Name: Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon; 2 ⅓ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

About My Best Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar

Behold—a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar!

When I first published My Best Snickerdoodle Recipe earlier this year, folks loved the recipe. I got a ton of people raving about its strong buttery and cinnamon flavors, as well as its perfectly chewy texture. Because unlike other snickerdoodle recipes that make fat, thick, and puffy cookies, my recipe makes snickerdoodle cookies that are flat and similar to the size and shape of a chocolate chip cookie. They were a hit—many considered them to be one of the best cookie recipes on Hummingbird High!

But many were also dismayed by their use of an “obscure” ingredient—cream of tartar. I got many emails and DMs: “What even is cream of tartar?” and “Do I really need cream of tartar to make snickerdoodles?” I 100% get it. It’s a shame because most snickerdoodles are pretty “pantry-friendly” recipes. That is, most people have all the ingredients to make snickerdoodles in their pantry already—butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and the like. Except for cream of tartar! And sadly, the homemade substitutions available online (like lemon juice, vinegar, and more) add too much liquid to the cookie dough, altering the cookies’ texture.

So since then, I’ve been working hard to develop a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar. And this is it! Similar to my best snickerdoodle recipe, this recipe makes flat snickerdoodles that are soft yet chewy in the middle, with crispy and lightly puffed edges. And of course, they are buttery, cinnamon-y, and delicious. The best part? Absolutely you don’t need cream of tartar to make them!

@hummingbirdhigh google “snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar” for the recipe with weight measurements; my recipe is the first result on hummingbirdhigh.com! #bakingrecipe #baking ♬ Jiggle Jiggle – Duke & Jones & Louis Theroux

What is a snickerdoodle?

But hold the phone. What even are snickerdoodles, anyway?

Snickerdoodles are sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon sugar gives the cookies their distinct flavor, texture, and appearance. Some food historians argue that sugar cookies recipes use baking powder to leaven the cookies, while snickerdoodles recipes use cream of tartar instead.

What is cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar is an acidic by-product of fermenting grapes into wine. In baking, it’s primarily used for stabilizing meringues and whipped cream. Baking powder also typically consists of a mix of baking soda and cream of tartar. You can learn more about why in this Kitchn article talking about the difference between baking powder and baking soda.

Because cream of tartar is slightly more acidic than baking powder, it gives the cookies a slight sour-flavored tang unique to snickerdoodles.

Can you make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?

However, Stella Parks, the main pastry expert at Serious Eats, argues that snickerdoodles don’t necessarily need cream of tartar. In her cookbook, she writes that the earliest recipes for snickerdoodles used baking powder. She cites that Cleveland Baking Powder, a prominent baking powder brand in the early 1900s, used a snickerdoodle recipe in its advertising as early as 1891.

Unfortunately, back then, baking powder was considered a luxury good. Many home cooks wanted to try the snickerdoodle recipe, but couldn’t access baking powder. As a result, these home cooks made their own by mixing together baking soda and cream of tartar. Eventually, snickerdoodles became known for this combination of leaveners. However, Stella argues that a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar is the more authentic, original thing.

What does snickerdoodle without cream of tartar taste like?

Even without the cream of tartar, snickerdoodles have a unique flavor and taste. A classic snickerdoodle should taste like a buttery sugar cookie, but with lots of cinnamon and sugar from the snickerdoodle topping.

That being said, if you were to use a snickerdoodle recipe WITH cream of tartar, you’d end up with a different cookie. Cream of tartar is more acidic than baking powder and baking soda, which gives the cookies an added tanginess it wouldn’t otherwise have if I’d used baking powder. In addition to having an effect on flavor, skipping the cream of tartar would also result in different textured cookies. The cream of tartar is what causes the cookies to puff and rise.

If that’s the kind of cookie you’re looking for, check out my best snickerdoodle recipe! It’s the snickerdoodle recipe in my cookbook, Weeknight Baking, and uses cream of tartar.

holding snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar

Why You Should Make This Recipe

Here are all the reasons to make this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar:

The recipe comes together quickly.

These snickerdoodles come together SO quickly. In fact, making the dough for these cookies only took me 10 minutes or so, with another 5 minutes to assemble into cookies. Cool, right? That being said, it’s worth investing in a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to help portion out the dough. I swear that’s the “secret” to making cookie recipes fly by.

The recipe uses basic pantry ingredients.

Without the use of cream of tartar, I swear that most of you will already have all the ingredients you need for these cookies on hand. All you need is flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon! Okay, now that I list it out, it sounds like a lot (lol). But if you bake frequently (or even occasionally!), you probably already have all these ingredients at home.

The snickerdoodles store well.

I love making snickerdoodles, especially around the holidays. Why? Their high butter ratio means that they keep well for days, making them great for presents sent over the mail and more. Furthermore, the snickerdoodle absorbs a lot of flavors from its coating over time. Doing so deepens their cinnamon sugar flavors!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make these snickerdoodles, here’s your shopping list for the recipe:

Shopping List for Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar

granulated sugar
ground cinnamon
all-purpose flour
baking powder
kosher salt
unsalted butter
granulated sugar
large eggs
pure vanilla extract

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:

Ground Cinnamon

You need 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon to make this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar.

2 Tablespoons seems like a lot of ground cinnamon! Is that amount correct?

Yes! Some snickerdoodle recipe I’d tried before developing my own were too bland and only 1 or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. They were fine, but they were definitely more “cinnamon-flavored sugar cookie” than “snickerdoodle” (if you know what I mean). I wanted mine to be unapologetically cinnamony—there would be no confusion or doubt that my cookies were anything BUT snickerdoodles. As a result, I use a whopping 2 TABLESPOONS of ground cinnamon in my recipe.

When measuring out the cinnamon for the snickerdoodle topping, you might be shocked by how much it is and be tempted to the scale the quantity back before even trying it. But I beg you—please don’t! The generous amount of cinnamon is part of the secret to these cookies’ signature “lewk” and will be balanced out by the cookies’ intense butter flavor.

I don’t like cinnamon. Can I still make this snickerdoodle recipe?

Er… I already mentioned that snickerdoodles’ main flavor profile is cinnamon! But okay, you don’t have to use the cinnamon sugar topping. In fact, you can omit it completely and make plain old chewy sugar cookies instead! There’s no need to change Bake Time.

And if you’re feeling creative and want to do some experimenting, check out my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. In my book, I admit that cinnamon isn’t my favorite spice. So instead I provide toppings for my snickerdoodle recipe made with different toppings like black sesame, matcha, raspberry powder, and even sprinkles.

If you don’t want to buy my book (sad face), no worries! You can see some examples of “creative experimentation” on my blog too. In the past, I’ve made Black Halva Snickerdoodles, Raspberry Lemon Snickerdoodles, and these Tangy Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies (which are pretty much snickerdoodles, anyway).

Baking Powder

You need 1 teaspoon baking powder to make this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar.

I don’t have baking powder. Can I still make these snickerdoodles?

LOL. If you don’t have baking powder, check out this recipe for my best snickerdoodle recipe. It makes an equally delicious snickerdoodle cookie but with baking soda and cream of tartar instead.

How To Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar

Here are your basic steps on how to make snickerdoodles from scratch:

First, prep the ingredients.

Prep the ingredients. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
Thankfully, prep for this recipe is fairly easy. Simply measure out all the ingredients and make sure they are at the temperatures specified in the recipe. That’s it!

Next, make the different components for the recipe.

Make the snickerdoodle topping. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
Whisk together the granulated sugar for the topping and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. A shallow bowl makes it easier for you to coat the cookies completely.
Make the snickerdoodle cookie dough. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
This snickerdoodle cookie recipe follows most standard cookie recipes. First, cream the butter and sugars, then add the egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients.

Then, assemble the snickerdoodles.

Form the cookie dough into balls. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
Each cookie will need to be rolled in the cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle topping before baking. To make things more efficient, I create a “snickerdoodle cookie assembly line” that starts with using a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough into even cookie dough balls.
Roll the cookie dough balls in the snickerdoodle topping. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
Once the cookie dough balls have been formed, roll each one in the bowl with the cinnamon sugar topping. Toss and coat every single dough ball completely.

Finally, bake the snickerdoodles.

Bake the cookies. (Bake Time: 12 minutes)
The snickerdoodles need 12 minutes in an oven preheated to 375℉. Snickerdoodle cookies are baked at a higher temperature than most other drop cookie recipes (most cookie recipes are baked at 350℉. Snickerdoodles are baked at between 375℉ and 400℉.

Why?

This higher temperature encourages the baking powder to activate quickly, puffing the centers of the cookies as they bake. When pulled out of the oven, the centers then fall, giving each snickerdoodle cookie its signature crispy edges.

bite of snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Questions About SnickerdoodleTechniques

How to Bake Snickerdoodles That Stay Soft

For soft snickerdoodles, it’s better to pull them out when they’re underdone. Specifically, bake only until the edges are set, but the centers are still gooey. Immediately transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes. The residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the cookies to the perfect texture. Do not pull your cookies out only when they’re set and crispy! The pan will continue to bake them even after you pull them out of the oven, leading to hard and overdone cookies.

How to Decorate Snickerdoodle Cookies

I am of the firm opinion that snickerdoodle cookies need no decoration. I think their craggy surfaces are beautiful, and I love the way that their cracks hold cinnamon sugar. If you insist on “decorating” snickerdoodles, I suggest using your favorite ice cream or buttercream frosting recipe to make snickerdoodle sandwich cookies!

FAQ: Questions About The Recipe’s Results

Why are my snickerdoodles flat?

Snickerdoodles can come out flat if 1) the baking powder you used is on the old side and no longer work, and 2) if you baked them at a lower temperature.

First, figure out if it’s your leavener. First, test the baking powder by adding a pinch of it to a bowl of hot water. If the water slightly fizzes, that’s a good thing! It’s still good to go. If it doesn’t fizz, your baking powder has gone bad.

Next, double check your oven. In Weeknight Baking, I always insist that people get an external oven thermometer. Hang the thermometer on one of the center oven racks to monitor the temperature inside. Although most modern ovens come with their own thermometers, these internal thermometers degrade over time, giving you inaccurate readings. To wit—many years ago, when I still lived in San Francisco, I rented an apartment with a faulty oven. Although its internal thermometer always read 350℉, I burned almost everything I made. When I finally shelled out for an external thermometer, I discovered that the inside of the oven was actually a full 100 degrees hotter, despite the oven telling me that it was at the perfect temperature! No wonder I burned everything.

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.

Help! I have the opposite problem. Instead, my snickerdoodles came out too puffy and didn’t flatten like yours. What did I do wrong?

Okay, there are several things that could be responsible for overly puffy cookies.

Possibility #1: You altered the quantities of the ingredients in the recipe.

First things first: did you make the recipe with the ingredients exactly as written? That is, you didn’t increase decrease the amount of sugar (a lot of folks do this because they are worried about their health or think that the recipe will be too sweet) or use an egg substitute?

Because if you did, bad news: doing so likely affected the texture of these cookies. Sugar and eggs are what give the cookies their signature look, taste, and texture. Specifically—sugar helps baked goods spread and brown properly. If you reduce the sugar, the cookies won’t spread in the same way and will stay puffy.

By the way, recipe developers love when people complain that the recipe “didn’t work” or come out as expected…only to find out that the maker changed the ingredients. LOVE IT.

Possibility #2: You didn’t measure the ingredients properly.

You swear you followed the recipe exactly as written. But your cookies still came out puffy! What gives? Okay, another question for you: did you use measuring cups?

If you used cup measures as opposed to weight measures, there’s a larger chance your cookies will come out puffy. Why? As weird as this sounds, there’s a LOT of variation in how people use measuring cups. Like, somebody who scoops ingredients into a measuring cup and packs it down as they go will have a cup that has way more ingredients than somebody who simply scoops the flour into a cup and levels it off as its filled. This is why bakers love measuring by weight with a digital scale. It’s much more reliable and completely eliminates any inconsistencies.

While these variations aren’t a big deal for many recipes, they can be a big deal for cookies. Specifically: if you pack a heavy cup of flour, your cookies will come out too puffy. They won’t fall and sink in the same way as mine did.

So the correct way to fill a measuring cup is this: set the measuring cup on a flat, level surface like your kitchen counter. Spoon the ingredient you’re measuring into the measuring cup until it forms a small mound within the cup. Use a butter knife or bench scraper to level off the mound so that the ingredient is flush with the top edges of the measuring cup. If you’re measuring a dry ingredient that has a tendency to clump or get packed down (like flour, confectioners’ sugar, or cocoa powder), give them a quick whisk in their bags or containers first before scooping into the measuring cup.

I told you a digital scale was easier, right?

***FAQ:* *Storing The Snickerdoodles***

How To Store Snickerdoodles

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?

Yes! You can freeze the snickerdoodles in two ways:

Freeze the unbaked snickerdoodle cookie dough.

After portioning the dough into balls, place the balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes, or until the dough is hard enough to handle without being sticky. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Note that the dough will be frozen WITHOUT the snickerdoodle topping. When ready to bake, you’ll need to roll the cookie dough balls in the snickerdoodle topping. There’s no need to thaw the cookie dough balls before baking. Follow the instructions for baking in the recipe, but increase the Bake Time to 14 minutes.

Freeze the baked snickerdoodle cookies.

Individually wrap any leftover cookies in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the cookies from absorbing any other flavors or odors in the freezer. When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.

Best Recipe Tips

Best Technique Tips

Because this dough has a LOT of butter in it, it has a tendency to really want to stick to the bottom and sides of the bowl when mixing. For the best cookies, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the paddle and the bowl repeatedly—I like to liberally scrape things down two to three times during the creaming process (once after every minute of creaming), once after every egg addition, and finally, two more times after adding the dry ingredients (the first time after ALL the dry ingredients have JUST been added, the second time after they’ve just been mixed together).
For the best snickerdoodle cookies, be sure to cover your cookie dough balls with a LOT of the cinnamon sugar topping. But be warned: you may still end up with some of it leftover since the recipe makes a generous amount. I like to save the leftovers in an airtight container to sprinkle on my breakfast oatmeal and toast throughout the rest of the week—I wouldn’t keep it any longer than that though (because I mean… you did roll raw cookie dough in the stuff, lol).

Best Baking Tip

I like to bake the cookies one pan at a time. I find that doing so makes the best cookies, ensuring that none of them have overly burnt bottoms or raw centers. However, to save time, you can bake two sheet pans at a time. Position a rack in the upper-third position of the oven, and a second one in the lower-third position of the oven. Bake a pan on each rack, swapping their positions half way through the Bake Time.

Video Tutorial for The Recipe

Use the video player below to watch my Instagram Story tutorial on how to make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar! The arrows to the left and right of the frame allow you to skip through the different recipe steps. You can also hit the “pause” or “enlarge” buttons on the upper right hand side of the frame to pause or enlarge the frames accordingly.

Alternatively, head to my Instagram profile to watch these Stories on mobile! The circles underneath my bio indicate saved Instagram Story highlights for various recipes. Click on one of the circles to play the video tutorial for the recipe. You may need to swipe left or right to find this snickerdoodle recipe.

More Snickerdoodle Recipes

More Drop Cookie Recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment and rating for the recipe using the form below!

Your ratings make it easier to find the recipe online, and I’m always looking for ways to improve Hummingbird High.

Cookies Snickerdoodles

posted by Michelle Lopez on December 9, 2020 (last updated Aug 29, 2023)

51 comments Leave a comment »

51 comments on “Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar”

Emily Moran — December 14, 2020 @ 6:25 pm Reply

This recipe was SO easy and made such a delicious cookie. I was never a huge snickerdoodle fan but now converted. So chewy and a yummy mix of cinnamon and sugar! I would never have cream or tartar on hand, so this is a super helpful alternative.
ATS — December 15, 2020 @ 3:26 am Reply

Anyone with any knowledge of baking knows that while snickerdoodle recipes contain both cream of tartar and baking soda, there is no point in adding them separately—as cream of tartar and baking soda are literally the main (if not the only) ingredients in a lot of baking powders. (So this recipe actually technically DOES contain cream of tartar—just not as a stand-alone ingredient.) Anyway, cream of tartar is easily found in any grocery store baking section. It’s not some exotic rarity. Congrats! This recipe post has used clickbait and prattled on for paragraph after paragraph to “solve” a complete non-issue. Ridiculous.
- Michelle — December 15, 2020 @ 8:43 am Reply
  
  Hi! I made this recipe because yes, I noticed that many people were searching for a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar. I agree with you that the recipe seems silly—in fact, my OG recipe for snickerdoodles (https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2020/04/my-best-snickerdoodle-recipe.html) contains both cream of tartar AND baking soda, as is traditional—but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t share this baking knowledge.
  
  Many people also lament that, while cream of tartar is readily available, they have little use for it in recipes other than snickerdoodles and meringue (both of which they aren’t making very often). They’d rather not have that ingredient clutter their kitchen further. And on the flipside, when I posted this recipe, I received a lot of messages from people who lived abroad thanking me! Why? Cream of tartar is not as readily available in the countries where they lived. It’s less commonly found abroad, even in places like Canada.
  
  Maybe something to think about the next time you leave a very rude and thoughtless message on the work of somebody who is just trying to be helpful? I like to make my recipes accessible for everyone who reads my blog. I’m sorry if that offends you.
  - Amber — March 12, 2021 @ 10:07 am
    
    Please ignore this rude persons comment as this is so helpful and even people who are experienced bakers like my mother in law need a tried and tested recipe instead of making guesses when they don’t have time that it’s “the same thing it should be fine”.
    
    Again, thank you for this recipe it’s saved me tonight!
  - Alissa — August 3, 2021 @ 12:31 pm
    
    What’s truly funny is that your negative review has given me more faith that if I make this recipe, it will turn out well. Thanks for helping me understand the science that I may have scrolled past looking for the recipe that always lies a little too far down the blog page.
  - Jacki — September 16, 2021 @ 10:04 am
    
    I liked finding this recipe for cookie without cream of tartar. The last can of this I bought was probably over 10 yrs. ago and I finally through it away when we moved into a new house 7 yrs. ago. I couldn’t even find another can in 3 other stores. Finally I found one in a store and it was $5.00 for a much larger can than I had and more than I’d use in the rest of my lifetime. I decided against it because I only needed 2 tsp. I am going to make this recipe instead. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that I couldn’t find the total recipe so I could print it out. Maybe, I’m not liking in the right place. At the top of the page is the ingredients list. Then about 8 pages of interesting facts and questions but no directions on how to make them.
  - Michelle — September 16, 2021 @ 10:57 am
    
    Hi, you can find the recipe at the bottom of the page, which is accessible in this link here: https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2020/12/snickerdoodle-recipe-without-cream-of-tartar.html#snickerdoodle-recipe-without-cream-of-tartar
    
    In general too, you can use the links in the “Table of Content” at the top of the page to jump directly to the full recipe. There’s also a “Jump to Recipe” button next to the photo.
    
    Let me know if you still can’t find it!
- Janice Lawandi — December 15, 2020 @ 9:12 am Reply
  
  Hi ATS, Just to clarify: most commercial baking powders are NOT made with cream of tartar. The acid in the baking powder I use is monocalcium phosphate (I bake with Magic baking powder, which is a slow-acting baking powder), and it also contains corn starch. Most commercial baking powders don’t contain cream of tartar. They are made with other acids and formulated to be fast or slow acting, some requiring the heat of the oven to react, giving the baker more flexibility between mixing and baking, allowing for longer delays and storage of batters of dough without risk of the baking powder reacting too soon.
  
  I think most people hesitate to buy cream of tartar because it’s rather expensive, at least where I live, and if you are only going to use it to make one type of cookie (or occasionally when you want to whip egg whites for a meringue), then it does make more sense for many to opt for a baking powder version of the snickerdoodle like this recipe that Michelle developed. I suspect many people visit Google to search for “snickerdoodles without cream of tartar.”
  
  And, while you may understand the acid and base chemistry of baking soda and chemical leaveners, and the roles of these ingredients, many do not. So I think the background information can be helpful to those that are curious and want to learn more, and those that aren’t can use the table of contents at the top to skip to the recipe. I for one like to read the text before recipes because I want to understand why the writer did what they did, used the ingredients they did, and made certain decisions about their recipes. This is the part that fascinates me the most.
- TE — December 15, 2020 @ 12:26 pm Reply
  
  Hi ATS, for your information, it’s actually quite difficult to find cream of tartar where I live (Switzerland). It is definitely not easily found in every grocery store here, like you seem to think; I have yet to find a supermarket that actually carries this ingredient. So while this recipe may seem ridiculous to you, it was actually a lifesaver for me, because I was able to make these delicious cookies this past weekend, without using cream or tartar.
- KS — December 15, 2020 @ 1:51 pm Reply
  
  Hi! A couple of years ago, I craved snickerdoodles during exams, but did not have cream of tartar in my college apartment. I gave up, because I couldn’t quickly find a recipe that was cream-of-tartar-free. When I recently learned that Michelle, a baker whose recipes have never failed me, had posted this recipe, I was delighted. I know that there are folks who, like me, want to be able to throw together snickerdoodles without having to run to the store and pay extra for cream of tartar. This recipe responds to a real need. It is accessible to the casual home baker (or the hungry college student). A pedantic comment like this is insulting not only to the work of Michelle, but also to those of us who may not be well-versed in what, exactly, comprises cream of tartar.
  
  Thank you, Michelle, for seeing a need and responding to it! 🙂 So excited to make these for the holiday season.
- Bitch — December 15, 2020 @ 9:07 pm Reply
  
  Damn. Someone needs to get laid.
- Farisha J — January 22, 2021 @ 2:50 am Reply
  
  I live in Germany and cream of tartar is so hard to find here! The American grocery stores on the military bases have them, but not everyone has access to the base. I love snickerdoodle cookies, but had a hard time find a recipe that didn’t use cream of tartar. Thank you for this recipe!!
- kirsten — July 2, 2022 @ 11:01 pm Reply
  
  there are a lot of countries where cream of tartar is hard to find💀
- Alexa — December 26, 2022 @ 12:45 am Reply
  
  As an American who has lived overseas for two years this recipe saved me! The country I’m in doesn’t have cream of tartar and if they do it’s SO hard to find. Very thankful for this recipe!
- SS — January 11, 2023 @ 3:46 pm Reply
  
  NOT ridiculous, ATS. I make snickerdoodles very rarely, so once I’m done, what do I do with the leftover cream of tartar? It just sits around doing nothing. How many cookies would I have to make to use up all of it? I think this recipe is very useful.
  - A — August 13, 2023 @ 12:13 am
    
    Love this recipe and found it easy and delicious. First time making them..I did not have cream of tartar and honestly did not want to go out and get it when I had everything else..So this was super duper helpful. Thank you! Appreciate a great website and cooking blog. Nice work!!
Megan Sherling — December 15, 2020 @ 10:07 am Reply

Yum! Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies and use all pantry staples except cream of tartar. I appreciate the time and effort Michelle put in to helping me learn the what and why behind how snickerdoodles are made. I love cooking and baking, but it is even more fun when I can learn something new while doing it. I’m so thankful to have this recipe in my back pocket for when the late night snickerdoodle craving strikes!
Allie — February 18, 2021 @ 1:22 pm Reply

These are THE best snickerdoodles I have ever made. They are so soft, came together quickly and so flavorful. Only changes I made, were that I reduced the salt because all I had was salted butter and used almond extract because I realized too late I was out of vanilla! Haha but they were PERFECT. The bake time was perfection. So addictive and sooooo good. 😍
Reyes — April 16, 2021 @ 10:07 am Reply

An amazing cookie !! A couple tips though 1.)fold the flour in 2.) For the topping add more sugar (too much cinnamon) 3) The dough may seem batter like and sticky so just wrap bowl in cling wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours! 4) roll the dough balls in topping and knead the ball itself then add another layer of topping (brings cinnamon out)! 5.) Flatten the cookies before baking! 6.)Bake at 325 -350 6.) Take cookies out when edges are baked if the middle feels soft still dont worry after cooling they are perfect. 7.) I reccomend putting cookies in container and seve the next day they are chewy all over instead of the edges being a little hard!
- Soleil — June 12, 2021 @ 8:20 am Reply
  
  How much butter and sugar did you use? I can’t seem to find it in the recipe…
  - Michelle — June 12, 2021 @ 9:23 pm
    
    Scroll down! The full recipe is below. You can also use the jump to recipe button and/or link in the table of contents as a shortcut: https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2020/12/snickerdoodle-recipe-without-cream-of-tartar.html#snickerdoodle-recipe-without-cream-of-tartar
Lisa — July 5, 2021 @ 7:08 pm Reply

I used this recipe and ITS AMAZINGGGG. Im going to use this from now on.
Eva — July 10, 2021 @ 3:00 am Reply

I just made these and they look & taste SO SO good! Thx 4 the recipe
Victoria — September 23, 2021 @ 11:21 am Reply

Awesome recipe thank you! 🙂 house smelled of cinnamon and it was so fitting for the fall season lol i’m not a professional baker BUT i read you can sub butter for oil so i used one stick butter one cup oil and they turned out great anyway. Love the recipe thank you for posting!
Amy — October 2, 2021 @ 4:44 pm Reply

Used this recipe for my 1st time making snikerdoodles and they turned out perfect! Didn’t want to deal with cream of tartar and after using this recipe I didn’t notice a difference in flavor from other professional bakeries that would likely use cream of tartar. I appreciate the notes and troubleshooting included in this recipe. (Though it’s a lot to read through lol) very helpful info. I didn’t have a mixer and mixed everything by hand, but they still turned out great. Even sprinkled a pinch of the cinnamon sugar mix on top of each cookie as soon as they came out of the oven. Will definitely save this recipe to use again next time.
Dw — October 25, 2021 @ 4:08 pm Reply

I made these pretty close to the recipe, except I used ghee instead of butter (sub at a ratio of 3 parts ghee for every 4 parts butter). I chilled the dough for 2 hours because I had something else to do. Took a bit longer to bake up (16-17 mins) since dough was cold. Ended up with wonderfully chewy cookies with crispy edges and cakey centers. Delicious. Thank you!
Kaitlyn — October 28, 2021 @ 11:48 am Reply

This recipe worked beautifully! I don’t have a hand mixer, so I creamed the butter/sugar with a rubber spatula and it worked just fine. I actually did a mix of white and brown sugar, 2/3 white, 1/3 brown.

After mixing in the egg and vanilla, I folded in half the flour, mixed til combined, then added the rest… added a tablespoon of cinnamon into the dough too.

Scooped out while dough was still soft, double rolled in the cinnamon/sugar, and they were perfect after 12 mins at 375. Light crispiness along the edges, soft center. Definitely allow them to cool on the sheet pan before diving in!

I baked only 8 cookies, and am storing the rest… I doubt it will last very long. All 8 cookies I baked last night were gone before I went to bed. My partner and I loved this recipe!!
Kaitlyn — October 28, 2021 @ 3:54 pm Reply

UPDATE: my boyfriend gave the last remaining snickerdoodle to his friend, and he was ecstatic, saying it was probably the best cookie he’s ever had

Of all the baked goods I’ve made for my home and have shared with my SO’s friends, I have NEVER gotten such an overwhelmingly positive reaction

Would give it 6/5 stars if that were possible.. Definitely will be using this recipe over and over
Emily — November 11, 2021 @ 11:47 am Reply

I made this recipe last night and substituted egg with a chia egg(1tbs chia seeds in 3tbs water- let sit for 15 min and it gels up). They turned out great, and the egg was the only thing I substituted. Just wanted to pass along for anyone looking for an egg substitute!
Zoe — November 14, 2021 @ 12:07 am Reply

Made snickerdoodles for the first time using this recipe tonight and they are perfect!! I am so happy with them. Will definitely make again!
MarissaL — November 16, 2021 @ 9:28 pm Reply

Recipe turned out great! Thank you!
Regina — December 21, 2021 @ 6:03 am Reply

How long can you refrigerate this dough before baking?
- Michelle — December 21, 2021 @ 7:33 am Reply
  
  Up to 2 days! After that, I would freeze it because the dough tends to turn a grayish color from ingredients oxidizing.
AM — December 29, 2021 @ 4:18 pm Reply

This recipe was very easy to make and didn’t take me that long. But when i took the cookies out of the oven, they had grown to the size of my hand and they were really flat. When i was putting the dough on the baking sheets, i made them a reasonable size and i added the correct amount of baking powder so i have no idea why they look like that. They taste great and it was overall a good recipe. I just want to know what i did wrong so that i don’t make that mistake again.
- Michelle Lopez — December 30, 2021 @ 8:16 am Reply
  
  Do you have an external oven thermometer (one that’s not a part of your oven)? Overspreading tends to happen when the cookies are baked at a lower temperature than what’s stated in the recipe. Most internal oven thermometers are notoriously inaccurate and don’t give you the correct reading for the temperature inside your oven.
E — March 6, 2022 @ 3:35 pm Reply

I so appreciate you posting this recipe, saving me a trip to the store with my toddler (lol). Sorry people feel the need to leave you nasty comments. Definitely a reflection on them, not you. Keep up the great work (and it is a LOT of work, I know!)
Emily K — March 14, 2022 @ 4:02 pm Reply

I used Bob’s 1-to1 GF flour and they came out so good! Grateful for a recipe that didn’t call for cream of tartar because I just threw out my expired jar of it. Much more sugar topping than I needed, I could’ve have done with half the amount, but I made the cookies a little bit bigger so perhaps this resulted in less surface area. So yummy, great recipe!
Marguerite Niven — June 28, 2022 @ 5:57 am Reply

Thank you, Michelle. I LOVE that this recipe lead with no cream of tartar!!! Sorry to all those chemists/baking snobs out there–but not all of us bakers know the chemical composition of all baking ingredients.

The cookie turned out crisp and cinnamon sweet on the outside, creamy soft on the inside. I only made 2 adjustments as suggested by other posters: Reduced cinnamon from 4 Tbsp to 2 Tbsp, and reduced kosher salt from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp because salted butter was used. I also used Kirkland’s Organic Saigon Cinnamon for a bolder cinnamon taste. Thanks again for posting this recipe!
Ashlie — November 26, 2022 @ 2:28 am Reply

I adore cinnamon and this is my kinda recipe mum of three I don’t have everything in my cupboard but this recipe will go down in my little recipe book… thank you so much for sharing me and my sister in-law are going to enjoy this recipe for shore!!! Happy Christmas thanks again x
Ronnie — December 6, 2022 @ 10:37 pm Reply

These turned out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe!
Jackie — December 16, 2022 @ 12:45 am Reply

Super easy to follow! My cookies came out amazing. They’re the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever had in my life, hands down! I put in about a quarter teaspoon more salt than the recipe calls for (so just a pinch) because I like that sweet/salty flavor in my cookies to be a little more pronounced. This recipe saved my night, because I had no cream of tartar and promised these for my colleagues tomorrow, for our winter party. Thanks so much!
Baker — January 8, 2023 @ 3:07 pm Reply

Amazing cookie!! I’m chocolate free and it’s so hard to find a good easy cookie to put together but this one definitely is now up on top of my list! As my husband is dairy free, I subbed canola oil instead of the butter and it came out nice and chewy still.
Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa Shaw — January 29, 2023 @ 6:52 pm Reply

Loved the cookies! I think that they taste better without cream of tartar!
J — February 6, 2023 @ 4:03 pm Reply

hi i tried this recipe and let me tell you i’ve tried so many diff snickerdoodles cookies and these are the BEST!!! i was searching for a recipe but realized i didn’t have the cream of tartar. i was discouraged and then i found this recipe and it was super easy and made the most perfect cookies ever so damn good and i will now use this recipe every time i need snickerdoodles! 10/10
Lilly — February 19, 2023 @ 11:25 am Reply

My cookies melted
I listened to the directions but they melted
Jasmin — March 15, 2023 @ 10:06 am Reply

This was a great snickerdoodle recipe that didn’t include Cream of Tartar. I loved them, so did my partner and their co-workers. They’re also just super simple to make and delicious. I would 100% recommend. Maybe I would add a little less sugar to the cookie next time and a tad bit more salt, but I love a salty cookie. Otherwise just perfect.
Brianna — May 21, 2023 @ 7:30 pm Reply

Very easy to make and always a hit! Highly recommend!! 💗
Allison — July 9, 2023 @ 7:55 pm Reply

Made just as written and they were AMAZING. Perfectly sweet and delicious. 💖
Wanna go to Cornell to be a vet — July 19, 2023 @ 12:38 am Reply

This snickerdoodle recipe was SOO good. So I first made snickerdoodle cookies a few months ago for Father’s Day cause my dad likes snickerdoodles, but I didn’t realize I needed cream of tarter for snickerdoodle cookies, if causes, the person I am, I immediately started to panic thinking how I couldn’t make my dad his second favorite treat besides cheesecake. I then found this recipe and my dad LOVED it, I mean, he couldn’t even tell the difference between this one and a cream of tarter one. He even said this one was BETTER than normal snickerdoodles. Since then I have made this recipe for my teachers and friends and just for my family almost 5 times now! This is definitely my go to cookie recipe. They are soft and chewy but still buttery and crispy on the outside. 1000/10.
c — August 9, 2023 @ 3:20 pm Reply

best snickerdoodles i have ever made
Ann — August 14, 2023 @ 11:26 am Reply

These turned out amazing! Definitely a new go to recipe. Followed the recipe exactly I only added about 1 tsp of cinnamon to the dough.

Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar