A fun and festive spin on classic snickerdoodles, this recipe for eggnog snickerdoodles is perfect for the Christmas season. These chewy snickerdoodles are flavored with nutmeg and rum extract for a punch of eggnog flavor. You don’t need eggnog to make this snickerdoodles recipe, so save it for dipping the cookies in instead.
I love these Christmas snickerdoodles. The cookies are soft and chewy and stay that way literally for days. With only a few tweaks to a classic snickerdoodle recipe, the flavors of eggnog shine through with the addition of ground nutmeg and rum extract. Instead of rolling these in cinnamon sugar, they’re rolled in nutmeg sugar (with just a pinch of ground cinnamon).
The best part of eggnog baking recipes is that even people that aren’t a fan of eggnog usually like these cookies. People that don’t typically like eggnog usually aren’t fans because of the thick, eggy taste and texture. These eggnog cookies have the flavor that makes eggnog taste good, without the divisive taste and texture of the drink. For an even bigger pop of eggnog flavor in cookies, try my frosted eggnog sugar cookies.
I always enjoy making seasonal and holiday snickerdoodles like this eggnog snickerdoodles recipe and my pumpkin snickerdoodles for the fall. Making fun spins on classic recipes is a great way to make holiday cookies, like my eggnog blossom cookies and red velvet hot cocoa blossoms. This easy snickerdoodle recipe also makes a bunch of cookies, perfect for sharing with the family or using for holiday cookie exchanges.
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🥘 Ingredients for Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
Almost everything you need to make homemade snickerdoodles are pantry staples, with the addition of cream of tartar if you don’t already have some.
Flour – Use all-purpose flour for the base of the cookie.
Baking Soda – Snickerdoodle cookies don’t have a big rise, so the only leavener needed is some baking soda. Using more than usually called for in cookies, this ingredient also helps crisp up the outside of the snickerdoodle.
Cream of Tartar – The ingredient that gives all snickerdoodle cookies their unique tang and chewy centers is cream of tartar. If you really don’t want to use it, read below in the variations section, but I do recommend it for these types of cookies.
Spices – Use a combination of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg for both the cookies and the rolling sugar. Optionally you can also add about a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves for a bit more flavor.
Butter – A cup of unsalted butter at room temperature is used here. If you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
Sugar – Use both white and dark brown sugar here (light brown is fine too). The brown sugar adds flavor while also helping to keep the cookies chewy. Use more white sugar with ground nutmeg and cinnamon to roll the cookies in also.
Extracts – Use a combination of vanilla and rum extract for this eggnog cookie recipe. The vanilla helps to balance the flavors, while the rum extract helps to emulate the flavor of eggnog.
Egg – In order to control the levels of moisture, use one egg and one egg yolk here. This adds a bit of fat and protein as a binder without too much additional moisture.
🧂 What is Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar is that white powdery stuff in your parents and grandparents spice rack that looks like baking powder. It’s probably over a decade old, and if you ask them what it’s for, they probably have no idea why they even bought it.
At the scientific level, cream of tartar is a byproduct of winemaking. It’s a type of acid salt that forms when fermenting tartaric acid, which is a naturally occurring acid in a lot of fruits, like the grapes used in making wine. The resulting powder is called potassium bitartrate, or potassium hydrogen tartrate.
As for its usage in food, cream of tartar can be used to help stabilize egg whites and whipped cream, it can help keep sugar syrups from crystalizing, and it can be used to make a type of homemade baking powder. In baking, it can make cakes whiter and give them a more tender crumb. In snickerdoodle cookies, cream of tartar’s acidity gives the cookie a slightly tangy flavor and keeps the texture nice and chewy.
🔪 How to Make Eggnog Snickerdoodles
You can make these egg nog snickerdoodles without chilling before baking. I also tested a few methods for their shapes, including rolling and baking, rolling then pressing down before baking, and rolling and pressing down after baking. I found pressing them down slightly after baking gave the best classic snickerdoodle thickness and cracks.
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg, yolk, vanilla, and rum and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, about ⅓ of the mix at a time, and mix on low speed until just combined.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk together.
Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the snickerdoodle dough and place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Once the baking sheet is full, take one portion of the dough at a time and roll it in your hands to form a ball. Roll the ball through the cinnamon and nutmeg sugar and place back on the baking sheet.
Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should just barely be browning around the edges and almost look underbaked. Remove from the oven and use the bottom of a measuring cup or small bowl to gently press down the tops of the cookies slightly.
Allow them to cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
If you have two baking sheets you can place the next one in the oven as soon as you remove the first one. The baking sheet should be completely cooled before placing more cookies on it or the butter will melt prematurely.
📖 Variations
Eggnog Frosted Snickerdoodles – If you’d like to ramp up the flavor of these cookies with some frosting or icing, check out my recipe for eggnog buttercream. You can frost the tops of the cookies with a knife, or thin out the buttercream with extra heavy cream or eggnog and drizzle it over the cookies for a lighter touch.
Gluten Free Snickerdoodles – You can make this gluten free by swapping the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 flour, such as King Arthur’s gluten-free measure for measure flour. If you’re using a 1:1 gluten-free flour that does not include xanthan gum, you’ll want to add about a ¼ teaspoon per 1 cup of the flour.
Vegan Eggnog Snickerdoodles – If you want to make these vegan, you’ll need to replace the butter and egg. There’s a couple of options for this, such as using a cup of a vegan butter sticks (not the spreadable kind) and a bit (about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons) of non-dairy milk. You could also replace the butter with vegetable oil, or coconut oil. Be sure to check that the sugar you use is vegan also, as some refined sugars may have been refined with bone char.
Eggnog Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar is one of the main differences between snickerdoodles and regular sugar cookies, but if you really want to replace it, you can. Use baking powder in a 1:1.5 substitution. So instead of 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, use 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. Reduce the baking soda to a ½ teaspoon as well. This will slightly change the flavor and texture however, and the cookies will probably be a bit cakier with a bit more of a rise also.
Another option that keeps the acid and some of the tang is to use lemon juice. Use about 1 teaspoon for each ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar called for in the recipe.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
While you can, I don’t recommend it. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their unique tang and chewy centers. If you really want to remove it, you can try and substitute cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio, or with lemon juice at a 1:2 ratio.
If you don’t use cream of tartar, snickerdoodles may come out a bit drier and cakier, especially if you use baking powder instead. Creaming the butter and sugar instead of using melted butter can also make cakier cookies.
Yes, aim for slightly undercooked and trust that they will set as they cool. Cooking until they start browning can lead to a drier, crispy cookie without the signature chewiness of snickerdoodles.
🍽 Equipment
Other than the usual kitchen items like mixing bowls and baking sheets, there’s nothing special required for these eggnog sugar cookies. Here’s just a handful of items I do recommend if you don’t already have them.
Baking Mat – Parchment paper is fine, but if you do a lot of baking, I recommend using a silicone baking mat. They work incredibly well, they’re nonstick, and easy to clean.
Cookie Scoop – While you could eyeball the amount of dough for each cookie, or even weigh them, using a medium cookie scoop that’s already measured for 1 ½ tablespoons is much easier and helps making cookies of a consistent size.
❄️ Storing and Freezing
Once cooled completely, eggnog snickerdoodles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. The baked cookies can also be frozen for 3-4 months.
If you want to make these ahead of time, you can leave the cookie dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until soft enough to scoop and roll before baking.
You can also freeze unbaked cookies. Roll into balls and set onto a baking sheet without rolling in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place into the freezer for at least an hour or two, then you can transfer the frozen dough balls into an airtight container for up to 3-4 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to come to almost room temperature before baking.
📋 Recipe
Eggnog Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Eggnog Snickerdoodles:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed, or light brown
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
Rolling Sugar:
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup white sugar and ⅓ cup dark brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
- Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, about ⅓ of the mix at a time, and mix on low speed until just combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg and whisk together.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the snickerdoodle dough and place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Once the baking sheet is full, take one portion of the dough at a time and roll it in your hands to form a ball. Roll the ball through the cinnamon and nutmeg sugar and place back on the baking sheet.
- Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should just barely be browning around the edges and almost look underbaked. Remove from the oven and use the bottom of a measuring cup or small bowl to gently press down the tops of the cookies slightly.
- Allow them to cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- If you have two baking sheets you can place the next one in the oven as soon as you remove the first one. The baking sheet should be completely cooled before placing more cookies on it or the butter will melt prematurely.
Equipment Used
Notes
- Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar is one of the main differences between snickerdoodles and regular sugar cookies and is what gives them their signature tang and chewy center. If you really want to remove it, you can try and substitute cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio, or with lemon juice at a 1:2 ratio.
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