These soft and chewy Snickerdoodle Bars are just as delicious as the cookies, but way easier to prepare. No dough balls, no rolling, no chill time.
I’m not sure what it says about the current state of my life, but I will tell you that this is my third (yes, THIRD) batch of Snickerdoodle Bars in a week.
Does my family love these? Yes!
Are they unbelievably easy? Yes!
Have I convinced myself that this is an acceptable breakfast? I mean, obviously.
These soft and chewy bars taste like a Snickerdoodle Cookie and a blondie mashup. They come together fast and easy, and they are filled with the comforting flavors of cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.
If you’re looking for another way to get your cinnamon sugar fix, try my CRISPY CINNAMON SUGAR COOKIES, CINNAMON BREAD, CINNAMON ROLL BLONDIES, or CINNAMON ROLL CAKE.
What makes this recipe work
- The beauty of this recipe is how effortless it is. You get all the flavor of a snickerdoodle cookie without having to roll a whole bunch of cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar. The batter gets pressed into a pan, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked. It’s super easy!
- A combination of butter and oil gives these bars a soft and moist texture. Think of the texture as a combination between a cookie and a blondie.
- Cream of tartar and sour cream give the bars the slight tanginess and chew that is traditional in snickerdoodles.
- No chill time! Unlike many cookie recipes, this one does not require the dough to be chilled.
Ingredients and assembly
- Combine wet ingredients: beat butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until well combined.
- Press the dough into a greased 11×15 or 9×13 pan.
- Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake.
Recipe tips
- Butter should be at cool room temp so that it blends easily.
- An 11×15 pan is my preference (pictured). You can also makes these in a 9×13; however, they will be a bit thicker.
- Be careful not to overbake or they could dry out.
- Cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Leftovers can be stored at room temp for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Top the bars with cinnamon icing to add a little something extra.
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Recipe
Soft Snickerdoodle Bars
Ingredients
Bars:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cinnamon icing (optional):
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 2-½ teaspoons half and half or cream
- a couple pinches ground cinnamon
Instructions
Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 10×15 baking sheet/jelly roll pan*.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar and oil on medium speed until smooth and combined. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add the the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the dough into the greased pan and spread into an even layer. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle evenly over the dough (after sprinkling, I like to lightly press the cinnamon sugar onto the dough with my hands). Bake for around 20 minutes*, until the center no longer jiggles and the edges are beginning to turn a light golden brown. Be careful not to over bake. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Cinnamon icing:
- Whisk all ingredients until smooth and combined. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar (to thicken) or more half and half (to thin). Drizzle the icing over the cooled bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Recipe adapted from Bake or Break
Jessie
So good! Soft, chewy and totally cinnamon-y. I made that word up 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Haha! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Jen
These snickerdoodle bars are amazing!!!
Lyn
These are amazing!!!!!! Nobody can eat just one!!!!!!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Judy Lavoie
Can you freeze them???
Allison
Yes. They should keep for up to 3 months.
Zainab
These are amazing
Julie
Has anyone tried this recipe with a gluten free 1-1 flour?
Meg
These are my “not really into desserts” foodie teen son’s FAVORITE! (With extra frosting). A lovely recipe!! Have you ever adapted it into a layer cake? My son is asking me for it for his 16th birthday! Thanks so much
Allison
I’m so happy to hear that! I have not made this recipe into a cake. I’m thinking the batter *might* be able to be baked in two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans and then frosted and stacked. You’d have to play around with it. Have fun! Enjoy!
Meg
Very confused— I didn’t leave this comment in 2021, I left it much longer ago. Anyway, I came back because I was looking for the frosting recipe associated with this recipe because I lost it. I see it is gone (although I still see it in some photos!) Any way I can still get it? Thanks
Lisa
Love these soooo much! So soft and chewy. Already made them several times.
Allison
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Sunny Green
These are the best!!! I have made these bars a lot!!! My family loves them!!! Making some today. I normally make snickers doodles for my sister’s birthday but, today she will get some of these…💕 Thank you for your amazing recipes!!!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Debbie
These were delicious. Everyone loved them and they didn’t last long.
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂