🎄❤️😍 These soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie bars taste just like snickerdoodle cookies but are much easier to make. Sliced into handheld bars, they’re perfect for sharing and a hit at every holiday party!
Why You’ll Love These Snickderdoodle Cookie Bars
- I adapted the recipe from The Best Snickerdoodles and combined it with my trusty blondie base, a base I’ve used 30+ times over the years, and it always produces impressive results.
- You get all the flavor of snickerdoodle cookies without the work of dragging out a mixer, chilling cookie dough, or scooping individual cookies.
- From start to finish, these chewy snickerdoodle bars are ready to eat in 45 minutes.
- The bars are wonderfully soft, extra chewy, buttery, and there’s a bit of tang courtesy of cream of tartar.
- Before baking, I generously sprinkled the bars with cinnamon-sugar topping. It lends just the right amount of cinnamon flavor and a bit of texture from the sugar granules
Love snickerdoodles?
I’ve made Snickerdoodle Bars, Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blondies, Snickerdoodle Bread, and a half dozen other snickerdoodle-themed treats (linked below). Add them to your baking list, and you’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the sweet, tangy, cinnamon flavors!
Ingredients and Notes
These holiday cookie bars come together with just a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s what you need:
- Butter – Unsalted is best. Use plant-based butter if needed
- Egg – Let it come to room temperature. I don’t recommend using egg substitutes for this recipe
- Sugar – A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds a sweet, molasses-like flavor, giving the bars structure while keeping them soft and moist
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour – I haven’t tested it, but I believe these bars would work with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour
- Cream of tartar – I know this is a unique ingredient, but don’t skip it! Cream of tartar is what gives the bars the classic tangy snickderdoodle flavor
- Salt – This is optional, but I find it balances the flavors nicely
- Topping – Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon add the perfect finishing touch
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Bar Recipe
- Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave.
- Let it cool slightly, then whisk the egg into the melted butter. If the butter is too hot, the egg will scramble! Whisk in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to overmix! Otherwise, your bars are likely to become dry and crumbly.
- Transfer dough to a prepared pan, smoothing the top in an even layer. Sprinkle the brown sugar topping evenly over the bars. TIP: I like to line my baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges. Then, I can easily lift the bars when they’re done baking!
- Bake until the bars are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Then, slice and enjoy! For clean cuts, use a sharp knife, run it under hot water, and wipe it clean after each slice.
Add mix-ins
Want even more flavor and texture? Fold white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or cinnamon chips into the batter. Or, add a cream cheese swirl before baking.
These are my #1 go-to dessert recipe if I need something quick and easy! Everyone I share them with LOVES them and asks for the recipe! Thank you!
Natalie
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 1 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
For Sprinkling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Batter – Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, cream of tartar, optional salt and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.
- For Sprinkling – In a bowl (same one used for the batter is okay), combine the sugar, cinnamon, and stir.
- Using a small spoon, evenly sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the prepared pan. Looks like a lot but it sinks down and soaks in while baking.
- Bake for about 24 to 25 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Place pan on top of a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Adapted from The Best Snickerdoodles
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Related Recipes
The Best Snickerdoodles – Soft, pillowy puffs that are so irresistible! The closest recipe to Mrs. Fields snickerdoodles that you’ll find! (Pinned 500k+ times in 3 months)
Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, chewy bars and the frosting takes them over the top!
Snickerdoodle Bread – Bread that tastes like snickerdoodle cookies! Loaded with cinnamon chips and a cinnamon-sugar crust!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blondies – Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one! Super good!
Soft and Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies – Part soft sugar cookie, part chewy snickerdoodle, with tons of rich vanilla flavor!
White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies – White chocolate adds a fun twist to a classic cookie!
Soft and Chewy Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodle Cookies – Buttery soft snickerdoodles loaded with cinnamon chips!
I just made these to bring into work when I realized I didn’t have quite enough chocolate to make the brownies I was planning on! What a happy accident. I’ll definitely make them again. The batter was very thick and didn’t spread completely into the pan, so the corner pieces look a little less than perfect. However, I taste-tested one tonight, and it’s very good. I think that it will be amazing with coffee tomorrow morning! The overall time to throw everything together and bake it is a total lifesaver, you could really impress someone on short notice. Despite the thick dough not spreading I was able to get 16 out of it as per usual and all are a decent size. Also, I live at a high altitude so I was worried about using the full amount of cream of tartar, but I did it and they turned out just fine. There were a few inconsistencies in the rising/bubble of the dough but the finished product looks fine. Thank you Averie and I will be back to make more of your goodies!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi Averie. This is the first & only recipe from your blog that I have made, so far. I made these last week & my husband & son both said they think these just may be the best thing I’ve ever baked! I’m 46, been baking a loooonggg time. I didn’t have cream of tartar so I subbed a scant 1/4 tsp baking powder. Will definitely be making these again, with the COT though! Your recipes look yummy, sweet & savory, can’t wait to try more!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad they got high marks from your family! LMK what else you try!
Your snicker doodle bars were amazing!! Any recipe of yours that I’ve tried never fails to be so yummy!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Thanks for the compliments on my recipes!
Making mine as we speak. I didn’t have an 8×8 pan so I’m using my 6×9 baking dish. Going on 30 min now still batter. Eventually they will be done. The batter is delicious tho lol
Baking in a pan with those dimensions probably made the batter ‘deeper’ than if baked in a 8×8, thus the longer baking time.
I made these according to the instructions and although they didn’t turn out like the picture (the bar part of mine was much darker brown, and a bit flatter and doughier) my husband and I liked them SO much! He calls them “cinnamon crack”! Great recipe. We will be making again. Thanks!
Glad you are enjoying the bars!
The type/brand of pan you use can really impact the color of baked goods, i.e. a dark nonstick, a light nonstick, aluminum vs. other metal pans, as well as oven and ingredient variances such as the exact shade of the sugar you use. It can all effect color and texture but glad the taste is great!
I have made these several times – my family loves them. I get a great result using only one-quarter of the recommended amount of cinnamon/sugar topping (I used a small mesh tea strainer to sprinkle it on top – worked well).
I tried a little variation last night: added about two tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice and about a half-teaspoon of orange rind, and it was very good – I even got a thank you text from teenage daughter! I think next time, though, I will increase the rind to one teaspoon and decrease the juice a bit (the orange I used last night was leftover from another recipe, and was already pretty much de-rinded!).
Oops, should have been clear – added orange juice and rind to batter, not topping!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it comes out great for you with less cinnamon-sugar topping than I use. What can I say, I can’t get enough :)
I could totally see these bars being great with a hint of orange!
I just made these with my sister along with two other desserts and these were the best out of the three. SO SO delicious. Thank you so much for posting!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And better than the other desserts you made :)
My daughter made these two nights ago. It was a great recipe for a beginning baker(12). Easy for her to follow.
But best of all, these were some of the yummiest bar cookies I’ve ever had. I’m making a batch to take to work today.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad it was easy to follower for your 12 y.o. and that they were the best bar cookies you’ve ever had!
My youngest is not feeling well and when I asked him what treat he wanted to feel better he wanted snickerdoodles. I really didn’t want to go through the hassle of pulling out the Kitchen Aid, chilling the dough and scooping all those cookies. Thankfully I came across your recipe. I doubled the recipe and baked it a 13 x 9 for 25 minutes. Doubling the cinnamon-sugar for the top was way too much – I would recommend 1 1/2 times the original. Trying the pumpkin bars next. Thanks for a great quick and easy recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! You’re right, much easier than dragging out the KitchenAid. Hope your son feels better!
Just made these…..they are out of this world delicious…….can’t wait for my boys to get up and go crazy over these!!! I will have to double the recipe for sure next time …… Will that become a 9 x 13?
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! If you double the recipe, baking in a 9×13 pan should do the trick.
I just tried to make the snickerdoodle bar for a Mother’s Day brunch my family had today. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out well. It was too doughy to serve, but I followed all the steps.
Too doughy can often mean over-mixing the batter after adding the flour which creates toughness or more chewiness than you want. Or too doughy could simply mean it’s underbaked in your oven. Those are my guesses.
Can I just double all ingredients for 9/13 pan?
More than likely, yes, although I haven’t personally tried.
Making snickerdoodles into bars is such a great idea! The cookies sometimes take a little longer to make, and if you’re like me and struggle with patience, it can be a rough time :)
I made these last night! I used Jennifer’s Way Gluten Free Flour and they were amazing, my husband and I almost finished the entire pan in an impressive 4 hours.
IG Pic: https://instagram.com/p/yQwXTwhFcj/
Thanks for trying these and that’s wonderful that GF flour worked great! And yes, I could easily finish the pan with a friend in 4 hours :)
Hi Averie,
Yes, I used cream of tartar but it’s probably a few years old (I don’t use it much except for Snickerdoodles). I’ll buy a new container, and the next time I bake these bars, I will use a smaller pan. They’re too tasty not to bake them again!
Yes old spices or leaveners especially!! (like baking soda/powder or cream of tartar) definitely need to be replaced every 3-6 months. Most people will never go through their tin of Cream of T that fast, but it’s just one of those things with baking, the extra 2 bucks spent on a fresh tin is well worth it for guaranteed results!
I made these Snickerdoodle bars last week and although the flavor was good, the bars turned out quite flat. Not like the picture. My Snickerdoodle cookie recipe calls for a little baking soda, and this bar recipe does not. Maybe that was the reason my bars were pancake thin? Anyway, I’ll play with this recipe~
Did you use the cream of tartar and was it fresh? I don’t personally like baking soda in my bars because I feel like it gives them more lift than I prefer and I do like denser bars. Despite what these may appear like in the photos, they are pretty flat; which was my intention. If you do like puffier, fluffier bars, this isn’t that kind of recipe. You’d be better off trying another or adding baking soda/powder to these…I just don’t care for it but do what you like best.