The world's most perfect cookie consists of a soft, chewy vanilla base rolled in cinnamon and sugar before baking. As they crackle and cool, these Small Batch Snickerdoodles will fill your kitchen with the best aroma! This recipe makes 1 dozen snickerdodles, but it can be scaled up to make more cookies, too.
The secret ingredient in my snickerdoodles that makes them soft and fluffy is cream cheese! Anytime we put cream cheese in a dough, the cookies become unforgettable. This is also true for my Gooey Butter Cake Cookies, because the base is also cream cheese and butter. Please, whatever you do, don't miss the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake Cookies version!
Most of the time, when I pull a stick of butter out of the fridge for defrosting, I also add the block of cream cheese. As I make my Pistachio Pudding Cookies for Santa every year, I always have a leftover half block of cream cheese. Then, I know it's time to make my small batch snickerdoodles.
How to Make Small Batch Snickerdoodles
This recipe makes just one dozen snickerdoodles, which is the perfect amount for the small household! We frequently use it to make six ice cream sandwiches, because these cookies even stay soft in the freezer!
Please ensure that your butter and cream cheese are softened room temperature before baking. To do this, open the butter and cream cheese, slice off the amount you need, and cut it into small pieces. Leave the pieces flat on a plate at room temperature for about 20-60 minutes. They are ready to bake with when you can easily press on them, but they're not overly melty.
Another bonus to this recipe is that it uses an entire egg! A lot of my recipes use just the egg yolks or egg whites since we're small-batch baking. But this small batch snickerdoodles recipe uses one whole large egg.
The Ingredients
- Butter. Just 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for 20-60 minutes.
- Cream Cheese. We need 2 tablespoons of cream cheese. Do not use whipped cream cheeses because it contains milk.
- Granulated Sugar. We need sugar twice for this recipe: ½ cup for the actual small batch snickerdoodles dough and an extra 2 tablespoons for mixing with sugar and rolling in before baking.
- Egg. One whole large egg.
- Flour. Since this is a small batch recipe, you might be shocked at the flour amount. It's ¾ cup plus an extra 2 tablespoons. It's basically a scant one cup of flour, or 14 tablespoons.
- Cream of Tartar. Do you really have to buy a jar of cream of tartar to make these cookies? Truthfully, no, however, if you add 1 teaspoon to your dough, it will be pleasantly tangy and even chewier. It's your choice. Here is a great article on the importance of cream of tartar.
- Baking Soda.
- Cinnamon. Classically, snickerdoodles are rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. They spread in the oven, crackle and the cinnamon sugar coating makes them so delicious.
The Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F, and have ready a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use an electric mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, butter and ½ cup of the sugar.
Next, add the egg and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda. Add this to the bowl with the butter mixture and beat just until combined.
Combine the remaining sugar with the cinnamon and place in a small bowl. Roll heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough in your hands, toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then space evenly on a baking sheet.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are just starting to become golden brown. Let the cookies cool for one minute on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Store Small Batch Snickerdoodles
Since this recipe only makes one dozen cookies, you won't have too many leftovers! Leftover small batch snickerdoodles can be left on the counter at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Furthermore, the dough can be made ahead and frozen in scoops if kept in freezer-safe bags. However, please oll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar just before baking, and simply add an extra minute or two to the baking time. There is no need to defrost the dough before attempting to bake.
1 Dozen Snickerdoodles
A classic small batch snickerdoodles cookie recipe with cream cheese and cream of tartar for the perfect tang!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (divided use)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the butter, cream cheese and ½ cup of the sugar. Beat until well-mixed and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Next, beat in the egg.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the butter and sugar mixture and beat until just combined.
- In a shallow bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the dough out, roll it in your palm into a ball, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Space the dough balls evenly on the baking sheet, then bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet 1 minute, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Leftover cookies can be left on the counter at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. The dough can be made ahead and frozen in scoops if kept in freezer-safe bags. Roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar just before baking, and simply add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 54Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 87mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Talai says
They took a while to make the mixtures, but they tasted delicious afterward
Lesley says
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Lovetocook says
Can we skip cream of tartar?? Or can we substitute with anythi else?? Thanks for the beautiful recipes!!
Christina Lane says
Yep, you can skip it :)
Liz W. says
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve made these 3x now! I lessen the sugar in the cookie. They were really delicious. My husband also enjoyed them. :)
Hannah says
In your book, it says 2 ounce of cream cheese instead of 2 tablespoons. I tried with 2 ounce of cream cheese and it taste like cheese cookies.
EV says
Hi, is the dough supposed to be very wet and impossible to roll in hand? This is first recipe I’ve tried on here and am curious if the floor is spooned into measuring cups or measured out of the bag, since the latter would mean more floor was used? Thanks!! Love the small batch recipes.
Evann says
I made these today and wow, they were delicious and easy! This recipe will be on repeat for sure!
Linds says
Just made these and they were easy and delicious 🥰