The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar

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Last Updated on February 2, 2022

This snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar has the classic tangy flavor and soft chewy texture. It’s easy and quick to make too!

Cream of tartar, while being an incredibly useful ingredient, does tend to add a super tangy flavor to baked goods. While some people absolutely love this, to others it is simply overwhelming. For this reason, we have developed a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar.

Our recipe still has a tangy flavor, but it’s not as intense and overpowering. And, the baking powder and baking soda still create the perfect soft and chewy texture that these cookies should have.

What Does Cream Of Tartar Do To Cookies?

Cream of tartar is a dry and powdery product made from an acidic by-product of fermented grapes.

This powder has a couple of functions when it comes to making cookies. First, they help create a more voluptuous foam and also help stabilize the beaten egg whites. This generally means that they can help create less dense textures too.

And, naturally, it is also a leavening agent. So, this helps give these snickerdoodle cookies a lighter texture. But, you have to use this acidic ingredient in combination with an alkaline one to give it leavening properties. This may cause the cookies to be overly tangy, on the edge of being bitter.

However, cream of tartar also adds a slightly tangy flavor to cookies. While snickerdoodle cookies definitely have and should have this characteristic to be authentic, not everybody likes it. For this reason, we have developed an easy snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar. The alternative ingredients we chose will still give the cookies a light less-dense texture, tangy flavor, and chewy bite.

Cream of Tartar, 3.52 Ounce

What You Will Need To Make This Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar

Ingredients for the snickerdoodle dough

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups castor sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the Snickerdoodle topping

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Non-stick baking paper
• Mixing bowls
• Electric hand or stand mixer
• Cooling wire rack

How To Make This Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar?

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the equipment

First, start by preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C) and placing the rack in the middle. Then, line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2: Make the snickerdoodle dough

Start by combining the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Then, combine the sugar and salted butter together and cream them until they become light and fluffy. Beat this mixture for about 3 minutes. Then, add the egg and mix it well. Finally, beta in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.

Now, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix them until a uniform dough just comes together.

Step 3: Shape the cookies

First, combine the ingredients for the snickerdoodle cookie topping to make cinnamon sugar. Set it aside in a medium bowl.

Now, divide the cookie dough into 20 equal-sized balls. Then, neatly roll them into smooth balls. Dip each ball into the cinnamon-sugar coating and place them on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.

Continue doing so until all of the cookies have been coated.

Step 4: Bake the cookies

Place the cookies inside of the preheated oven on the middle rack. Then, allow them to bake for about 12 minutes, or until the center is gooey but the edges are set.

Then, remove the snickerdoodle cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. They should be firm once they have set.

Tips And Tricks For Making This Snickerdoodle Recipe

• Make sure to cream the butter and sugar together well and get it aerated. By doing this you will help prevent creating a very dense crumb that can be too chewy.
• When preparing the dough, it is crucial to not over mix it. Keep mixing the wet and dry ingredients until they have just been fully incorporated. If you overwork it, the cookies will spread too much in the oven and be completely flat.
• It is also important to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that you evenly combine all of the ingredients.
• For this snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar, we have replaced it with baking powder and baking soda You can also remove the baking soda to reduce the acidity of the cookies even further. Just add 1/2 teaspoon additional baking powder.
• When portioning the cookie dough, it helps to use a scale for equally sized balls. First, weigh the entire dough ball. Then,  divide the weight by 20 (or the number of cookies you want to get out). Then, it is much easier to weigh out precise and even balls.
• The cookies will still be soft when they come out of the oven after 12 minutes. But, do not continue baking them. If you over-bake them, they won’t come out soft and chewy, but rock hard. So, when 12 minutes have elapsed, simply check that the edges have been set and the center is still soft.
• It is extremely easy to store these cookies. All you have to do is place them inside of an airtight container once they have been fully cooled. You can keep them at room temperature in a cool dry place, or in the fridge.
• You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months! Again, place them inside of an airtight container and in a stable freezer. To thaw them, simply remove them and thaw them in the fridge. You may have to briefly reheat them in the oven, just to give them their chewy and slightly crispy texture back.

Servings And Preparation Times

Preparation  time	Baking time	Servings
20 minutes	12 minutes	20 cookies

Conclusion- Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream Of Tartar

As you can see, it is entirely possible to make a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar. If you’ve tried and loved this recipe, let us know about it in the comments below. And, as always, feel free to share this recipe with your fellow bakers, family, and friends!

Read more about Too Much Baking Soda In Cookies

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