These quick snickerdoodle cookie bars have a sweet cinnamon sugar topping, a soft and chewy texture and are much easier than snickerdoodle cookies. The dough mixes in one bowl and bakes in one pan. All the classic flavor of snickerdoodle cookies in bar cookie form!
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As a busy mama and self taught baker, dessert bar recipes save me all the time! I’ve been making blondies and bar cookies for decades and know you will love the simplicity of this recipe. The warm cinnamon spice and tang from the cream of tartar give these snickerdoodle bars all the nostalgia feels.
Much like my almond cookie bars and cookies and cream bars, you will love the soft and chewy texture. But I think you will love the fact that you use melted butter and bake them in an 8x8 pan even more! No chilling or rolling cookies, simply mix the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake.
Jump to:
🛒 ingredients notes and substitutions
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- Cream of tartar ~ for the classic snickerdoodle flavor and super soft texture, this ingredient is needed. Making the cookie bars with cream of tartar adds the tangy flavor we love in snickerdoodle cookies. If you want to make them without, you can substitute baking powder, but they will taste more like a cinnamon sugar cookie bar.
- Brown sugar ~ I love the extra richness that dark brown sugar brings to these bar cookies, but if you only have light brown sugar that works fine as well.
- Eggs ~ two large eggs at room temperature add richness and structure.
- Butter ~ unsalted butter is melted, which helps to make this a quick recipe. If you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt.
- Kosher salt ~ brings balance and flavor, if you only have table salt, use half the amount.
Pro tip ~ to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5-10 minutes.
🎥 video tutorial: snickerdoodle bars
🥣 how to make in photos
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, packed brown sugar and kosher salt until well combined.
Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until combined, scraping up and down the bowl if needed.
Next add the cream of tartar and whisk until combined. Then add the all-purpose flour and mix with a spatula until the blondie dough is combined.
Drop the batter {it’s thick} into the prepared baking pan and smooth to an even layer. I find an off-set spatula helpful to spread the batter.
Mix the granulated sugar with the ground cinnamon and sprinkle it over the snickerdoodle dough in the pan.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned and a tester in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. You do not want a clean/dry tester, which means the blondies are over baked.
Allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack. Then use the parchment to pull the bars out of the pan and cut into desired sizes.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best bar cookies
This recipe for snickerdoodle cookie bars makes chewy and soft cookie bars. To create this texture, be sure to not overmix the batter and don’t over bake! No one likes a dry cookie bar. It's better to err on the side of less done than over done. They will firm up and continue to cook as they cool. If you like a more gooey center, bake them a minute or two less.
For the best cookie bars, I recommend baking in a light colored 8x8 baking pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause the edges to burn while the middle is undercooked. Glass pans also distribute the heat differently and can have similar results to dark colored baking pans. If baking in glass, it’s recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for a few minutes longer.
Remember your oven is different from mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.
🫙 how to store
Snickerdoodle cookie bars will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
They also freeze well for up to three months; allow to defrost before serving.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
Quick snickerdoodle bars with a soft, chewy texture and cinnamon sugar topping—easy one-bowl recipe with classic snickerdoodle flavor!
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
snickerdoodle bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted (170g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (150g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (219g)
cinnamon topping
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (13g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the melted butter (¾ cup/170g), granulated sugar (¾ cup/150g), packed brown sugar (¾ cup/150g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) until well combined.
- Then add in the eggs (2 large), and vanilla (2 teaspoons). Whisk until combined, scraping up and down the bowl if needed, about 1 minute.
- Next add the cream of tartar (¾ teaspoon) and whisk until combined. Then add the all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cup/219g) and mix with a spatula until the blondie dough is combined.
- Drop the batter (it’s thick) into the prepared baking pan and smooth to an even layer.
- Mix the granulated sugar (1 tablespoon/13g) with the ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and sprinkle it over the snickerdoodle dough in the pan.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned and a tester in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. You do not want a clean/dry tester, which means the blondies are over baked. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Then use the parchment to pull the bars out of the pan and cut into desired sizes.
Notes
Baking powder can be substituted for the cream of tartar, but they will taste more like a cinnamon sugar cookie bar and less like a snickerdoodle.
Snickerdoodle cookie bars will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They also freeze well for up to three months; allow to defrost before serving.
I recommend a light colored metal baking pan; glass can take up to double the amount of baking time and can cause the edges to over brown or burn while the middle is still raw. If you only have a glass pan, reduce the oven heat by 25° and know it may take a bit longer to bake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Please take a moment to leave a comment, review or ask a question.