A soft and chewy blondie base, topped with a thick layer of cinnamon and sugar, baked to perfection – if you love all things cinnamon, these ooey, gooey Snickerdoodle Bars are for you.
Welcome to another installment of “Recipes I Stole from my Mother”.
She made these Snickerdoodle Bars in 2020 for a family lunch and I was asking her for the recipe before I finished eating one.
The “blondie” base is chewy and thick…
The topping is almost a little crispy, like a shell of delicious cinnamon and sugar…
Between that and the fact it’s made in one bowl (and you don’t have to roll individual cookies), I may never make regular snickerdoodles again.
(Don’t tell my husband…snickerdoodles are one of his favorites. But then again, so are these bars….)
Key Ingredients
- Sugar – The blend of brown sugar and granulated sugar helps balance textures and flavors. Granulated sugar helps sweeten the deal and keep things a little lighter in texture, while the brown sugar deepens the flavor profile and adds chew.
- Cream of Tartar – Yeah, I had to go to the store just for this too. Cream of tartar has a number of functions in cookies: it helps maintain that chewy texture by preventing the sugars from crystalizing, which also means the cookies don’t brown. In other recipes, cream of tartar can also contribute a mild tang to the overall flavor, although that isn’t really prevalent here. It can also act as a leavener and stabilize egg whites in meringue.
- Cinnamon – In the spirit of Ina Garten, “if you can’t find a high quality cinnamon or grind your own, store bought will be fine”. Cinnamon is the predominant flavor in these bars, so you want a fresh, strong cinnamon to do the job. If the cinnamon in your spice rack is out of date, it may be stale. I’d opt for getting a fresh jar for a more robust flavor. (You can pick some up when you’re buying that cream of tartar….)
The Process
In one bowl: mix the sugars and the wet ingredients and in another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, mix the cinnamon sugar topping.
Prep an 8×8 baking dish. Add dry to wet. Fully combine and spread in the pan. Top with cinnamon sugar and bake!
Easy.
**It is important to note, these bars need to cool completely before cutting and enjoying.
Snickerdoodle Bars
Equipment
- Assorted Mixing Bowls
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 8×8 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper (optional)
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 stick butter, melted (½ cup)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with baking spray and set aside.Optional: Line 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugars and vanilla. Beat rapidly with a spoon to mix well (or use a mixer).
- Add egg and thoroughly mix again.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Stir to combine.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined but do not overmix.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping. Sprinkle entire amount of cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the batter (it's going to seem like too much at first – trust me, you'll want every last little bit).
- Bake bars for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack.
- Remove from pan when completely cool and cut into bars.Do NOT attempt to cut bars while warm.
Notes
