Snickerdoodle Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This Snickerdoodle Bars recipe has sugary cinnamon layered with chewy cookie and is slathered in a velvety cinnamon cream cheese frosting. The classic snickerdoodle recipe is turned into bar form for an amazing dessert that is going to become a new favorite.

These snickerdoodle cheesecake bars have a great cinnamon-y flavor that makes them great for fall, but they can be eaten anytime of year. We are big dessert fans and if you are too, you need to try these Fluffernutter Stuffed Cookies or this Cinnamon Apple Bread. Since fall is almost here, make these fluffy pumpkin favorites and eat them while the leaves start changing colors!

Snickerdoodle Bars

I can barely believe it, it’s my blogs birthday! Yes, today marks the one year anniversary of this blog…my blogiversary! It was one year ago today that I published my very first blog post. I know it is super cliche to say this, but I have no idea where the time went. It seems like I was just starting up my blog, picking out colors, and choosing a logo. But, now here we are, a year later and it has flown by in the blink of an eye.

When I was trying to come up with the best recipe to celebrate my blogs birthday I knew I needed something that represented Home Cooked Harvest well. I wracked my brain and my food idea list, going over it again and again. The recipe was definitely going to need to be celebratory. So, I thought maybe a cocktail was in order? Maybe a special main course that stood out among the rest? Should I make a giant birthday cake?

I consulted my better half, he always has the best ideas. He, of course, did not disappoint. He reminded me of the one of the first things that I would bake again and again when we first met…snickerdoodle cookies! When he thinks of those pillowy cookies, he thinks of me. This man is a genius, snickerdoodles made so much sense! It had to be a snickerdoodle recipe, but I wanted to make them a little differently and decided on making them into bars instead of cookies.

Ok, so these snickerdoodle bars aren’t huge and flashy, but they are amazing and delicious and you are going to love them.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

Calling all cinnamon fans!! If you love the flavor of cinnamon then you need to try these snickerdoodle cookie bars. In fact, these almost taste like a cinnamon roll in bar form. These buttery bars are packed full of cinnamon! The layer of cinnamon and sugar in the center is heavenly. They are perfectly soft, with the most amazing texture and gooey middle. Cream of tartar give them a tanginess which matches perfectly with all of the cinnamon.

Once the bars have cooled down they get topped with a thick, creamy cinnamon frosting. A scrumptious cream cheese frosting that has lots of cinnamon mixed in, but not a ton of sugar. The bars are sweet enough on their own, so I didn’t want an overly sugary frosting.

These do require a little chilling time in the fridge because this dough is super soft. Chilling the dough will make it easier to spread over the layer of sugary cinnamon. You could forego the chill time, but it will make the dough harder to spread. Just make sure you take the time into consideration before making these cinnamon bars.

What are Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic cookie and one of my favorites (I definitely adore cinnamon). They are almost like a sugar cookie, but contain cream of tartar that gives them this tart, distinct flavor that sugar cookies don’t typically have.

The rolled dough gets a bath in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar to make a delicious outer layer. These are the same snickerdoodle cookies, but in bar form. And instead of the cinnamon and sugar going on the outside, it gets layered in the center. Talk about gooood!

Why are Snickerdoodles Called Snickerdoodles

Isn’t snickerdoodle a fun word to say? My kids like to say it over and over and then go into full giggle mode. I have heard it said that snickerdoodles are actually based off of the German word ‘Schneckennudeln,’ which translates to ‘snail noodles.’ A schneckennudeln is basically a German cinnamon roll.

So, it is possible that the name comes from Germany, but we don’t really know for sure.

What is Cream of Tartar Used for

Cream of tartar is a very important ingredient when making snickerdoodles, it gives them some of their specific traits. In this recipe, it gives these bars the distinct tang that snickerdoodles are known for. It also creates a great chewy texture.

Why Make Snickerdoodle Bars Instead of Cookies

Sometimes, it is nice to make desserts differently. And to me, these are a little more fancy as bars than as cookies. Still delicious and beloved either way. Also, with traditional snickerdoodles, you have to form all of the dough into tablespoon sized balls and then those each get rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Just dumping the dough into a pan, is a huge time saver.

Snickerdoodle Bars Ingredients

• Butter: A high quality butter will taste the best in this recipe. It will need to be melted and cooled.
• Egg: One large, fresh egg.
• Vanilla: Make sure to use vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring.
• Flour: All-purpose flour will work nicely.
• Baking Soda: Make sure it is still fresh and active.
• Cream of Tartar: Use fresh cream of tartar.
• Salt: I like to use a fine, sea salt.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon that is fresh will give the best flavor.
• Sugar: You will need light brown sugar and granulated sugar for this snickerdoodle recipe. Granulated sugar will be in the bars themselves and also in the cinnamon mixture that is sprinkled in the center.

Snickerdoodle Frosting Ingredients

• Cream Cheese: Softened to room temperature.
• Butter: Fresh, good quality butter, softened.
• Vanilla: Use vanilla extract not an imitation flavoring.
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as icing sugar.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon.

How to Make Snickerdoodles

1. In a small bowl, combine together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
5. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the cookie dough. Combine until just mixed.
6. Cover the bowl and place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use cooking spray or butter an 8×8 inch baking pan. Create a sling out of parchment paper and press it into the baking pan. Spray or butter the parchment sling.
8. Pull the bowl out of the refrigerator and divide the dough in half. Press one half of the dough into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle on the granulated sugar and cinnamon mixture. Drop dough by the spoonful over the top of the sugar and cinnamon layer. Press into place with the back of a spoon (buttered if needed), buttered fingers, or use wax paper that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. It is okay if the cinnamon and sugar gets mixed in or smeared.
9. Cook for 22-24 minutes. While bars are cooking, start the frosting.
10. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Mix until fluffy.
11. Add in cinnamon and powdered sugar, mixing well.
12. Pull snickerdoodle bars out of the oven. Once the bars have cooled completely, spread on the frosting.

Snickerdoodle Bars Tips

• Chill the dough. Most of the time normal snickerdoodle dough does not need to be chilled. But, because these bars have a layer of cinnamon and sugar, it makes it easier to spread the dough on if it has been chilled.
• Don’t over bake. Make sure not to over bake these bars or they will end up hard instead of nice and soft.
• Leave in pan. After cooking, do not lift the bars out of the pan right away, it may cause them to “fall” or “sink in.” Just let them cool in the pan for at least 10-15 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
• Leave out the layer of cinnamon. You can leave off the layer of cinnamon and sugar that is in the center of these bars. Then you can put the dough right in the pan without refrigerating it. You can sprinkle the very top of the dough with the cinnamon and sugar instead.
• Trouble adding dough onto cinnamon sugar layer. If you are having trouble spreading the dough onto the cinnamon sugar layer, I find that the method that works best is to put a little butter on your hands and gently press the dough into place, trying to cover as much of the cinnamon sugar layer as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
• Make without frosting. You can definitely make and eat these without adding on the frosting. Just add on a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar to the top to give it a nice crust on top.
• Sweeter frosting. I like that the frosting on these bars is not overly sweet, but if you like really sweet frosting add in an extra 1/2 – 1 cup of powdered sugar when you are mixing the frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can you freeze snickerdoodles? Cooked snickerdoodle bars freeze well (see directions below under storage instructions). Just make sure to hold-off on adding frosting, you don’t want to freeze them with the frosting on them.
• What is cream of tartar made of? Cream of tartar is actually a by-product of winemaking, known as potassium bitartrate. Grapes contain tartaric acid salt which builds up on the sides of the wine barrels during the process. They use this to make the cream of tartar.
• Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar? You can make these bars without cream of tartar, but it will be missing that tanginess.
• Is snickerdoodle the same as cinnamon? Snickerdoodles bring on thoughts of cinnamon because they are made with cinnamon as an ingredient, but snickerdoodle doesn’t mean cinnamon. So no, it isn’t the same thing.

Storage Instructions

• How to Refrigerate: The frosted snickerdoodle bars need to be kept in the fridge. Put them in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. The bars should last about 3-4 days in the fridge. Prepared dough can be stored in the fridge for 2-4 days.
• How to Store Snickerdoodles at Room Temperature: Unfrosted bars can be stored at room temp for 2-3 days.
• How to Freeze Snickerdoodles: Let the bars cool off completely and cut them into squares. Do not frost them. Put them into an airtight glass, BPA-free freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe plastic container. Make sure to label with the recipe name and date. The bars should last about a month in the freezer.
• How to Thaw Snickerdoodles: Thaw the frozen snickerdoodle bars on a plate at room temperature.

Try more dessert favorites!

• Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake
• Peanut Blossom Cookies
• Watergate Cake
• Lucky Charms Bars

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