Snickerdoodle cookies are synonymous with comfort food. Crispy edges, chewy centers, a delightful tang, and a buttery cinnamon flavor. What if you find yourself out of Cream of tartar or butter? Keep reading, because I’m going to explain how to make substitutions that won’t affect the yummy factor of your snickerdoodles!
So what exactly is a Snickerdoodle Cookie?
Snickerdoodles may seem like a sugar cookie, but there are a few subtle subtle differences.
What makes it a Snickerdoodle Cookie?
Tangy- The distinct tanginess of a snickerdoodle comes from the cream of tartar that is used as one of the leavening ingredients.
Chewy- A good snickerdoodle has a crisp edge with a chewiness to the center. The key to achieving this is not to overbake your cookies.
Cinnamon Sugar- before they are baked, the dough balls get rolled in cinnamon sugar for the ultimate cookie comfort food!
Snickerdoodle Cookies with substitutions.
So what if you don’t have the cream of tartar? Or you don’t want to use butter? What if you want to make these gluten-free?
Cream of tartar substitution- Cream of tartar can be replaced with baking powder. Replace the cream of tartar and the baking soda in this recipe with 2 tsp baking powder.
Butter Substitution- you can substitute oil for butter 1 for 1 in this recipe. Just use ¾ cup of neutral vegetable oil instead of ¾ cup butter in this recipe.
Flour Substitution- If you’re looking for a gluten-free version of this cookie, substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour in a one for one ratio.
Want to learn more about substituting cream of tartar in recipes? Check out this interesting article that goes more in-depth on the subject.
Best Practices for making perfect snickerdoodles
Start with room temperature ingredients- Room temperature ingredients will blend together better and produce an emulsion with help to bake lighter cookies.
Cream the butter and sugar long enough- Mix your butter and sugar until you notice that the butter mixture gets lighter in color. Increasing the volume and incorporating air in the dough makes a lighter cookie.
Measure your flour correctly- The best choice is to weigh your flour. If you cant do this, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top.
Use a rubber spatula and scrape the bowl- Scraping the bottom of the bowl helps distribute the ingredients so every cookie bakes evenly.
Refrigerate the dough before baking– Chilling the dough allows the fat to cool and helps it from spreading in the oven.
Don’t over bake– Your cookies should look slightly underdone when you take them out. Edges should be firm, but the middle doesn’t need to be.
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
You can have 36 delicious snickerdoodles in under an hour, including dough chilling time and clean up.
Ingredients
- Cookie Dough
- 3/4 Cup Butter- unsalted, room temperature
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Tsp, Real Vanilla
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- Topping
- 2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
Directions
- Step 1 1 hour before starting, bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
- Step 2 In a medium bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.
- Step 3 In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Step 4 Add egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Step 5 Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until well combined.
- Step 6 Scoop dough into 36 small dough balls. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Step 7 Meanwhile, mix sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Step 8 Preheat oven to 350°
- Step 9 After dough has chilled for 30 minutes remove enough dough to fill 1 cookie sheet, tossing each dough ball in cinnamon sugar.
- Step 10 Bake for 8-10 minutes (longer for larger cookies)
- Step 11 Cookies are done when edges are firm and middles are starting to puff up.
- Step 12 Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on sheet pan. Repeat for remaining dough balls.
These classic Snickerdoodle cookies taste best when made according to the recipe, but now you know how to make substitutions when necessary, as well as some tips for successful cookie baking. Now you can enjoy a batch of these delicious cookies whenever and however you want.
Check out some of my other cookie recipes by clicking on the links:
Double Delicious Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Bakery Style Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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