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    Home » Dessert » Cookies

    Easy Snickerdoodle Bars

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

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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. this …

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    Jump to:
    • Why Make This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • More Cooke Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • 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.

    ingredients for snickerdoodle bars laid out on a black table.

    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.

    mixing bowl with sugar and oil.
    adding egg and vanilla to sugar mixture in bowl.
    adding flour, spices, and leavening to mixture in bowl.
    snickerdoodle bar dough ready in bowl with spatula.

    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.

    batter spread in parchment-lined pan.
    topping sprinkled over batter in pan.
    baked snickerdoodle bars in pan.
    snickerdoodle bars on parchment cut into pieces.

    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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    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    close up of stack of snickerdoodle bars.

    Easy Snickerdoodle Bars

    Get to the eating all the quicker with this easy Snickerdoodle Bars recipe. These cookies taste just as good as the classic without the work!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 bars
    Calories: 205kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Equipment

    • 9×13-inch baking dish
    • large mixing bowl
    • small mixing bowl
    • rubber spatula
    • fork
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • ¾ cup neutral oil
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Topping:

    • ½ cup brown sugar packed
    • 2 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoon butter melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 °. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. 
    • 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. Spread into the prepared pan. The dough will be fairly thick and appear a little greasy.
    • In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle them 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.

    Notes

    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.

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.5g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 13.9g | Calcium: 390mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on February 02, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Molly

      February 08, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      Two enthusiastic thumbs up for these from my people. And WAY easier than rolling all those single snickerdoodle cookies in cinnamon sugar.

      I do like that I can adjust the quantity with a slider because today I needed to double the recipe, so thank you for that feature.

      Reply
    2. Anthony Polizzi

      March 23, 2020 at 9:00 pm

      Curiously the ratio of ingredients for the topping resulted in a thick paste. I’d use a lot less melted butter next time

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 24, 2020 at 10:18 am

        I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Anthony. Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    3. Karen

      March 18, 2018 at 8:26 am

      5 stars
      I made these last weekend for a family gathering that I didn’t have time to cook for. I used a spice blend (“cake spice” from Penzey’s) instead of straight up cinnamon. Delicious! Tasted just like a spice cake coffee cake. Will definitely make these again!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 27, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        So glad you liked them!

        Reply
    4. Cathy @ Chief Family Officer

      January 05, 2014 at 6:40 pm

      Jessica, just wanted to let you know that I make these regularly, and in fact, made it today for breakfast tomorrow … so it was a very happy accident, indeed!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        January 05, 2014 at 6:43 pm

        Yay! How fun! I love to hear success stories!

        Reply
    5. Mamawolfe

      March 18, 2013 at 5:55 pm

      My kids love snicker doodles…just made these and they couldn’t have been easier!

      Reply
    6. Shirlene

      January 30, 2013 at 8:42 am

      I just made these and they are not only easy but super yummy! I am going to share most of them with the staff at my son’s school (small christian school). I know they will enjoy them as much as I have this morning. Thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply
    7. Carla

      January 05, 2013 at 9:10 pm

      Made this again this week, leaving the nutmeg out due to personal preference, and scrounging around for enough cinnamon. I cut the oil down to 1/4 cup and used unsweetened applesauce for the remainder. Tastes great! Just saw you have a whole wheat cookie so going to look at that. One tweak at a time. 😉

      Reply
      • Jessica

        January 08, 2013 at 11:22 pm

        @Carla, sounds great!

        Reply
    8. KalynBrooke | Creative Savings

      December 03, 2012 at 8:19 am

      I love when you can reuse a mistake and it doesn’t end up in the garbage!

      Reply
    9. JessieLeigh

      May 04, 2012 at 10:17 am

      Oh, so good! A bit sad that I baked this pan for the First Communion kids tomorrow. 😉 May have to make another batch…

      Reply
    10. Carla

      April 15, 2012 at 11:35 pm

      Pulled some of these out of the oven tonight right before our power went off. By the time dessert came around we were cutting it via flashlight but no one complained. Never made snickerdoodles with nutmeg before but could still “get” the taste. Will probably opt to leave the nutmeg out and double the cinnamon next time. Other than that, enjoyed by all. My 14yo son did try to convince me to drizzle a glaze on it. I just scrunched my face. He came in the dark later to get his piece. “I guess we aren’t doing the glaze tonight.” (after 3 hours in the dark, no). I’ll let him make them next time and he can glaze them all he wants, just without nutmeg! 😉

      Reply
      • Jessica

        April 16, 2012 at 10:05 pm

        @Carla, I totally understand. Sometimes nutmeg hits me wrong, too.

        Reply
    11. Sheila @ Seasoned Joy

      April 01, 2012 at 2:17 pm

      My husband loves snickerdoodles & I don’t really like them. I certainly don’t like them enough to want to deal with rolling them. These sound like a perfect way to keep both of us happy. I’m going to make a batch for his fantasy baseball draft Saturday as a alternative for anyone who doesn’t like brownies. Thanks for sharing them!

      Reply
    12. The Homemade Renegade

      March 13, 2012 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks for this great idea! Snickerdoodles are my fav, so I’m excited to try this one. I just pinned it 😉
      Krista

      Reply
    13. Amanda

      February 20, 2012 at 6:09 am

      Made these yesterday, as it was a rainy, chilly Sunday – seemed like a good opportunity to bake something. 😉 These were so yummy and a perfect afternoon snack!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 20, 2012 at 7:12 am

        @Amanda, so glad that you liked them.

        Reply
    14. Sarah @ Feed My Family

      February 05, 2012 at 12:47 pm

      I made these yesterday for our Super Bowl gathering. They “needed” to be tested last night and I think they turned out great!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 05, 2012 at 12:48 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them! We just pulled a pan out of the oven ourselves.

        Reply
    15. claire

      February 05, 2012 at 10:05 am

      I am super excited to try this. Maybe I will have time this afternoon to make it, hope so! Thank you for the yummies.

      Reply
    16. becca

      February 04, 2012 at 7:46 pm

      I did this to my snicker doodle recipe in an effort to eliminate margarine I replaced it with oil, similar recipe, and its become a family fave!

      Reply
    17. Stacy

      February 02, 2012 at 6:14 pm

      I wonder if that is what happened. The girls and I made the coffeecake last weekend and for some reason I just could not get it to cook all the way. It flattened out and the center never really finished (even after more time in the oven). I still ate it and it was delish but would have been over the top if I did it correctly. Maybe I missed a step. Will be trying the cookies too!!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 03, 2012 at 11:13 am

        @Stacy, my apologies if you used one of the uncorrected versions! The cookie and the coffeecake are both good to go now. 🙂

        Reply
    18. Sandi

      February 02, 2012 at 10:32 am

      My son loves those cookies, but they are tiresome to make. This sounds like a perfect dish to make for Super Bowl munchies this weekend. It will help ease his disgruntled opinion about being forced to watch football. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 03, 2012 at 11:13 am

        @Sandi, they are tiresome to make! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    19. Jennifer

      February 02, 2012 at 7:40 am

      Ha! that’s funny! I just pulled a double batch of the coffee cake out of the oven. I’m gonna flash freezer and bag individual squares for quick breakfasts. I love this snickerdoodle idea!

      Reply
    20. Deborah Jennings

      February 02, 2012 at 6:23 am

      Yummm! These look and sound delicious! I can’t wait to try them when the kids come next.

      Reply
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    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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