Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
Thick and chewy Snickerdoodle Bars are soft, buttery cookie bars baked in an 8×8 pan. The best part is they’re made without cream of tartar! Serve straight out of the pan with its crunchy cinnamon sugar coating or frost with cinnamon buttercream.

Snickerdoodle cookies were one of the first cookie recipes I learned to make.
When I learned baking in home economics class, there were several basic cookie recipes – chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, and snickerdoodles.
One thing I like more than making cookies is making Snickerdoodle Bars because you spread the cookie dough into one pan rather than scooping individual balls.
No rolling. No chilling.
Not only does that save you time, you don’t have to worry about any mishaps if your cookies do or don’t spread.
Then when they’re done baking, you can serve them as is or frost it all in one pan instead of each cookie.
The best part about my snickerdoodle cookie bar recipe is it’s made without cream of tartar! No more buying an ingredient you’ll use only 1-2 times a year.
In fact the handy substitute I used is one every single baking pantry has.
To serve your snickerdoodle cookie bars, you can either serve them as is with their cinnamon sugar coating or frost them with cinnamon buttercream.
Frosting your snickerdoodle cookie bar recipe means you can add sprinkles on top like I did with my red velvet bars. I have some cute fall leaves that are perfect for the cooler October weather.

Ingredients For Snickerdoodle Bars
Here’s what you need to make your snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar:
- Flour: Helps bind the dough together
- Cinnamon: One of the key ingredients for making snickerdoodles
- Baking powder: Used as a substitute for cream of tartar (more on that below)
- Salt: Ensures your cookie bars aren’t bland (especially if you’re using unsalted butter)
- Butter: Using softened butter instead of melted means your bars will have a chewy texture
- Sugar: Helps create a soft cookie as well as makes the crunchy cinnamon sugar topping
- Egg: Use a standard large egg
- Vanilla: Makes your cookie bars taste extra delicious
What is cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar is a fine white powder that forms inside wine barrels during winemaking because of a naturally occurring substance in grapes called tartaric acid (hence the name).
It helps control the acid level of fermentation and acts as a preservative for wine.
Bakers use cream of tartar to help stabilize egg whites and to help prevent sugar syrups and candies from crystallizing.
So why do snickerdoodles even call for it? Cream of tartar is used as an acid to activate the baking soda often paired with it.
You can substitute baking powder (1 teaspoon = 1/3 teaspoon baking soda + 2/3 teaspoon cream of tartar) because most baking powders tend to contain cream of tartar already.
I can’t promise this substitution will work with every cookie recipe, but it works for these snickerdoodle cookie bars.

How To Make Snickerdoodle Bars
Here’s how to make snickerdoodle cookie bars:
- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture, being careful not to overbeat it.
- Spread into an 8×8 pan then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, edges pull away, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

How To Freeze Snickerdoodle Bars
If you’re a fan of my blog, you probably noticed this is not a small batch recipe. But that’s ok! Cookie bars freeze really well (or use them as a cookie crust for mini snickerdoodle cheesecakes).
After cutting your cooled bars (frosted or unfrosted), add to a cookie tray in a single layer and freeze for 1 hour.
This is especially necessary for frosted cookie bars as the bars won’t stick to each other when stored together.
Transfer your cookie bars to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw your cookies on the kitchen counter for a minimum of 4-6 hours or overnight.
Snickerdoodle Bars FAQ
Either you overbaked them or you mismeasured your flour. Make sure you’re spooning your flour into your measuring cup and not baking them too long.
Yes! Much like my banana blondies, you can stir in 1/2 cup walnuts or white chocolate chips.
Yes! You can make them up to 3 days ahead of time before eating.
More Cookie Bar Recipes
If you loved this recipe, check out my other cookie bar recipes:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Coconut Cookie Bars
- Brownie Cookie Bars
- Smores Cookie Bars

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
Thick and chewy Snickerdoodle Bars are soft, buttery cookie bars baked in an 8x8 pan. The best part is they're made without cream of tartar! Serve straight out of the pan with its crunchy cinnamon sugar coating or frost with cinnamon buttercream.
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 + 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Buttercream (optional - get recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed (with the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat together butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Turn the speed down to low then gradually beat in the flour mixture (do not overmix).
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pan then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, the edges pull away, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Eat as is or decorate with cinnamon buttercream.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Want to make traditional cookies? Check out my Small Batch Snickerdoodles (also without cream of tartar).
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Brownie Cookie Bars, and Gingerbread Cookie Bars.
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First published October 4, 2013
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This frosting sounds incredible! I too learned to make Snickerdoodles in home ec class in high school.
I think we may have all did! Thanks Heather
Look at you, going all Alton Brown with your science of baking info! How awesome is that?! Now we need to find an appropriate substitute for overpriced jars of mace and Chinese Five Spice ;)
Who uses mace anymore anyway? :P Thanks Becca!
Ooo I recently did pumpkin with snickerdoodle, but now I should try apple butter!
Oh sounds like I need to do pumpkin. I’ll do that while you do apple butter ;)
Nice recipes. Thank you. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Liz!
I love this- I just recently adapted a snickerdoodle recipe, and I had to change up for the cream of tartar a well! I’m not crazy about buying a random pantry ingredient I’ll never use.
these look so crazy good, and I love that you made them into bars. Easy cookies are the best :)
Makes me wonder why do snickerdoodles even need cream of tartar. They are perfectly fine without, no? Thanks Ruthy!
Carla,
Thanks for learnin’ me some new stuff about cream of tartar. I also have the ‘for snickerdoodles only’ jar in the spice drawer. Thank goodness they come in small sizes–though I’m thinking that would be an excellent idea for buying in bulk like Tammy over at Agrigirl’s blog discussed recently, as you could get only the tiny amount you needed, not a whole jar.
No matter, because I always have baking powder and these bars look delicious.
Thanks!
Smart idea with the bulk store! Thanks Kirsten.
I also love baking bars! These look fantastic and the frosting sounds so unique! I use a lot of cream of tartar because I love making Italian meringue, so I always have multiple jars in my pantry.
I’ve never made Italian meringue before, but I can see how cream of tartar is needed. Thanks Laura!
These bars look so good! I might have a problem and eat the entire pan. Myself.
Me too ;) Thanks Vicki!
I love these!
Thanks Dina!
I’ve been seeing a lot of snickerdoodle recipes lately but I think yours beats the others! What a great way to incorporate the classic snickerdoodle into a cookie bar. It just sings fall.
Aw thanks Christine :)
How did I never know this?! This is like the happiest thing I have learned all week! Also I love frosting and cookie bars!!!
This is a divine looking dessert!! I want to eat like 5 pieces! ;)
I made these cookie bars exactly according to the recipe, but the bars themselves came out tasting old and stale the day I made them. I only baked them for 23 minutes, so I cannot figure out what went wrong! The texture is like cornbread! The frosting is amazing, but there must be something missing in the recipe. Any thoughts?
Hi Debbie,
Sorry to hear you had trouble with this. Yes, the ingredients are correct. I’m guessing it may be an error in technique:
1. Ensure everything is measured correctly (teaspoon vs. tablespoon) and that you properly measure the flour by spooning in flour and not scooping the cup.
2. Ensure you beat the butter and sugar long enough that the sugar is dissolved into the butter (it shouldn’t be gritty).
3. Do not overbeat the mixture after you add the flour mixture.
4. If your flour isn’t presifted, you may need to sift it before using.
I will make notes in the recipe to ensure others don’t have this same issue. Thanks.
Thanks for the tutorial on cream of tartar, girl. I have a tin that i rarely use. I don’t want to have to hunt down recipes that use it just so that it doesn’t go to waste! I actually never ate a snickerdoodle until 2008 (they made such a big impression that I can remember the date, lol). A coworker brought in some Christmas baking by her mom and there were snickerdoodles in there. I LOVED them at first bite. Now I need to get onto this apple butter train. I’ve never had it and Musselman’s apple butter is being featured on all the blogs lately. Must.hunt.it.down.
I’m obsessed!!! How tasty and seasonal do these sound?
How far ahead can you make these bars? How would you store them?
Thanks!
Since they are bars, you can usually make them a few days ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container.
they were (notice passed) so fantastic that I am making them again tomorrow. easy peasy. love your recipes. thanks a bunch!
Glad you enjoyed the snickerdoodle bars!