Snickerdoodle Bars With Optional Cinnamon Frosting
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These Snickerdoodle Bars are a fun twist on the traditional cookies with the added bonus of a rich and creamy cinnamon frosting or a cinnamon sugar crust. If you’re a fan of Snickerdoodles, these cookie bars may become your new favorite sweet treat!
If you can’t get enough warm cinnamon flavor, you may also want to try my Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread, Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins, and Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal.
Table of Contents
What Do Snickerdoodle Bars Taste Like?
These Snickerdoodle cookie bars, inspired by my Snickerdoodle cookies, are topped with a creamy cinnamon frosting or a sweet cinnamon-sugar crust—your choice! With or without the frosting, these bars deliver that classic snickerdoodle flavor: buttery, with a hint of cinnamon warmth, and a slight tang that sets them apart. Each thick, cozy bite is the perfect twist on the beloved favorite cookie!
Why We Love Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
- Classic Snickerdoodle Flavor: All the buttery, cinnamon-spiced goodness of the classic cookie in easy-to-make bar form!
- Topping Options: Enjoy with a creamy cinnamon frosting or a sweet cinnamon-sugar crust for a personalized touch.
- Perfect Texture: Thick, chewy, and perfectly soft—each bite is a cozy twist on a beloved favorite!
- Versatile: These make a great snack or dessert at home but they’re also always popular for holiday spreads or cookie exchanges.
What’s In These Cookie Bars
For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Bars Ingredients
- Softened unsalted butter
- White granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Eggs (one whole egg + an additional yolk)
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking soda, cream of tartar
- Coarse kosher salt
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Softened unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Coarse kosher salt
How To Measure Flour Properly
Did you know THE WAY you measure flour matters? The most precise way to measure your flour is by weight using a digital kitchen scale. 1 cup of flour weighs 120 to 130 grams. If you don’t have a scale measure your flour by scooping flour with a spoon into the cup. Don’t use your measuring cup as a scoop, as it packs the flour down and gives a different measure.
Tip
Snickerdoodles need cream of tartar to achieve the perfect crispness on the outside, chewiness on the inside, and the tangy flavor they’re known for.
Simple Instructions For Making Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
This Snickerdoodle bar recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Prep time is minimal and there are no fancy techniques or equipment needed!
When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Using an electric mixer beat the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir briefly until the dough forms.
- Spread the cookie dough into the prepared pan and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack. If frosting they need to cool at least one hour.
- Use an electric mixer to beat all of the frosting ingredients together.
- Once the bars have cooled completely, frost the top of the bars using an offset spatula. Then slice and serve or store.
Storage Tips
Unfrosted bars can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, once they are frosted, they need to be refrigerated or frozen.
Keep the cookie bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If layering them, use sheets of parchment paper to separate them.
You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months in a resealable freezer bag. Or, wrap them with plastic wrap.
Equipment Needed
- hand mixer or
- stand mixer
- kitchen scale (optional for measuring flour correctly)
- 9×9-inch metal baking pan
Why do Snickerdoodles need cream of tartar?
Snickerdoodles need cream of tartar because it helps them achieve the ideal crispness on the outside and chewiness on the inside. Snickerdoodles also get their unique flavor from cream of tartar, which adds a subtle tanginess that sets them apart from regular sugar cookies.
A great substitute for cream of tartar in baking is 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.
Kitchen Tips For Success
- Keep an eye on the bars while baking do not over-bake. The edges should be set and center soft.
- When mixing, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Line a metal pan with parchment paper if you want to remove them from the pan before cutting.
- These bars are delicious with just the cinnamon-sugar crust, cinnamon frosting, or both—your choice!
- Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before serving or frosting.
- You may double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 pan.
More Snickerdoodle Recipes To Bake
If you love these cookie bars, you’ll definitely enjoy our other snickerdoodle recipes!
I actually enjoy these snickerdoodle bars even more than the classic cookie version! They’re perfect fresh out of the oven, but somehow, they’re even better the next day—making them a must-try for all snickerdoodle lovers!
Like This Recipe?
I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a review below and let me know how you liked the recipe!
Snickerdoodle Bars
These Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are a sweet twist on the classic, with a creamy cinnamon frosting or cinnamon-sugar crust—your choice! Soft, buttery, and full of cozy cinnamon flavor.
Ingredients
Bar Ingredients
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup white granulated sugar (+ 3 tablespoons to sprinkle on top)
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (+ 1 ½ for topping)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Cinnamon Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars together on high until fluffy -2 -3 minutes. Add egg, additional egg yolk, and vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed for about one minute until combined.
- Next, incorporate the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, mixing on low just until everything comes together. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan pressing down into an even layer.
- Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the cookie dough in the pan before baking for a sweet crust topping.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (start checking around 16 minutes) until the edges are set and the center is still soft. Don’t overbake.
- Allow the bars to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before serving or frosting.
Cinnamon Frosting (optional)
- Add the frosting ingredients to a bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy.
- Spread the frosting on the pan of cooled bars using an offset spatula. Cut into bars and enjoy.
Notes
RECIPE NOTES:
- You may double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan. Check for doneness around 20 minutes.
- For best results use a metal pan.
- Line the pan with parchment paper if you want to remove them from the pan before cutting.
- Always allow the bars to cool completely, then remove them from the pan using parchment paper.
- You can skip the frosting and combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the cookie dough in the pan before baking for a sweet crunchy top.
- You can also spread frosting over the crunchy cinnamon sugar-topped cookie bars, you can’t go wrong no matter how you top snickerdoodle cookie bars -- your choice. Cinnamon-sugar crust, Cinnamon frosting, or both.
STORAGE:
You can keep the bars in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. The bars can be refrigerated for up to a week. You can freeze unfrosted bars for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 256Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 110mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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I have not made a bad recipe from Tidymom, so I shouldn’t have been nervous pulling this one out of the oven, but it didn’t look as pretty as Cheryl’s pictures. I should have smoothed it better in the pan. However, it tasted AMAZING. Like a cinnamon-y delight. It paired so well with a cup of coffee. Mine was done right at 20 minutes and it was the perfect texture and softness.