These easy snickerdoodle cupcakes are the perfect mash-up of a classic cookie in cupcake form. Between the tender sponge cake crumb, creamy icing, and spiced cinnamon sugar flavor, they’re the perfect treat for when you can’t decide which dessert you’re in the mood for.
Better yet, this snickerdoodle cupcake recipe are a snap to make! Made with your basic baking and pantry staples, the batter and frosting whip up quickly, so you can enjoy these treats in no time! For more snickerdoodle desserts, try my snickerdoodle cake, classic snickerdoodle cookies, and pumpkin snickerdoodles next.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour — plain white flour makes a tender and fluffy cupcake.
Ground cinnamon — foundational to the cinnamon sugar mixture and flavor of these cupcakes! For anyone who is curious, this is a great recipe to experiment with different types of cinnamon (e.g., sweet Mexican cinnamon or canela, floral Ceylon cinnamon, sharper Saigon cinnamon, or the more ubiquitous cassia cinnamon).
Cream of tartar — also known as “tartaric acid,” this powder is a classic ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies. As an acid, it helps to soften the crumb of both cookies and cake, activates the baking soda, and also imparts a slightly tangy flavor.
Baking soda — when used in concert with cream of tartar, this raising agent provides a powerful lift, giving the cupcakes a light, fluffy texture.
Granulated sugar — white sugar is necessary for the proper cakey consistency and for sweetness. You can also mix this with ground cinnamon to make a flavor cinnamon-sugar garnish to finish off the cupcakes.
Unsalted butter and vegetable oil — this dynamic duo of fats ensures the perfect balance of flavor and texture. The butter adds a delicious flavor, and the liquid oil helps keep the cupcakes soft and moist when stored in the refrigerator.
Large eggs — set out your eggs about an hour before you want to start making these cupcakes so they come to room temperature. If you don’t have time to do that, soak them in a bowl of warm water for at least 5 minutes.
Vanilla extract — a good quality vanilla extract is a must for adding aromatic sweetness and flavor. You can use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste for pretty flecks throughout the cupcakes.
Whole milk — the added fat in whole milk will yield a more tender cake consistency than 2% or lower-fat options, but in a pinch, any will do.
Sour cream — this single ingredient adds moisture, richness, tang, and tenderness all in one fell swoop. Feel free to swap in full-fat Greek yogurt or make your own sour cream if needed.
Cream cheese — opt for full-fat, block-style cream cheese for the best results. Using tub-style cream cheese spread can make a frosting that is too soft to pipe or stay on top of the cupcakes.
Confectioner’s sugar — this powdered sugar ensures a silky smooth frosting. Discovered you are out? Here’s how to make powdered sugar using white sugar and cornstarch!
Heavy cream — a little bit of this helps to make the frosting super smooth and fluffy. The higher fat content is beneficial here, so I don’t recommend swapping it out.
How To Make Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the cooled melted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute until the mixture thickens slightly and lightens in color. (You can also use a hand mixer on medium speed). Whisk in the milk and sour cream until completely combined.
3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until the flour is moistened and the batter is smooth.
4. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Divide the batter evenly amongst the liners, about ¼ cup in each, until they are about three-quarters full. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes are set and spring back when pressed. Let cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat the vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
6. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioner’s sugar. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, just until combined. If the frosting feels dry, mix in the remaining heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
7. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip. Pipe about ¼ cup of frosting on top of each cupcake.
8. Sprinkle the tops of the frosted cupcakes with cinnamon sugar and serve.
Tips For Frosting Cupcakes
- Pipe in a spiral pattern: For a flat spiral, start on the outside edge and pipe in a spiral pattern, finishing in the center. For a tall spiral, start in the center and pipe towards the outside in a spiral pattern. Continue piping on top of the layer you just made, working your way back to the center.
- Go simple and use a spoon: Don’t have a piping bag or piping tips? Dollop a generous portion of the frosting on top of the cupcake, then use the back of a spoon to spread it outwards and create a pretty, swoosh-y pattern.
- Pipe or spread to the edge of the cupcake: Don’t be shy with the frosting! You want to make sure the entire top of your cupcake is covered with only a little bit of the edge visible.
How To Store
Frosted snickerdoodle cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container (or under a heavy glass cloche on a cake stand) at room temperature for up to a day. For longer storage, place the container in the fridge for up to 5 days—this will prevent the cream cheese frosting from spoiling.
Alternatively, unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep the frosting in a separate container in the fridge for up to 5 days, then let it come to room temperature and give it a quick beat again before topping the cupcakes.
Freezing cupcakes: For even longer-term storage, use your freezer. Either frosted or unfrosted snickerdoodle cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap unfrosted cupcakes and loosely wrap frosting cupcakes individually with plastic wrap before putting them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Freezing unfrosted cupcakes is a great way to prep ahead for a party or if you like to have treats handy for those unexpected requests! All you have to do is defrost them at room temp for an hour, whip up the frosting, and pipe it on top!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh ingredients for the most consistent results. Volume measurements are notoriously finicky, as dry ingredients like flour tend to settle. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into a dry measuring cup, and level it off for the closest approximation.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature. Chilled ingredients like eggs, cream cheese, and butter mix together properly when they are not cold from the fridge. You can follow any of my tips to quickly soften butter and use the same ones for cream cheese!
- Don’t over-mix the batter! The more you agitate the batter, the more you’ll strengthen the gluten proteins. Do this too much, and you’ll end up with a tough cupcake consistency. Just fold the wet and dry ingredients together until there are no pockets of the flour mixture left.
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to help you quickly and evenly divvy up the cupcake batter. I use a ¼ cup or #16 scoop (2 ounces).
- No piping bag? No problem! You can easily fashion one by snipping off the corner of a zip-top sandwich bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
While cream of tartar is a traditional ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies, you can get away without it here. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use 1½ teaspoons of baking powder instead.
Yes! That said, try to stick to whole milk Greek yogurt (5%) for the best results.
Yes! Follow the baking instructions for my mini cupcakes. This snickerdoodle cupcakes recipe will yield at least 48 mini cupcakes.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Snickerdoodle Cupcakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- 12 cup muffin pan (regular size)
- Paper muffin liners
- Closed star piping tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (56g)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60mL)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature (120ml)
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature (60g)
For the Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (84g)
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature (113g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound confectioner’s sugar (450g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cooled butter, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute until the mixture thickens slightly and lightens in color. (You can also use a handheld electric mixer on medium speed). Whisk in the milk and sour cream until completely combined.
- Add the flour mixture and whisk just until the flour is moistened and the batter is smooth.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly amongst the liners, about ¼ cup in each, until they are about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes are set and spring back when pressed.
- Let cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Buttercream:
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter, cream cheese and salt on medium speed for 2 minutes or until creamy.
- Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioner’s sugar. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, just until combined. If the frosting feels dry, mix in the remaining heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip. Pipe about ¼ cup of frosting on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Notes
- Weigh ingredients for the most consistent results. Volume measurements are notoriously finicky, as dry ingredients like flour tend to settle. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into a dry measuring cup, and level it off for the closest approximation.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature. Chilled ingredients like eggs, cream cheese, and butter mix together properly when they are not cold from the fridge. You can follow any of my tips to quickly soften butter and use the same ones for cream cheese!
- Don’t over-mix the batter! The more you agitate the batter, the more you’ll strengthen the gluten proteins. Do this too much, and you’ll end up with a tough cupcake consistency. Just fold the wet and dry ingredients together until there are no pockets of the flour mixture left.
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to help you quickly and evenly divvy up the cupcake batter. I use a ¼ cup or #16 scoop (2 ounces).
- No piping bag? No problem! You can easily fashion one by snipping off the corner of a zip-top sandwich bag.
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