Easy Snickerdoodle Bars

Name: Easy Snickerdoodle Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup neutral oil; 1 egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed); 2 tbsp unbleached, all-purpose flour; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tbsp butter (melted)

Published: Oct 19, 2022 · Modified: Nov 15, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

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One of the most American of cookies is the Snickerdoodle, sweet buttery balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. Get to the eating all the quicker with this delicious Snickerdoodle Bars recipe. These easy Snickerdoodle Bars taste just as good as the classic without the work!

Serve these Snickerdoodle Bars alongside other Nut-free Cookies for a fun dessert that everyone can enjoy or as part of a Dessert Charcuterie Board.

close up of a snickerdoodle bar on parchment on a cutting board.

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Why Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
FAQs
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Easy Snickerdoodle Bars

Sometimes happy accidents occur. I never set out to create a Snickerdoodle cookie bars recipe; it just happened…

…when I forgot to add milk to my Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake. Oops! The result, however, was worth repeating. These Snickerdoodle Bars cookies are a fantastic addition to your cookie plate, right next to the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Why Make This Recipe

It’s easy. If you love snickerdoodle cookies, but don’t want to spend the time rolling each dough ball in cinnamon sugar, take the short cut by baking the dough into bars, crowned with a cinnamon sugar topping.

It’s delicious! I love chocolate chip cookies as much as anyone, but sometimes the occasion calls for a snickerdoodle. This recipe is a quick and easy way to suit that occasion.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Snickerdoodle Bars.

For the dough

granulated sugar – You can also use brown sugar, if that’s what you have, but white sugar is good for this.

neutral oil – I like to use avocado oil in baking, but you can also use vegetable, sunflower, or canola oils or even melted butter.

egg – You just need one egg for these Snickerdoodle Bars. You can also use flaxseed egg substitute if you’ve run out of eggs.

vanilla extract – The cheapest vanilla extract is homemade. Try it sometime to see how it pencils out for you

unbleached, all-purpose flour – You can also use regular, all-purpose flour as well as whole wheat pastry flour, or even a gluten-free baking mix. If you use the latter, you may want to dial down the sugar just a tad. These Snickerdoodle Bars are fairly sweet.

leavening – You’ll need both baking powder and salt. Remember you can use a baking substitution for the baking powder if needed. Unlike traditional Snickerdoodles, you won’t need cream of tartar.

spices – You’ll need both ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Or you can substitute pumpkin pie or apple pie spice.

For the cinnamon sugar topping

You’ll need more flour and cinnamon as well as

light brown sugar – Remember you can make brown sugar in case you run out.

melted butter – This adds a nice buttery crunch to the topping.

Variations:

For deluxe Snickerdoodle Bars: top the bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.
For vegan bars: use plant-based oil and butter as well as the flaxseed meal egg substitute.
For gluten-free bars: use a gluten-free baking mix, like Bob’s Red Mill, and dial down the sugar by a few tablespoons.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These Snickerdoodle Bars are super simple to make!

Preheat the oven to 350 °. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.

adding egg and vanilla to sugar mixture in bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Mix in the egg and vanilla until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Blend just until mixed.

cinnamon sugar topping ingredients in white bowl.

cinnamon sugar topping combined in white bowl with a fork.

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients.

Spread into the prepared pan. The dough will be fairly thick and appear a little greasy. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over the batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp. Allow the dish to set for about 10 minutes before removing the entire piece, holding onto the edges of the parchment, and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Slice into squares and serve. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.

To freeze: Layer the squares between pieces of parchment in an airtight container or wrap each individually in plastic wrap and place in a ziptop freezer bag.

FAQs

What is a snickerdoodle?

According to the Food Lover’s Companion, a snickerdoodle is a crackly-surfaced cookie that contains nutmeg and cinnamon as well as raisins and nuts. They are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before being baked.

What does a snickerdoodle taste like?

It’s a cinnamon cookie at the heart. While there are other ingredients that add to its flavor, cinnamon reigns in these cookies.

Can you freeze bar cookies?

Bar cookies are great for freezing. Bake, cool completely on a wire rack, and then cut into squares. You can layer the squares between pieces of parchment in an airtight container or wrap each individually in plastic wrap and place in a ziptop freezer bag.

stack of snickerdoodle bars on a parchment with more snickerdoodle bars around.

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