Cottage Cheese Snickerdoodle (Printable)

Soft cookies with a creamy tang rolled in fragrant cinnamon sugar for a classic twist.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat or low-fat
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Cinnamon Sugar Coating

11 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat cottage cheese, softened butter, and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
03 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the wet mixture; mix until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
08 - Place coated cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until edges are set and tops appear just dry.
10 - Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese makes these cookies incredibly tender without any weird texture—just pure, melt-in-your-mouth softness.
  • That subtle tang cuts through the sweetness perfectly, so they don't feel heavy even after eating three in a row.
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy here—take them out when they still look slightly underbaked on top, as the residual heat will finish them perfectly and keep them soft.
  • The cream of tartar is non-negotiable if you want that authentic snickerdoodle tang and texture; don't skip it or substitute it without understanding what you're losing.
03 -
  • If your cottage cheese is very wet, drain it through cheesecloth for 10 minutes before using—excess liquid can make the dough too soft and the cookies spread too much.
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly, so pull everything out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking for the best results.
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