Even better than the cookies, these Snickerdoodle Blondies are buttery, soft, and have that classic signature snickerdoodle tang! These cinnamon-sugar coated blondies may be the best way to eat Snickerdoodles yet. Recipe includes a how-to video!
This snickerdoodle blondie recipe is actually one of the first recipes I ever shared on the blog (scroll down to the bottom of the page for a link to the original so you can have a good laugh at my early photography attempts). It’s one of my favorites, too. An easy-breezy recipe that can be mixed up (without a mixer!) in less than 15 minutes and finished baking in under 30.
This recipe is the perfect marriage of my classic, buttery snickerdoodle cookies (only without the bother of dough-chilling or scooping) and my chewy blondie recipe. Subtly tangy, topped off with a generous shower of cinnamon and sugar, a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie crumb, I think you’re going to love these.
What Makes these Snickerdoodle Bars So Good…
Most of the ingredients we’re using are pretty standard ones you’ll be familiar with if you’ve made any of my other bar or cookie recipes. However, there are a two ingredients that are especially key here for the best snickerdoodle blondies.
Butter
No shortening, which so many old-fashioned cookie recipes use. We’re also melting our butter, which not only makes it easy to stir our batter together by hand (no mixer required), but also makes these snickerdoodle blondies especially soft and chewy and infuses every molecule with buttery flavor. As with many of my recipes, I opt to use unsalted butter and add salt so that we have full control over the flavor.
Cream of tartar
This is a big one. One of the questions I get asked most often about this recipe is “I don’t have cream of tartar, can I leave it out?”, to which I always say no, not really.
Technically you could leave it out and these bars would still turn out… They’d still have the same texture, softness and chewiness. Since we’re not baking cookies and our batter is contained in a baking pan, we don’t really need to worry about the chemical/leavening role that this ingredient typically plays in snickerdoodle cookies. However, not everything in baking is always about chemistry. The important role that the cream of tartar plays here is for taste. This ingredient provides a signature tang that makes these taste like actual snickerdoodles and not just sugar cookie bars. If you leave it out, you miss out on that classic flavor.
Then, of course, it goes without saying that a heavy topping of cinnamon and sugar is in order 👆🏻
Tips
- We’re using melted butter, but make sure to let it cool before you add your sugar to it. Butter that is too hot will melt your sugar, and you could end up with a greasy dough that doesn’t bake properly in the oven.
- I use a metal baking dish, a glass one would be fine but the bars may need to bake for longer.
- Snickerdoodle blondies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for at least 3 days.
- And, again, don’t leave out the cream of tartar (see notes above!).
Today’s recipe is really so simple to make that I don’t have much else to say here!
Enjoy!
More Bar Recipes to Try:
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Homemade Brownies
- Peanut Butter Blondies
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Let’s bake together! Head on over to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Snickerdoodle Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoon (30 ml) milk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
- Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) a 13x9 pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and milk. Stir well.1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoon (30 ml) milk
- Add in eggs and vanilla extract and stir until combined.2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt.2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared 13x9 pan and prepare topping.
Topping
- In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over snickerdoodle blondie batter.3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 25-28 minutes or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
*This recipe was originally published in May of 2014 and has been updated to add more notes, a step-by-step video, a splash of vanilla extract, and new photos. Feel free to entertain yourself with some examples of my early photography from the original post.
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder
I know how you feel – some of my old recipes are GREAT but look SO ugly I don’t promote them either. These look lovely, and your old photos looked good too actually, especially the first shot on th top (give yourself some credit) lol
Sam
Thanks so much, Natalie! Haha my photos re never really good enough in my eyes.
Kathryn Doherty
Sam, these look so delicious! I love snickerdoodle cookies, and I know I would love these blondie bars 🙂
Sam
Thanks so much, Kathryn!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These are looking good to me! Love snickerdoodles, so using those spices here is fantastic!
Sam
Thank you, Kathy!!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
These look fantastic! I love snickerdoodles and blondies and combining the two sounds perfect! So buttery soft and delicious!
Sam
Thank you, Kelly!!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
1 word. Genius. Well, one more word. SHARING! <3
Sam
😀 Thank you, Nagi!!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
These definitely convey a melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture! Wow! They look so moist and buttery – it’s perfect. I could totally go for one of these right now. Fabulous job, Sam!
Sam
Thanks so much, Beeta! I really love the buttery-ness of them!
Dani @ Dani California Cooks
Such an easy list of ingredients to make such a decadent dessert! Love it!
Sam
Thank you, Dani!
Sarah
Girl, where do you get al those a m a z i n g recipes from? It’s like magic! Keep going on with it! Loves, Sarah
http://www.theelevatorgirl.com
Sam
Thanks so much, Sarah!! 🙂
adina
I would love to eat a piece right now and I don’t even know what a snickerdoodles is.
Sam
Haha, well you have to try it out then! Thanks, Adina!! 🙂
Katalina@ Peas and Peonies
I haven’t seen the old photographs, but I can tell that this post is making me crave these bad boys BADLY! They look buttery, crumbly and so rich.
Sam
Thanks so much, Katalina!
Ana | Espresso My Kitchen
Sam these look fantastic! I bet your home smelled amazing when baking these! These Snickerdoodle Blondies definitely need the spotlight they deserve 🙂 Pinned!
Sam
Oh, it did! Thanks, Ana!! 😀
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron
These look awesome!! I like bars better than cookies sometimes because they are so thick and chewy – yours look exactly that!!
Sam
Thanks so much, Chelsea!
mila furman
OMG these look so amazing! I typically do not like snicker doodles but these are fantastic!!! They look almost creamy! WOW!
Sam
Thanks so much, Mila!!
Maria|Pink Patisserie
I adore snickerdoodle cookies so I’m sure these are right up my alley! And quick too! Love.
Sam
Thanks, Maria!! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
Wow! That cinnamony top looks AMAZING! I’m a firm believer that blondies do not need chocolate to make them great and these bars are a testament to that!
Sam
Thanks, Medha!!
Freda
Sam! I made these blondies tonight and they came out gooey. Any tips you can tell me so that they are more thick or cakey like??
Sam
Hi Freda! Sounds like they just need to bake a little bit longer. They are soft and chewy blondies (not so much cake like) but shouldn’t be very gooey… add a few minutes to your bake time and use a toothpick test to make sure they are done (insert a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean with few dry crumbs). I hope that helps!
Alexis
Mine were still raw after 25, then still gooey at 50 minutes, and practically burnt at 70 min
Sam
Sounds like an ingredient was left out, or the correct amount of flour wasn’t added. Or too much milk? They absolutely shouldn’t take anywhere near 50 minutes to bake.
It’s also possible your butter was much too hot when you added the sugar to it.
Glenna
I don’t have cream of tartar. Would they taste ok without it?
Sam
Unfortunately the cream of tartar is what gives them that true snickerdoodle flavor, so they won’t taste quite the same without it. They’ll still turn out, they’ll just be more like sugar cookie bars as they won’t have that tangy flavor.
I hope that helps!