Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar

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No cream of tartar? No problem! These snickerdoodles without cream of tartar taste just as good as the traditional ones! They are soft, chewy, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and ready in just 25 minutes!

snickerdoodles stacked on top of each other

These snickerdoodles taste just like the classic snickerdoodles, except they’re made with super simple ingredients! Cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their signature tanginess, and it’s largely what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle!

This snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar uses lemon juice instead, which replaces the tanginess of the cookie. They’re so easy to make and are a perfect treat for the holidays (or any time of year, really!).

snickerdoodles stacked on top of each other and split in half with more cookies in the background

Why These Snickerdoodles without cream of tartar Work

This recipe uses simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry!
The soft sugar cookie dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar for a warm spiced, cozy cookie.
The cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled, which means these cookies will be ready in 30 minutes or less!
You can easily freeze the baked snickerdoodles, or the snickerdoodle cookie dough, which makes them a perfect cookie to prepare ahead of time for holiday baking!

Ingredient Notes

Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free/vegan butter in this recipe.
Eggs: this recipe uses 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, and this should not be substituted with another whole egg. Using two eggs in the recipe will give you cakey cookies.
Lemon juice: lemon juice replaces the cream of tartar in this snickerdoodle recipe to give the cookies their signature tang. You can also replace this with white vinegar.
Vanilla Extract: I love using real vanilla extract in this recipe, instead of artificial. Snickerdoodle flavor is vanilla and cinnamon, so using real vanilla extract makes a big difference! But if you only have artificial, that will work fine.
Flour: this recipe calls for all-purpose flour and I don’t recommend substituting for other flours.

ingredients in bowls needed to make snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar

Step By Step Instructions

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. In a medium bowl, add sugar and cinnamon and stir them together to make the cinnamon sugar. Set aside for later.

STEP TWO: In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter and together until light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix again.

STEP THREE: Slowly add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Roll the dough into balls, around 2 tablespoons in size, then roll each one in the bowl of cinnamon sugar until generously coated. Place on the baking sheets and bake one sheet at a time for 8-11 minutes. Do NOT over-bake if you want these cookies to be soft and chewy!

step by step process showing how to make snickerdoodle cookies

a baking sheet with snickerdoodle cookies before being baked

What is the difference between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies?

Snickerdoodles and sugar cookies are very similar! Snickerdoodles are characterized by their tanginess, as well as their cinnamon flavor. Regular sugar cookies are rolled in white sugar and don’t have a tang, and traditionally don’t use cinnamon in the dough or in the sugar coating.

Why did my snickerdoodles not flatten?

Although snickerdoodles are traditionally a thicker, puffier cookie, these ones in particular should flatten out. If they didn’t flatten, you likely over-measured your flour.

How do I know if my snickerdoodles are done?

It actually is a bit tricky to know when to take snickerdoodles out of the oven. The edges shouldn’t be golden brown, or else they will likely be over-baked, cakey, and hard. The edges and middle of the cookie should look set. They take around 8-9 minutes in my oven, but since oven temperatures vary, you can try baking one cookie on its own first just to get an idea of how long they’ll take in your oven.

Why are my snickerdoodles cakey?

Snickerdoodles are traditionally a cakier cookie. However, I personally, I don’t like cakey cookies so this recipe is designed to be soft and chewy, almost like a chocolate chip cookie. If the cookies seem cakey, you may have used too much flour or over-mixed the butter and sugars, creating too much air in the dough.

snickerdoodles stacked on top of each other and split in half with more cookies in the background and cinnamon sugar sprinkled around them

Expert Tips

Properly measure your flour: I say this in every recipe, but you should always properly measure your flour if you want soft and chewy cookies. The most accurate and precise way to measure flour is by using a kitchen scale, or if not, use the scoop and level method. Too much flour will make the cookies hard and prevent them from spreading.
Do NOT over-bake! This is the make or break factor in whether your snickerdoodles are soft and chewy. They will look under-baked, but will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you remove them from the oven!
Bake one cookie first to gauge how long they need in the oven. Because oven temperatures can vary so much, it’s not a bad idea to start by baking one cookie on its own. Snickerdoodles are pale and not golden, so it’s a bit harder to tell when they’re ready. This is optional, but can help you judge if you need to bake them on the low or high end of the suggested baking time.
For even baking, bake one cookie sheet at a time. If you only have one baking sheet, be sure to let the baking sheet cool completely before adding more cookie dough to it. You should never add cookie dough to a warm baking sheet - the dough will spread and the cookies could melt into each other.

snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar stacked on top of each other with a cinnamon stick in the foreground

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Store the snickerdoodle cookies for up to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

You can also freeze the baked cookies in a ziploc bag for 2-3 months and thaw at room temperature.

To freeze the cookie dough for later, place the dough (formed into balls and rolled in the cinnamon sugar) on the baking sheet and place in the freezer until they are solid (they don’t have to be frozen completely). Put the dough balls into a ziploc bag and freeze. When you’re ready to bake them, remove them from the bags and let thaw on a baking sheet at room temperature and bake.

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If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

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