Snickerdoodles Recipe without Cream of Tartar - Beat Bake Eat (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for cream of tartar in snickerdoodles? ›

You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

But while technically you don't need the ingredient, Food Network still recommends swapping it with vinegar or lemon juice as opposed to leaving it out of a recipe that calls for it. These substitutions work because cream of tartar is powdered tartaric acid, per Healthline.

Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that tanginess. I've found that a lot of people are very sensitive to the tangy flavor of cream of tartar and the bitter, metallic flavor baking soda can have.

For Stabilizing Egg Whites, Use Vinegar or Lemon Juice

If your recipe calls for whipped egg whites and a little cream of tartar, try these substitutions: Vinegar: You'll sometimes find vinegar called for in meringue recipes (especially meringue cookies which have stronger flavorings) instead of cream of tartar.

One of the most common reasons why cookies didn't spread out in the oven is because you added too much flour. Cookies rely on the perfect ratio of butter to flour in order to spread just the right amount when baked. It's very easy to over measure flour when using cup measurements.

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake – when the edges are set but the centers are still soft and puffy, they are done. Also, make sure you're not adding too much flour.

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.

The Best Substitute for Cream of Tartar

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. As an example, if your cookie recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice instead of the cream of tartar.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

Can you use too much cream of tartar? ›

The FDA recognizes cream of tartar as a safe ingredient when consumed in small quantities. Ingesting high amounts of it may lead to hyperkalemia, or dangerously high potassium blood levels.

Remember that cookies do continue to bake and set up when you remove them from the oven and they sit on the tray. I usually only need 11-12 minutes to bake my snickerdoodle cookies. You will know they are done when they are puffy and beginning to set around the edges of the cookie.

They puff in the oven and then settle back down while cooling into a soft, thick, supremely chewy cookie with a gorgeous crinkly top. They've received nothing but rave reviews! Snickerdoodle is sort of a strange name, yes?

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

As we've already determined, baking powder is made from cream of tartar and baking soda. So, if you have baking powder, you technically have cream of tartar too! You can substitute 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder for every 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

A byproduct of wine-making, cream of tartar is a dry, powder-like, acidic sediment that is left behind during fermentation. Although derived from the winemaking process, it's all thanks to grapes that cream of tartar exists. This is because they're a natural source of tartaric acid, which is its primary ingredient.

Cream of tartar is in the same family as baking powder and baking soda. Yeast is a whole different ballgame (so to speak). Yeast has its own flavor and technique of mixing or kneading; we will set that aside and talk about the other leavenings. How to use Baking Soda?

On average, cream of tartar retains potency four years after its manufacturing date, but this shelf life can be cut short by the usual culprits behind ruined pantry items: moisture and heat. Cream of tartar comes in various kinds of containers, from plastic to canned to paper and cardboard.