What does a snickerdoodle cookie bar taste like?

Think of a chewy sugar cookie, but with a lighter consistency and a bit of a tangy taste. To me, the cream of tartar brings out the flavors of the eggs, but it's this classic tangy snickerdoodle taste. They also have cinnamon and sugar flavor, that I've intensified a bit with the cinnamon sugar and butter layer. If you love sweet treats, I'm 99% sure you will love these!

Can I skip the cream of tartar in snickerdoodles?

No, it's a must have. It has so many functions from the tangy taste, to stabilizing ingredients and giving the bars a chewy and soft texture. I promise it's worth a run to the store.

How to Store the Cookie Bars:

Once the cookie bars have cooled down to room temperature, store in a sealed container in the pantry or on the countertop. Eat within 3-4 days for the freshest taste. Although, I tasted these after almost a week and they still were really good.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - Simply Made Eats

Description

These Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are soft and chewy with big cinnamon sugar flavor. Bite into these delicious dessert bars and find a sweet and savory brown sugar and butter layer! These are a Holiday baking favorite for Christmas, but amazing all year long.

Ingredients

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Cookie Bars:

1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (this is in the spice section at the grocery store)
1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature

Brown Sugar Layer:

1/4 cup salted butter
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Optional Topping:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with vegetable oil or cooking spray, then line with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to run above the sides on the two opposing ends. Note: This will make it much easier to remove the cookie bars after baking.
Make the Brown Sugar Butter Layer: In a large skillet over low heat melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of salted butter. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar until combined.
In the stand mixer bowl with beater attachment (or large bowl if using a hand mixer), add in 1/2 cup of softened butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Beat on medium low speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 60 seconds on medium low speed.
Pour the dry ingredients in and mix on low speed until just combined. Note: Don't over mix.
Spread half of the batter out on the bottom of the 8x8 pan. Note: Do the best you can to cover the bottom. It can be a bit frustrating when the parchment paper keeps shifting.
Sprinkle the brown sugar butter mixture over the top of the batter and spread out a bit with the bottom of a spoon, if needed.
Dollop the remaining 1/2 of the batter over the top of the brown sugar mixture. I like to use a spoon, and just drop the dough all over. Note: It's going to spread together in the oven and if you try to flatten it too much it makes a mess. Optional: Whisk together 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Sprinkle really lightly over the top. It's okay if you don't use all of it. These bars are really sweet and you don't need much.
Bake for 24-27 minutes. It's ok if the tops are a bit soft still. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before removing the cookie bars from the pan. Cut into 12 equal squares, then serve and enjoy!

Equipment

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Notes

The trickiest part about this recipe is layering the dough into the 8x8 pan. Try and get the bottom half pretty spread out. The brown sugar layer will go on easy, then dollop spoonfuls of dough for the topping. Don't worry too much about spreading them, because they will spread out in the oven.
Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before starting the recipe. Snickerdoodles are supposed to be very soft and the creamed butter and sugar help create a light and fluffy batter. Hard, cold butter will weigh them down.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: cookies
Method: bake
Cuisine: American