Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Soft and chewy, these Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies are extra cozy with a touch of bourbon added to the sourdough discard dough. They’re rolled in cinnamon sugar and can be made with or without cream of tartar!

Snickerdoodles already have a fun name, so I thought I’d up the pizzazz in these cookies with a couple of tablespoons of bourbon in the batter. It’s optional but adds some extra toasted caramel notes to the cookies.

And since cream of tartar is a typical ingredient in snickerdoodles, I tested this recipe with and without cream of tartar to see what difference it would make. You can read more about the results of that experiment below in the post!

Finally, they’re easy to make ahead of time or freeze, so you can easily make them for a crowd or bake them up quickly to include in your holiday cookie box!

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What are Snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodle cookies are soft and chewy sugar cookies rolled in a cinnamon sugar coating.

Because of the cinnamon flavor, they’re often served as a holiday cookie, but can be enjoyed any time of year.

Their name origin is somewhat unclear, with some claiming them as a German creation, while others say they’re a New England invention (like whoopie pies or anadama bread).

One defining ingredient characteristic of snickerdoodles is cream of tartar, which helps distinguish them from your average sugar cookie (explained more below!).

Can you make Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar?

When I was testing this snickerdoodle recipe, it was important to me to test if you could make successful snickerdoodles without cream of tartar.

Cream of tartar isn’t used in too many recipes (snickerdoodles and meringue recipes being common exceptions), so many people don’t have it in their pantry.

As an acidic ingredient (it’s actually a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine), powdery cream of tartar reacts with the baking soda in snickerdoodles to help leaven the cookies.

Additionally, cream of tartar contributes to tanginess and chewiness. It leads to chewy cookies because it helps prevent sugar from crystallizing.

Like cream of tartar, sourdough discard is an acidic ingredient, which I also use in many recipes as a tenderizer (like Sourdough Pie Crust or Sourdough Discard Blueberry Scones) and tangy flavor enhancer akin to sour cream, yogurt, or buttermilk (as I use in this Sourdough Banana Bread or Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles).

So I decided to test batches of this sourdough snickerdoodle recipe with and without cream of tartar to see if there was a difference.

See below: because there was a difference, but neither was bad!

👨‍🔬 Test With and Without Cream of Tartar

I baked both tests with the same sourdough recipe below, with the control variable being whether or not the cream or tartar was included.

Below is a little infographic with the results of the test and two sample images of average cookies on each baking sheet.

The results?

The sourdough discard snickerdoodles made with cream of tartar had a more even, round shape and a smoother texture throughout. Those cookies were chewier, tangier, paler, and had a classic snickerdoodle taste and texture.

While similar, the sourdough snickerdoodle cookies made only with sourdough discard, browned more, were thinner, and less even overall. They reminded me more of traditional sugar cookies with thin edges and soft centers and the flavor was slightly less tangy.

Overall, I enjoyed them both and found the differences to be marginal! However, the snickerdoodles made with cream of tartar were my preference for their even, soft, and chewy texture.

Nevertheless, the lesson is that if you don’t have cream of tartar, you can still make this recipe and get a great cookie!

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🔍 Tips for Making Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Use cream of tartar for the most even texture, chewiness, and tangy flavor.
• For chewy cookies, don’t overbake.
• Use room temperature, softened butter for creaming. This will help whip more air into the dough.
• Don’t overmix, or your cookies will be tough.
• For equal sizes, use a cookie scoop or weigh them.
• Refrigerate and rest the cookie dough for more flavor and easier scooping.

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🛠 Tools Needed:

Click the links below for my favorite tool recommendations.

• Baking Scale: Weigh your ingredients for the best and most precise results.
• Spatula
• Cookie Scoop, optional, but helpful: For even-sized cookies, I use a 2 TBS scoop (#40).
• Stand Mixer (or electric hand mixer): For creaming the butter and sugar.
• Baking Sheets: I use two of these large Nordic Ware baking sheets to bake all of the cookies at once (24 of them), lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

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🛒 Ingredients Needed:

See below for my ingredient recommendations and substitutions.

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda: No need for baking powder as the baking soda does all of the leavening and helps make them puffy and chewy.
• Kosher salt
• Cream of tartar: If you don’t have it, leave it out. As mentioned above in my test, you’ll still get good results, just a less chewy and less uniform snickerdoodle. You can also substitute with baking powder.
• Unsalted butter, softened
• Granulated sugar: Helps the cookies spread more, plus more to roll the snickerdoodles in.
• Light brown sugar: For a slight depth of sweetness and more chew.
• Egg + one egg yolk, room temperature: Since the bourbon and discard adds I use one egg plus one egg yolk. If you leave out the bourbon, use two eggs.
• Sourdough Discard (or active starter): You can use either active starter or sourdough discard in this recipe. Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch and get my top sourdough starter tips.
• Vanilla extract: Use vanilla bean paste or half a vanilla bean for more vanilla flavor.
• Bourbon (optional): Can leave out or substitute with another complementing alcohol, such as rum or vanilla whiskey. If you leave it out entirely, use two eggs instead to add a little more moisture to the dough.
• Cinnamon: Only used in cinnamon sugar for rolling the snickerdoodles in. Substitute or add other warming spices, such as ginger, cardamom, or nutmeg.
  • See my Sourdough Banana Bread with Chai Spices or Sourdough Gingerbread Cake with Cranberries for inspiration!
  • You may also enjoy this Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread.

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👨‍🍳 How to Make Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Follow this visual and detailed recipe guide as you make the best sourdough snickerdoodles.

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar (leave out if you don’t have), baking soda, and salt.

Set aside.

2. Cream the Butter, Sugar, and Wet Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), cream the two sticks of softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes on medium speed.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure the butter if fully mixed.

Then, pour in the sourdough discard (or active sourdough starter) and continue to beat until incorporated.

Turn the mixer down to low and the egg and egg yolk, one at a time. Then, drizzle in the optional bourbon and vanilla extract.

3. Mix the Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough

On low speed, slowly pour in the dry ingredients.

Mix only until the flour is fully hydrated. Use the spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to finish any mixing.

Snickerdoodle cookie dough is a little wet and sticky, so it’s best to chill it while you preheat the oven and make the cinnamon sugar (at least 10-15 minutes) so it will firm up slightly.

4. Make the Cinnamon Sugar, Portion, and Coat

Arrange oven racks to the top third and bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC)

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together 50g of granulated sugar and a tablespoon of ground cinnamon.

Once the cookie dough has firmed up slightly in the refrigerator, use a 2 TBS cookie scoop (I use a #40 scoop) to portion out 24 equal-sized cookies and roll them into balls. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate longer or lightly flour your hands.

To be really precise, you can weigh the cookies at about 38 grams each. Of course, you can make larger or smaller cookies too, but you’ll need to adjust the baking times slightly.

Roll all of the cookie balls in the cinnamon sugar and place them on a prepared baking sheet at least a couple of inches apart. On a large baking sheet (21×15″), I can fit 12 cookies at a time, but if you have a half-sheet pan or smaller, you’ll need to split them up more so they don’t bake together.

5. Bake

My favorite way to bake these snickerdoodles is to do the pan-banging method, popularized by Sarah Kieffer. It’s an easy (and dare I say fun?) technique I use for my Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies, too.

The pan-banging method results in thinner snickerdoodles that are still chewy and soft, but with textured, wavy edges.

For the pan-banging method, bake for 8 minutes. Then, remove the pans from the oven, lift them a few inches above a hard surface like a countertop, and drop the pans.

Switch the pans on the racks and repeat the pan-banging method every two minutes until they’ve baked for 14 minutes total and one more bang at the end (3x more). Each bang will result in little ripples on the edges of the cookies.

Once baked, the cookies should still appear slightly underbaked and maybe a little puffy in the middle.

Remove the cookies from the oven to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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How to Store Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Sourdough snickerdoodle cookies store very well and remain chewy for a couple of days.

Before storing, always let the cookie cool completely to avoid trapping any moisture.

You can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. You’ll get a few more days out of them if they’re stored in the refrigerator.

You can freeze, thaw, and slowly reheat baked cookies as well. If doing so, layer the cookies and separate them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

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❓ FAQs:

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Other Sourdough Dessert Recipes You May Enjoy:

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