Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and keep in mind that you will use each pan twice.
- In a large bowl, mix the softened butter and 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar with a spatula, or with an electric mixer on low using the paddle attachment, until a thick paste forms. Mix in the egg, eggnog, and rum extract until combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix until a thick, evenly blended cookie dough forms.
- In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar with the ground cinnamon. Scoop or shape the dough into balls about the size of a circle made by your thumb and pointer finger touching. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place 6 cookies, staggered, on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, until the cookie bottoms are golden and the tops have a cracked look. Let the cookies cool on the pans for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack.
Nutrition
Notes
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Let us know how it was!Why You’ll Love These Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
It happens every year around the end of September. I’m walking through the grocery store in Sacramento, not thinking about Christmas at all, and then I spot the first eggnog cartons of the season. That’s when I start craving eggnog snickerdoodle cookies. The calendar may say fall, but my kitchen knows better.
I’ll be honest with you. My first batch of eggnog snickerdoodles was a disappointment. They looked perfect, cracked tops, cinnamon sugar coating, beautiful little domes. And they tasted like a plain sugar cookie. That’s the problem with so many eggnog cookie recipes. The flavor just evaporates somewhere between the mixing bowl and the cooling rack.
This eggnog snickerdoodle recipe fixes that. Real eggnog lays the foundation, and a teaspoon of rum extract makes sure the flavor actually survives the oven. The result is a soft, chewy, crackled cookie that tastes like December in the best way.
- It takes about 25 minutes total. Ten minutes of prep, thirteen in the oven.
- It’s a true soft-baked cookie. The centers stay tender for days.
- It’s a holiday crowd-pleaser. Even people who claim they don’t like eggnog reach for a second one.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means the holiday baking season is about to take over. This is the moment to test the recipe, get it perfect, and freeze the dough for December.
Ingredients for These Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
You need ten basic ingredients, and most are probably already in your pantry. Butter, sugar, one large egg, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for rolling. Then the two stars: full-fat eggnog and rum extract.
The eggnog matters more than you’d think. Full-fat eggnog works best here. It adds richness, extra moisture, and that soft crumb you just can’t get from a low-fat carton.
- Eggnog: The soul of the cookie. Full-fat gives you the creamy flavor and texture you’re after.
- Rum extract: The quiet workhorse. It rounds out the eggnog taste and carries it through the heat of the oven.
- Cream of tartar: This is what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle. It adds a subtle tang and helps create that signature cracked top.
- Cinnamon sugar: The coating that makes every bite look and smell like the holidays.
And about that cream of tartar, don’t skip it. It reacts with the baking soda to lift the dough just enough, while the centers stay thick and chewy. Claire, my wife, teaches biology. She’s the one who explained it to me in plain words: cream of tartar and baking soda work as a team, and the crackled top is their handiwork.
How to Make Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
This is a classic drop cookie process, nothing fussy. The dough comes together fast with a spatula or an electric mixer. Here are the four stages that matter.
Stage 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Mix the softened butter with part of the granulated sugar until a thick paste forms. Then beat in the egg, the eggnog, and the rum extract. Give it a good thirty seconds or so. The mixture should look glossy and evenly combined, with no streaks of butter hiding in the bowl.
Stage 2: Add the Dry Ingredients
The flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt go in next. Stir until a thick dough forms, and stop the moment no dry streaks remain. Overmixing makes cookies tough, and we want these soft. The dough will feel sturdy but slightly sticky. That’s exactly right.
Stage 3: Roll in the Cinnamon Sugar
Scoop the dough into balls about the size of a circle made by your thumb and pointer finger touching. Drop each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll until fully coated. The coating does double duty here. It adds that classic crisp-edged sweetness, and it makes the sticky dough easy to handle.
Stage 4: Bake Until Crackled
Place six cookies on each parchment-lined pan, staggered so they have room to spread. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 13 minutes. Here’s the cue I always watch for: the tops develop that beautiful cracked look, the bottoms turn golden, and the centers still look slightly puffy and matte. That’s when you pull them.
Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They’ll settle and flatten just a little as they cool. Don’t panic when they look puffy straight out of the oven. That puff is a sign you got the timing right.
Tips for the Best Eggnog Snickerdoodles
I tested this eggnog cookie recipe more times than I’d like to admit before I got it right. Here are the lessons I learned the slow way.
- ❌ Cold butter straight from the fridge. It won’t cream properly and leaves you with lumps. ✅ Let the butter and egg sit on the counter for about an hour first.
- ❌ Reaching for low-fat eggnog. It adds too much water and not enough richness. ✅ Use full-fat eggnog for the softest, most flavorful cookies.
- ❌ Overbaking until the tops look fully set. They’ll turn dry and cakey. ✅ Pull them at 12 to 13 minutes, when the tops crack and the centers still look slightly soft.
- ❌ Adding extra flour to fix sticky dough. That dries out the cookies. ✅ Chill the dough for 15 to 20 minutes, or roll with slightly damp hands.
- ❌ Crowding the pan. Cookies need room to spread. ✅ Bake six per pan, staggered.
The cream of tartar question comes up a lot, and I get it. If you’re out, you can substitute one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar for every half teaspoon of cream of tartar. Just know the texture will be a little different, and the crackled tops may not be as pronounced. In my kitchen, the real thing wins every time.
Don’t Skip the Chill
If the dough gets too sticky to shape: pop the whole bowl in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes. Chilling cookie dough firms up the butter, which means the cookies hold their shape and bake up thick instead of spreading into flat disks. It’s a small pause that makes a big difference.
Eggnog Snickerdoodle Variations
Once you’ve made a batch the classic way, feel free to play. These are all optional, and they’re all easy.
- Extra cinnamon: Add a little more ground cinnamon to the dough along with the flour if you want a warmer spice profile.
- Eggnog extract: You can swap half the rum extract for eggnog extract if you want an even push of pure eggnog flavor.
- Double the batch: These freeze beautifully, so doubling is smart if you’re building a lineup for cookie swap recipes later in the season.
Easy Eggnog Glaze Topping
For a dressed-up version, whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of eggnog until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies and let it set. It’s a simple touch that makes these eggnog snickerdoodles feel extra special on a holiday dessert table.
How to Store and Freeze Eggnog Snickerdoodles
These keep well, which is lucky, because they tend to disappear fast. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Honestly, they’re best within the first 2 days, when the centers are at their softest.
- Freeze baked cookies: Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls: Roll them in the cinnamon sugar first, then flash-freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once firm, transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Bake from frozen: Add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time. No need to thaw first.
Eggnog season is short, so this make-ahead cookie dough is my favorite trick. Mix the dough now, freeze it, and pull it out when Thanksgiving week hits. Future you will be very grateful.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you pull these from the oven, give them a few minutes on the pan, then pour yourself something warm and watch the plate disappear. That crackled cinnamon sugar top, the soft chewy center, that unmistakable eggnog taste. It’s everything I want from Christmas cookies, and it comes together in about 25 minutes.
Eggnog season is short, so make every cookie count. If you’re already planning your holiday baking list, save this eggnog snickerdoodle cookie recipe on Pinterest so it’s waiting for you when December rolls around.
Source: Learn More About This Dish
What is the secret ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies?
Cream of tartar. It gives snickerdoodles their subtle tang and reacts with the baking soda to create that cracked top and soft center. For eggnog snickerdoodles specifically, rum extract is the other quiet hero. It keeps the eggnog flavor alive through the bake.
Do I really need cream of tartar for snickerdoodle cookies?
For the classic look and taste, yes. If you’re truly out, use 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. The cookies will still be good, but expect less tang and not as many cracks on top.
Why are my eggnog snickerdoodle cookies flat?
Flat cookies usually mean the butter was too warm or the dough was too soft. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 15 to 20 minutes before rolling. Measure the flour by spooning and leveling it, too. Too little flour makes cookies spread into thin disks.
What kind of eggnog should I use in eggnog cookies?
Full-fat, every time. Low-fat eggnog has extra water and less richness, so the cookies turn out drier and less flavorful. The good carton stuff from the store works beautifully. If you have homemade eggnog, even better.
Can I freeze eggnog snickerdoodle cookie dough?
Yes, and I recommend it. Roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar, flash-freeze them on a parchment-lined pan until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the timer.
What are some variations of eggnog snickerdoodles?
The easiest variation is an eggnog glaze: whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of eggnog and drizzle it over cooled cookies. You can also add extra cinnamon to the dough or swap part of the rum extract for eggnog extract. All are optional.
