients may not be fresh enough! Are snickerdoodles supposed to be undercooked? I always recommend slightly underbaking your cookies and then letting them finish baking through cooling on the pan.

This can go the other way too. If your cookies are coming out flat, it's likely that your oven is too cool, baking the cookies at a lower temperature, and causing them to come out flat.

Refrigerating snickerdoodle dough lets the butter resolidify and prevents the cookies from flattening out in the oven. I recommend giving the dough at least 45-60 minutes of chilling time in the fridge before baking.

Cool down your dough for a tastier, chewier cookie.

As little as 30 minutes in your fridge or freezer can help your cookie brown better, spread less, and develop a richer chewy texture. There's a few reasons why, but one important part is it gives the butter in your dough a chance to firm up before baking.

What Does Cream of Tartar Do in Cookies? Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

The most common recipes that call for cream of tartar are those that call for egg whites to be whipped, like angel food cake, genoise cake, meringue, and macarons. Jampel says that is because cream of tartar works as an egg white stabilizer that increases both the volume and shelf life of the meringue.

As grape juice sits and ferments, potassium bitartrate precipitates and forms crystals on the inside of the casks which can then be collected and processed to make cream of tartar. Cream of tartar has a slightly tangy, acidic flavor, but it's not typically used in large enough quantities to impact the flavor of dishes.

One of the main causes of sticky dough is adding too much melted butter. If you put your dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour, the butter will firm up a bit and make the dough much easier to handle.