Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

Last Updated on July 28, 2022 by Annie

Soft, tender snickerdoodle cookies bars kissed with a cinnamon sugar topping sweeten any day! These quick-to-make cookie bars come together in no time for a dairy-free treat you can enjoy anytime!

Snickerdoodle cookie bars on a wooden cutting board.

Since moving into the basement apartment, I’ve had to curb my dessert making drastically (expect a slew of savory recipes heading your way). When you live in a 900 square foot apartment and really aren’t more than 15 steps from the kitchen, no amount of willpower can keep you away from the cookies, cake, and brownies perched enticingly on the counter. Now, one recipe has transcended the baked goods ban and I am not even a little mad about it.

To say I’ve been on a snickerdoodle bender lately would be a vast understatement. For starters, they are my dad’s favorite cookie, so when he came to visit with my mom I needed a batch ready. They whip up without a mixer (basement life). But most importantly, every bite of these tender drops of cinnamon sugar sunshine melts in your mouth.

After making and sharing 3 batches of snickerdoodles in the first week of living in the basement, I figured there could be another way to enjoy these delightful cookies. Instead of going total cookie cake on the recipe I settled upon cookie bars and could not be happier.

Why You’ll Love these Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

  • Light and Fluffy. These delicious cookie bars melt in your mouth with cinnamon sugar deliciousness.
  • 10 Ingredients. With just 10 pantry staple ingredients, you can quickly and easily whip up this snickerdoodle dessert.
  • No rolling, dipping, or scooping. The dough is pressed into a pan and baked to cinnamon-sugar kissed perfection.
Cut snickerdoodle cookie bars on a wooden cutting board.

HOW TO MAKE SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Plant-based butter– Softened at room temperature helps makes the buttery base of these cookie bars.
  • Egg– At room temperature helps bind together the cookie dough.
  • Sugar– A mixture or granulated and brown sugar keeps these cookie bars sweet and moist.
  • Vanilla– For a splash of flavor.
  • Flour– I used all purpose flour to give structure to the cookie bars.
  • Leavening agents– Baking soda and cream of tartar help the cookie bars rise to thick, moist pieces.
  • Salt + Cinnamon– For some extra flavor.
  • Cinnamon sugar topping– Gives each cookie bar a delicious snickerdoodle finish.

Directions

  • Prep ingredients: To begin, take out a stick of vegan butter and an egg. Allow them to come to room temperature before beginning.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside until ready to bake.
  • Mix sugar and butter: In a mixing bowl, mix together room temperature vegan butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir in egg and 1 tsp vanilla.
  • Add dry ingredients: Fold in 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp cinnamon.
  • Spread and sprinkle: Next, pour the cookie batter into the baking dish and spread evenly into the pan. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cookie dough. Press the cinnamon sugar into the top.
  • Bake the snickerdoodle bars for 35-40 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
  • Cut into 16 cookie bars and enjoy!

DAIRY-FREE CHANGES TO SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS

These easy cookie bars rely on one dairy-free swap to make them perfect for a dairy-free diet.

  • Plant-based butter– Instead of using traditional butter, I used plant-based butter. For baking, I like using Country Crock’s Plant-Based Butter.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Here are just a few helpful kitchen tools that make whipping up these cookie bars a breeze!

  • 8×8-inch Square Baking Pan– I absolutely love this heavy duty baking pan. The squared corners give the perfect finish to these snickerdoodle cookie bars.
  • Clear Glass Mixing Bowls– These glass mixing bowls have stood up to my absolute clumsiness and the only one we shattered was because it got stuck in the garbage disposal and I obliterated it…

Serving Snickerdoodle Bars

Ince you’ve whipped up a batch of these soft, chewy snickerdoodle bars you are going to want to eat them with EVERYTHING and trust me, I’ve tried it. Here are just a few different ways to dis out these addictive cookie bars.

Storing Suggestions

For keeping these cookie bars fresh, I would suggest storing them in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Snickerdoodle Desserts to Make Next

Did you make these soft snickerdoodle cookie bars?? I would love to hear how they went! Leave a comment below or snap a picture of them and share them on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!

Looking for even more delicious dairy-free recipes? Sign up for the My Life After Dairy Newsletter to get all the delicious dairy-free goodness right to your inbox!

A hand holding one snickerdoodle cookie bar.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

Soft and tender snickerdoodle cookie bars are a one bowl, no-mixer treat perfect for any day!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookie, Cookie Bar, No-mixer, Snickerdoodle
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Vegan Butter room temp
  • 1 Egg room temp
  • ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • cup Flour
  • ¾ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 2 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Allow ½ cup vegan butter and 1 egg to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

  2. In a bowl mix together ½ cup vegan butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup brown sugar until combined.

  3. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg and stir until fully mixed.

  4. Add 1 ½ cup flour, ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon to the bowl.

  5. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.

  6. Evenly spread the batter into the baking dish.

  7. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle on top of the cookie batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing and cutting into 16 squares.

Some of the links above contain Amazon affiliate links. These are products and brands I use in my kitchen daily. They pay me a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.