One of my favorite holiday cookies is snickerdoodles! I love the cinnamon sugar coating and the tangy flavor from the cream of tartar. I love them so much that I created a chocolate version. These chocolate snickerdoodle cookies are chewy, chocolatey, tangy, and delicious. I can’t wait for you to try cinnamon sugar-coated chocolate cookies. They are always a hit with my family and friends. For more holiday cookies, see our chewy chocolate cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies (another favorite), and these easy chocolate chip cookies.
Key Ingredients
Flour: I use all-purpose flour. Some bakers love using bread flour to make their cookies chewier. If you want to experiment with it, the dough will be drier, so consider adding a tablespoon or two of milk. Cream of Tartar: This is the key to what sets snickerdoodles apart from other cookies. This acidic powder gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. I don’t recommend leaving it out. I buy it in the spice aisle of the grocery store. Baking Soda: It helps our cookies rise. It reacts to the cocoa powder and cream of tartar in this recipe. Butter: It’s the reason these cookies taste so incredible. If you use salted butter, remove the salt called for in the recipe below. The butter needs to be at room temperature for this recipe. Sugar and Vanilla: I use granulated sugar, and the vanilla adds flavor and richness. Eggs: They add moisture and improve the flavor of our cookie dough. Room-temperature eggs are best. If you forget to take them out beforehand, place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes. Chocolate Chips: For this recipe, use your favorite chocolate. I’ve used semi-sweet chocolate chips in the photos, but milk, dark, and even white chocolate are all great. You can also chop your favorite chocolate bar instead of using chips. Cinnamon Sugar: It’s easy to make your cinnamon sugar by mixing granulated sugar with ground cinnamon. I make mine pretty heavy on the cinnamon. The ratio is shared in the recipe below. If you have any leftovers, consider stirring it into oatmeal the next day!
How to Make Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Like classic snickerdoodles, these chocolate cookies begin by beating butter and sugar until fluffy. Eggs are added, and then we beat in a mixture of all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and some salt. The cream of tartar and baking soda puff up the cookies in the oven and deflate just enough to make those crinkly tops seen in the photo. The cream of tarter also adds a welcomed tanginess that cuts through the rich combination of butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. I love adding lots of chocolate chips, and then we chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. I know chilling cookie dough is a bummer, and I totally get why you want cookies right now, but I promise it’s worth it. Thirty minutes will do the trick, but you can actually keep this dough (wrapped well) in the fridge for up to 3 days! While it chills, the flour can absorb moisture from the eggs and butter. The dough also firms up a little making it easy to roll into balls for baking. Once chilled, we make cinnamon sugar (heavy on the cinnamon) and roll the dough balls around until well coated. Then we bake the cookies until they have puffed a little and the tops look set. As they cool, the puffed cookies fall a bit back into themselves, but that’s what creates the unique crinkly tops and chewy texture. They are so good! 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs at room temperature 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 6 ounces 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon 2Using a handheld mixer at medium speed in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy for 3 to 4 minutes. (You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) 3Reduce speed to low. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 4Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing until it disappears. 5Stir in chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. 2In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. 3Shape heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of cookie dough into balls. Roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. (A medium cookie scoop is helpful here.) 4Bake the cookies until they have puffed a little and the tops look set, 8 to 10 minutes. 5Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. (The cookies will fall slightly as they cool.)
