Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies Without Cream of Tartar

These Snickerdoodle cookies are made without cream of tartar, but they are still the best you'll ever have! They are soft and thick, with just the right cinnamon flavor!

A stack of 4 thick snickerdoodle cookies. The top one has a bite out of it.

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Key Ingredients
How to Make Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar
Expert Tips
Is it still a Snickerdoodle without Cream of Tartar?
Recipe FAQs
More Cookie Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

I've been making Snickerdoodle cookies since I was a kid, and I can confidently say these are the best you'll ever taste.

Thanks to the baking powder, they have a wonderfully soft texture. While not quite as thick as Half Moon cookies, they still rise beautifully tall and achieve the perfect consistency.

Everyone will love their fantastic flavor—without the overpowering tang of cream of tartar, the delicious taste of butter and cinnamon really shines.

Best of all, you can whip up these treats using simple pantry ingredients you likely already have, saving you a trip to the grocery store. I love to include Snickerdoodles on a cookie tray with caramel brownie cookies and lemon butter cookies!

Best cookies I've ever made! I've made these over ten times and I love them even more every time.

- Alana

A bunch of snickerdoodle cookies clustered on a sheet of parchment paper with 2 cinnamon sticks between them.

Key Ingredients

Overhead of labeled ingredients for snickerdoodles made without cream of tartar.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, including measurements.

All-Purpose Flour: This standard baking flour helps create a chewy and delicious cookie.
Butter: My original recipe called for ½ cup of butter and ½ cup of shortening, but the flavor is so much better with all butter! With a few other recipe adjustments, the cookies are just as thick! Use room-temperature butter for the best cookies.
Baking Powder: I love what baking powder does to these cookies! It makes them nice and thick while still having a chewy texture like traditional Snickerdoodle cookies.
Vanilla Extract: High-quality pure vanilla extract makes a big difference in the flavor.

How to Make Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar

Cream the Butter and Sugar

You can use a hand mixer or the paddle attachment with a stand mixer.
Start your mixer at low speed, then increase it to high speed as the sugar mixes into the butter.
Beat together for at least 2 full minutes. This allows the sugar to dissolve into the butter completely, providing a more even flavor throughout the cookie.
It adds air to the dough, producing a lighter and fluffier cookie.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional minute or two.

Mix in Dry Ingredients

Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients at a low speed.
Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula so that all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Turn your mixer off as soon as the flour is thoroughly mixed in. Over-mixing will result in a dry cookie.

Roll in Sugar

Stir the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
The ratio of cinnamon and sugar in this recipe gives a hint of sweetness and lots of cinnamon flavor.
Ensure that each dough ball is thoroughly coated in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies until they are just starting to brown on the outside.
They will continue to bake while they sit at room temperature on the pan.
Slightly under-baking gives you chewy cookies.
After cooling on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.

4 steps to make snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar. Creaming butter, dry ingredients, rolled in cinnamon, and on cookie sheet.

The result of these steps is a soft, thick center, slightly crispy outside, buttery, sweet, cinnamon goodness! The perfect cookie!

Expert Tips

Cream the butter and sugar for several minutes. This allows the sugar to dissolve into the butter completely, providing a more even flavor throughout the cookie. It adds air to the dough, producing a lighter and fluffier cookie. If you find yourself with dense and flat cookies, this is a step you want to pay careful attention to!
Refrigerate your dough. You have probably heard this tip for chocolate chip cookie dough, but it holds for all cookie dough! It is best to chill your dough for 24 hours, though even 30 minutes makes a difference. This chills the fat in the cookie, which slows down the spread in the oven and results in a thicker cookie.
Another benefit of chilling the dough is that it dries out a little. This sounds like it would be a bad thing, but it is actually precisely what you want! As the dough dries, the flavor is concentrated, producing a more robust flavor.
Bake at a high temperature to create a nice rise from the cookie dough.
Do not overbake. Remove from the oven when the edges are just starting to brown, but the center is still a little gooey. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet.
Use parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Is it still a Snickerdoodle without Cream of Tartar?

There is an argument that cream of tartar is a required ingredient for traditional snickerdoodles. However, Stella Parks from Serious Eats reports that the original Snickerdoodles had baking powder.

In fact, one of the earliest known Snickerdoodle recipes dates back to 1891, when Cleveland Baking Powder published it in an advertisement for its brand of baking powder.

The problem was that baking powder was not a household product like today. It was expensive and hard to come by. So, the recipe was adapted for the everyday baker to use baking soda and cream of tartar.

Today, baking powder is a pantry staple, but not everyone keeps cream of tartar on hand. Isn't it funny how things change?

Overhead of a plate of snickerdoodles with one of the cookies broken in half, some cookies on a cooling rack, and a jug of milk.

Recipe FAQs

Why are my snickerdoodles without cream of tartar flat?

If your baking powder is old, it will not work to make your cookies rise. Replace your baking powder and try again! Another important element in baking a thick Snickerdoodle is the high temperature. If you bake lower than 400°F, your cookies may be flat.

How do I store Snickerdoodles?

Store your Snickerdoodle cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. These cookies keep longer than many other cookies. When stored properly they will be good for up to 7 days. If they begin to harden you can place a slice of bread in the container, and the moisture will help soften the cookies once again.

Can I freeze Snickerdoodle dough?

Yes. When freezing, I recommend that you portion cookie dough balls. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze them for about 2 hours. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen dough without thawing, though it may need an additional minute or two of baking time.

What is Cream of Tartar?

Cream of tartar, a byproduct of wine fermentation, serves multiple purposes in baking. It stabilizes whipped egg whites and cream, acts as a leavening agent when combined with baking soda, and contributes to the distinctive tangy flavor of classic snickerdoodles. This versatile ingredient has been a staple in baking since the 1800s, playing a crucial role in everything from meringues to cookies.

Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind-the-scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!

Recipe

This recipe was originally posted as The Actual Best Snickerdoodle Cookies in June 2020. It was updated in October 2022 changing the recipe to one that does not include cream of tartar or baking soda. See the recipe notes for the ingredient portions from the original recipe.

Comments

4.95 from 17 votes (12 ratings without comment)

Key Ingredients