Get ready to elevate your Snickerdoodle experience! We have taken the classic you love and infused it with a twist of exotic cardamom. Imagine sinking your teeth into a warm, chewy snickerdoodle, now with a burst of aromatic spice that adds an irresistible new dimension.

This is a snickerdoodle like you have never tasted before—comforting, familiar, yet delightfully unexpected. It has a crisp, spiced sugar coating and an inside that is fabulously chewy. You cannot just have a couple. It is impossible. Or maybe I do not have the willpower to pull away from them.

I discovered cardamom a while ago and fell in love with it. Now, I try to use it at any opportunity that comes along. Its unique flavor will become your new obsession.

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I love its crisp, clean flavor. It marries almost all your baking recipes, and here is a great example: it adds depth and warmth to your baked goods.

Combined with cinnamon and sugar, it is a natural combustion of flavors for your palate.

If you like classic snickerdoodles,  you definitely will love this recipe.

But before we go any further…

In this Article

What is the meaning of Snickerdoodle?

Snickerdoodle is a cookie made with butter, sugar, and flour rolled in sugar and cinnamon before baking.

The granulated sugar mixture caramelizes, and the cinnamon adds flavor. A truly classic American cookie.

Why should I make these cardamom snickerdoodles?

They are excellent and so good. The best and easiest snickerdoodle recipe you will ever make.

The ground cardamom flavor, mixed with warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, really enhances the flavor of the sugar coating.

It is one of the easiest cookies I have made and one of the most loved by the little ones. Seeing my son’s eyes light up when those sweet cookies were coming out of the oven brought me so much happiness.

What is cardamom, and how do you use it?

Cardamom is a spice from the seeds of several plants belonging to the ginger family. Each cardamom pod is spindle-shaped and has the most delicious scent imaginable.

Cardamom has been used for centuries both for cooking and as medicine. It is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern and Arabic food. Cardamom has also gained popularity in the Weste West.

Many Indian dishes call for cardamom, including curry, Kheer, and chai.

You will find cardamom in garam masala.

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

Other benefits of Cardamom

Besides cooking, cardamom is also used as a supplement for its health benefits. Cardamom contains phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Our grocery stores carry cardamom as a whole seed, pre-ground spice powder, essential oil, which is more commonly used.

What is a substitute for Cardamom?

It is not an easy task due to the complexity of the cardamom flavor.

In a pinch, blend warm autumnal spiced to simulate the distinct flavor. Mix equal parts of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger, or cloves.

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed

Unbleached all-purpose flour: Always sift your flour to avoid clumps when used with wet ingredients. Make sure it is unbleached so it is not chemically treated.

Cream of tartar: A white powder that acts as an activator and stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites by eliminating the egg protein from sticking together.

Salt: fine sea salt is the best in my book for baking. It melts entirely and does not leave you with bits of salt in your cookies.

Baking Soda: Rising agent

Unsalted butter: Always use unsalted butter as you do not want to add extra salt to your cookies and be salted.

Sugar: refined granular white sugar.

Large eggs: Always use large eggs and always at room temperature

Cinnamon: Make sure that you store your cinnamon in a dark place. I buy small jars as I do not use them much in my cooking, but they are always fresh.

Cardamom: Make sure it is fresh and has a fragrant scent.

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

Equipment you will need

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Cookie Sheet

Flour Sifter

Mixing Bowl

Hand held mixer

Cooling rack

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

Baking tips and step-by-step instructions to make that beautiful Cardamom Snickerdoodles

There is nothing to it as this recipe can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Eggs must be at room temperature, and the butter must be softened before preparing the cookies.

Sifting the flour will make it so much easier to work with and be clump-free.

I love using parchment paper or a Silpat to line my baking sheet. I am not fond of cleaning butter or burnt cookies.

If none are handy, grease the cookie sheet well with butter.

  • Preheat the oven. A hot oven will allow you to perfect baking.
  • Mixing all the dry ingredients by adding them all to a sifter and passing them through.
  • Beat the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy.
    Add one egg at a time and make sure it is well beaten.
  • Stir in the dry ingredients, scrape the sides of the bowl to blend well.
  • Tear away pieces of cookie dough and roll them between the palms of your hands. I use an ice cream scoop to have all the same size, small balls.
  • Prepare the coating sugar with the remaining sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
  • Roll the dough ball in the cinnamon-cardamom mixture a couple of times.
  • Space them on the sheet pan and bake them in the hot oven.
  • Bake one cookie sheet at a time if you only have one oven.
  • Remove the sheet of cookies from the oven, let it cool off and transfer your cookies to a wire rack once they are firm.

Talking about ovens

I have an ancient oven that does not allow me to bake two cookie sheets simultaneously, as one will bake faster than the other.

However, if you have a much younger technology oven in which you can bake two or more cookie sheets and have the perfect result for each cookie, please do so.

Meanwhile, if you are like me and only can bake one cookie sheet at a time, let the cookie sheet cool off between batches, as it may hinder the cooking process. Or have two handy and not be afraid to use them.

Once out of the oven, place your snickerdoodle cookies on a cookie cooling rack and wait a minute before enjoying them.

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

Pro Tips

  • Do not overbake the snickerdoodle. They will still need to be soft when they cool as they continue to harden once they are out of the oven.
  • Once you have added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, do not overmix. Overmixing the flour will cause the gluten to overdevelop and give you a flat, hard cookie.
  • If you use only one cookie sheet, let it cool off completely before adding another batch of cookies. The heat of the sheet will start the baking process and render a flat cookie.

Storage instructions

Let the cardamom snickerdoodle cookies cool entirely before being stored an airtight glass container.

This delicious Cardamom Snickerdoodle may be stored in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to three days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What spices pair well with cardamom?

There is a perfect harmony between cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg when used in dishes. This wonderful spice can elevate a variety of dishes, stews, soups and curries, desserts, as well as beverages such as coffee and tea.

Why is cream of tartar important in snickerdoodles?

The cream of tartar gives your cookies a light soft pillowy texture.

What is the substitute for cream of tartar in cookies?

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tart, you can substitute 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.

If you enjoy these Cardamom Snickerdoodle cookies, look at some of my other recipes!

Dried Cranberry Chocolate Cookies – The Best Recipe Ever

Coconut Milk Rice – A Childhood Favorite

Poppy Seed Thumbprints Cookies

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

5 from 10 votes
Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Giangi Townsend
Get ready to elevate your Snickerdoodle experience! We have taken the classic you love and infused it with a twist of exotic cardamom
Print Pin

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamom
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease the cookie sheet or use parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl to sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
  • Beat at medium speed until the softened butter, and 1 ½ cup sugar are fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and combine well.
  • Stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture until smooth.
  • Pull off pieces of the dough and roll them between the palm of your hand to form a 1-inch ball. 
  • Mix together well the remainder ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
  • Roll the 1-inch ball in the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom mixture.
  • Space about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake (one sheet at a time) until the cookies are golden brown at the edges, about 8 to 9 minutes.
  • Remove the sheet from the oven and let it cool off until the cookies are firm. Transfer to a cookie rack.
  • Let the cookie sheet cool off completely between batches, or the cookies will cook too fast. 

Notes

PRO TIPS

  • Do not overbake the snickerdoodle. They will still need to be soft when they cool as they continue to harden once they are out of the oven.
  • Once you have added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, do not overmix. Overmixing the flour will cause the gluten to overdevelop and give you a flat, hard cookie.
  • If you use only one cookie sheet, let it cool off completely before adding another batch of cookies. The heat of the sheet will start the baking process and render a flat cookie.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.

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Originally published on December 21, 2018.