Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie
Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie brings sweet, warm childhood memories back with its tangy, cinnamon flavors and its chewy goodness.
This post has been updated from its original May 17, 2017 publishing with new content, photography, and updated recipe card.
Who doesn’t love snickerdoodle cookies? I don’t think I’ve met a person yet who hates them. Making a giant cookie seemed like the only logical thing to do.
Plus they’re one of those baked goods that I usually have everything hanging around in the cupboards at any given time; making it possible to whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes.
Speaking of having all the ingredients on hand, it’s one of the few things I make that calls for that small, tiny jar of cream of tartar.
Did you know that cream of tartar is what separates a sugar cookie from a snickerdoodle? Well, that and the cinnamon, but you get me.
What is Cream of Tartar?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve wondered what the heck cream of tartar is. And if you’re really like me, your mind drifted somewhere near the creamy condiment often used for dipping frozen fish sticks in.
But we’d really be off the mark. Especially once you pulled it out of the spice cabinet and saw the white powder. So, what it is?
Cream of tarter is an acidic byproduct of fermenting grapes AKA winemaking.
Or in even simpler English, it’s the acidic gunk left on the inside of the casks after grapes have become wine. Tasty, no?
Why is Cream of Tartar Used in Snickerdoodles?
There are two reasons, or more accurately, two noticeable results from using cream of tartar.
First, because it’s an acid, much like lemon or vinegar, cream of tartar prevents the sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing. Basically, it’s what keeps the cookie soft and chewy on the inside.
Second, because it’s an acid, much like lemon or vinegar, cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that slight tangy taste.
How to Make a Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie
Please, please, please, set out your butter long before you want to make this cookie.
Otherwise, you’re going to have to quickly soften it, and that is a pain in the tush! Nobody likes nuking butter; it’s so difficult to be precise.
One second too long and you’ve got a liquefied issue. Or worse, it can pop and explode, coating the entire inside of your microwave that will take forever to clean up.
Just pull the dang butter out!
Ok, enough buttery lectures, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Coat the skillet with the reserved tablespoon of butter, but you’re free to use cooking spray or oil. Just be generous.
Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon together.
Do you have to sift? No. Should you? Yes. Then just set it aside for a bit.
Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium, until it’s light and fluffy. Occasionally you will have to scrape down the sides. (And probably nap a tiny bit to sample because I always do.)
Add the vanilla and the egg. Beat until it’s light and fluffy. Again, scrape down the sides.
Slowly, and I mean slowly, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while it is mixing. If you add too much at one time, you will inhale the mixture, and that’s most unpleasant.
Once the mixture is now dough, press it into the skillet. Try to make it as even as possible. Uneven dough becomes an unevenly baked cookie.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the top and then the turbinado sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving but it is awesome served slightly warm too.
Serving the Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie
You can remove it from the skillet, place it on a cooling rack if you’d like. Or leave it in the skillet and serve it that way for a fun presentation.
We love this Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzled over the top. We love this Easy Caramel Sauce from The Complete Savorist.
Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie
Equipment
- 10-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter softened
- 1⅓ cup flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon-sugar blend
- ½ tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
- Coat the skillet with the softend tablespoon of butter.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon together in a bowl; set aside
- Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, blend the butter and sugar together on medium speed until combined; scrape down the sides.
- Add the egg and vanilla; mix to combine; scrape down the sides.
- Slowly and a bit at a time while mixing, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
- Add the dough to the prepared skillet; pressing down to be even.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar blend over the dough.
- Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the seasoned dough.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes, either in the skillet or transfered to a cooling rack.
- Slice, serve and enjoy, especially with the optional scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
Notes
Homemade Cinnamon-Sugar blend
Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar to every ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon together.What is turbinado sugar?
It’s the first result of sugar processing. Its crystals are still brown and large. Sugar in the Raw is a popular brand of this sugar.Do I Have to make this in a skillet?
No, it’s cookie dough, make it into individual cookies.I don’t have a 10-inch skillet, can I use a 12-inch skillet?
Yes, you can. However the cookie will be thinner. Also start checking the cookie for doneness after 20 minutes.Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Cast Iron Cookie Recipes
We love baking in cast iron as much as cooking with it. Here’s a few of our favorite cookie recipes made in/on cast iron.
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (individual cookies)
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie (skillet cookie)
- Cast Iron Sugar Cookies
- Skillet Cookie (Pizookie)
Looks delicious!
I am a big fan of skillet desserts and this one is no exception! This cookie is warm and sweet – so tasty!
This was easy to make and so delicious. Definitely going to be making this amazing treat again!
I just love snickerdoodle cookies and had to make this. Oh my — SO delicious! Such a great skillet cookie!
Fantastic recipe for skillet, I have tried many snickerdoodle cookies, but this one is by far the best, and you get a huge one 🙂 Will make it again!
The skillet cookie looks amazing! Will be so delicious with a cup of coffee.
Wow! This snickerdoodle skillet cookie looks amazing and addictive! Yum!
This is a fabulous recipe! I made my first cookie cake a couple of weeks back and it was a hit and now I cannot wait to make this for the family next.
Making a snickerdoodle cookie in a skillet is genius. It’s a lot less work than rolling out individual cookies, and it’s fun. A scoop of vanilla ice cream really takes it to the next level!
I am drooling here. That looks so good and so easy to make now.
I love skillet cookies with ice cream but I usually make the chocolate chip version so this snickerdoodle version was a fun way to change things up! It was delicious!