Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
This snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar is an easy way to make homemade cinnamon-sugar cookies with ingredients you may already have.
Butter and shortening form the base of the dough, and each cookie gets rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.
There’s no cream of tartar to buy or substitute, so you can get straight to mixing.
Add this cookie recipe to a Christmas cookie tray, tuck a few into a tin for a homemade gift, or bake a batch for an afternoon treat.
Serve them warm with coffee, hot chocolate, or a glass of milk, and save some for later.
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Can You Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar?
Yes! You can leave it out when following a recipe developed that way, like this one. There’s no need to add a substitute.
The cookies won’t have the slight tang of the traditional version, but you’ll still get a buttery flavor and a cinnamon-sugar coating in every bite.
What You’ll Need to Make These Cookies
You won’t need a special replacement for cream of tartar. Here’s what goes into the dough and cinnamon-sugar coating:
- Butter and vegetable shortening: This recipe uses both, so check that you have each before starting. Let the butter soften for easier mixing.
- Granulated sugar: Divide it into the amounts listed for the dough and coating so you don’t accidentally add it all to the mixing bowl.
- Eggs: These help bind the dough together.
- All-purpose flour: Use the flour specified in the recipe, rather than self-rising flour. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off to avoid adding too much.
- Ground cinnamon: Mix it with the reserved coating sugar, then roll each dough ball in the mixture before baking.
How to Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
- Start by preheating your oven to 400°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the sugar, shortening, butter, and eggs together until well combined. Gradually add the flour, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl so there are no dry pockets left in the dough.
- In a separate shallow bowl, stir together the cinnamon and coating sugar. Shape the dough into 1¼-inch balls, then roll each one in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving room between them for spreading. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets before moving them so they firm up.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
- Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!
Keep Your Holiday Baking Organized
Plan your baking days, keep track of ingredients, and organize homemade gifts with my Christmas Baking Planner.
Absolutely—roll the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then store in an airtight container. Just add an extra minute to the bake time.
Too much flour or too much time in the oven can make cookies dry. Spoon and level your flour, and begin checking the cookies at the shorter baking time listed in the recipe.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet – USA Made Aluminum Commercial Quality Sheet Pan for Baking or Roasting, Encapsulated Galvanized Steel Rim Prevents Warping, 2-Pack
Honoson 150 Pcs Natural Unbleached Parchment Paper, 15×21 Inches Precut Non-Stick Parchment Sheets, Ideal for Baking, Cooking, Grilling, Air Fryer and Steaming(Brown)HOMURE H Cookie Scoop 2 Tablespoon, Size #40 Cookie Dough Scoop, 2 Tbsp/ 30 ml/ 1 oz Cookie Scoops for Baking, Spring-Loaded, 18/8 Stainless Steel, Comfortable GripMcCormick Cinnamon Sugar, 3.62 oz
More Holiday Baking Ideas
Planning more holiday baking? Try another cinnamon-sugar treat or get ready to host a cookie swap with these ideas:
- Enjoy the same cinnamon-sugar flavor at breakfast with my Snickerdoodle Muffins.
- Find tips for hosting and sharing homemade cookies in these Christmas cookie exchange ideas.
- Organize and decorate your swap with my Christmas Cookie Exchange Printables.
Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe Without Cream of Tartar
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup margarine or butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 and 3/4 cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream together sugar, shortening, margarine/butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Slowly add in the flour until well combined.
- Form 1 and 1/4 inch balls, roll in cinnamon sugar mixture, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake snickerdoodle cookies for 8-10 minutes until cookies are light brown.
- Let them sit on the sheet for 3-4 minutes then cool on wire racks.
- These snickerdoodle cookies are best to taste when warm.
These look delicious 🙂 Do you think coconut oil would work as a substitute for shortening? I don’t usually use shortening here. I could try it with shortening if you don’t think it would make a good substitute tho. It works for most other things I make but never tried it in cookies haha! I have both refined and extra virgin – refined won’t have the flavor of the coconut and handles higher heat.
Honestly, I have no idea!!! I never keep shortening on hand, just around the holidays when I make cookie recipes. The shortening makes for a puffier, crispier cookie. If you decide to try it out, let me know the results!
Merangue, biscuits, angel food cake, those are just off the top of my head but I know there area more recipes requiring cream of tarter.
Thanks for that Melanie! I actually never use cream of tartar in my biscuits, you can check out how I make my homemade biscuits here: https://www.mommalew.com/homemade-buttermilk-biscuits/
Both mirangue and Angel Food Cake are items I haven’t even come close to mastering enough to share any sort of recipe for.
But back to the original recipe, snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar, give them a try without it, this recipe is so good!