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.
Tere
I just found your site through a snickerdoodle search. I was intrigued with the addition of corn starch, then scrolled down to find these Blondies. Wow! I think I’ll do these first!
I wondered why you left the corn starch out? Have you tried it and decided to leave it out for some reason? ‘Scuse me for being anal…..it’s something I’ve had to deal with all my life. lol
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Sam
Hi Tere! Honestly I developed this recipe before I stumbled upon my corn starch secret ingredient. However, since the blondies are contained in a pan it’s less necessary here for helping them to maintain their shape without adding more flour and drying out the bars. I hope that helps explain, and hope you enjoy the recipe! ๐
Beth
Hi! It seems that most snickerdoodle recipes use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar but these use baking powder and cream of tartar? Is there a reason baking soda wasnโt used?
Sam
Hi Beth! My Snickerdoodle Cookies use baking soda with the cream of tartar, but it’s not necessary here with the blondies (we aren’t worried about baking them into cookie shapes)
Chelsea ONeill
Could I use a 9×9 pan instead of 9×13?
Sam
That should be fine, you will just need to bake them longer, I am not sure exactly how much longer though.
Bruce
I think a 9×9 pan is a bad idea, because it will upset the balance of blondie to cinnamon/sugar. I would suggest making 2/3 of the recipe for a 9×9 pan instead.
Haiden
I really love snickerdooodles but I make them so much and I wanted to try something different this time. I love this recipe so much but I was having trouble with the batter.
Sam
What kind of trouble did you have with the batter?
Kelley
Just wanted to tell you that I LOVE this recipe. We have family dinner with our extended family every Sunday, where we feed 40+ adults and kids, so I’m always on the lookout for simple, delicious recipes that can feed a crowd. This is one of my absolute favorites! I triple it, and fill a giant commercial cookie sheet, and voila!
Sam
I am SO happy to hear this, Kelley (and what, 40+ people!?! OMG!). Thank you for commenting, I’m so glad the Snickerdoodles are always a hit! ๐
Marion
Thank you for sharing this recipe ! Thank you for the gram indications ! It’s a stormy day outside but, at least, it’s a yummy one in the kitchen !
Tonya
Can you sub the butter with coconut oil?
Sam
I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure, but I don’t think it would be a problem, it may not be as flavorful, though!
Amy
I didnโt have cream of tarter or enough butter, I had to use 1/4 cup spreadable light butter, and they still turned out amazing! Thank you for such an easy recipe. I canโt wait to try them with all the right ingredients.
Sam
I’m glad to hear that it turned out so well! ๐
Tabatha
This may be a silly question, but do you use unsalted butter? When baking I always do, but occasionally recipes will call for salted butter. Just want to make sure. I’m making these today, they look great!!!
Sam
Not a silly question! Yes, I use unsalted. I hope you love them, Tabatha!!
Judith B Baum
I made these the other day and added a cup of cinnamon chips. Absolutely over the top!
Jessica Frost
I was looking for something a little different to donate to my son’s marching band dinner over this past weekend. I came across these and ended up making a double batch. I was a little nervous as I had not made these before and was under a bit of a time crunch but they were super easy and came out perfect!!
Will be making these again!
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed!! Thank you for coming back and commenting to let me know how they turned out!! ๐
L
Delicious but after about 45-50 minutes. No ingredients were left out
Allison
Hi! I saw this recipe today and ran right out to get some cream of tartar so that I could bake these TONIGHT, I was so seduced by the idea of a Snickerdoodle Blondie that I was not prepared to wait! I’m eating the first one as I type this and, oh my! So moist, chewy, cinnamon-y, Snickerdoodle-y PERFECTION! My family is currently in the midst of devouring them! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Five gold ๐! ๐
Sam
Yay! So glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed them so much, Allison!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how they turned out!! ๐
Rola ุฑููุง
Hey. Ist’s look perfect but i don’t know What the cream of tartar is ?
Angie
It is a spice sold in most groceries stores.
Wendy
Made this tonight and it was perfect
Darrelan McBride
Sam,
These were the original recipe that I had first tried from your blog, and needless to say THEY are the start to my never ending devotion!!! Since it has been a month since I’ve spoken up (and actually many recipes of yours have floated through my home…), I thought I would go back to these to put my rave review about you and your incredible talent with crafting some really great AND easy sweets to make!!
When I first tried these they came out ABSOLUTELY perfect-exactly like they flavors of a snicker doodle with the moistness of a brownie, they melt in your mouth-perfect. My next try was when we vacationed on our property, which was a disaster… I couldn’t believe my perfect snicker doodle brownies were so, well, not perfect!!! I live in Phoenix, AZ (very low altitude) and we go to our property in Williams, AZ (a much higher altitude)-there in, after a little research, was the problem!!!!! So, on baking in a much higher altitude (I reduced baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/4 teaspoon, I increased the liquid: for each cup, add 4 tablespoons, and I increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F) and wahlah-PERFECTION!!! Needless to say this recipe has been repeated multiple times by my daughters, taken to Washington state, several family gatherings, parties, and get together’s with the exact same result… NO left overs!! Thank you for such a wonderful creation Sam!!! Keep up the ‘sweet’ work <3 <3 <3
Darrelan
Barb
I live in Central Oregon with altitude of 3400′ so was interested in your comments regarding high altitude, although I’m confused when you say “for each cup of liquid, add 4 tblsps more” because the recipe only calls for 2 tblsps of milk to begin with. I have yet to try this recipe as I’m now thoroughly confused. Please explain. Thanks.
Bruce
Barb,
She was generalizing about adjustment to the liquid. Since 4Tbl is one-fourth of a cup, you should add 1/4 more of whatever liquid you are using. So, to 2 Tbl of milk, you should add another 1 1/2 tsp. I hope this clears up your confusion (or helps, at least).