Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies

Eggnog snickerdoodles taste like the holidays in cookie form. The eggnog adds richness and a subtle spiced flavor to the dough that you don't get from a standard snickerdoodle, and the cinnamon nutmeg sugar coating caramelizes slightly in the oven to produce that distinctive crackly top.

Why You Will Love These Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Holiday Flavor in Every Bite Real eggnog in the dough combined with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves produces a cookie that tastes unmistakably like the holidays.
• Soft and Chewy Every Time The combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar keeps the center soft and the edges slightly crisp. The key is pulling them from the oven when they still look slightly underdone in the center.
• Make-Ahead Friendly The dough keeps in the fridge for up to two days and freezes well, which makes this one of the most practical holiday cookies in a baking rotation.
• Only 20 Minutes of Active Time Most of the total time is chilling and baking. The hands-on work is minimal which makes these a reliable option for a busy holiday kitchen.
• A Cookie Exchange Standout Eggnog snickerdoodles look and taste different from the standard holiday cookie lineup. The crackly sugar-spice coating and the soft center make them memorable on any cookie platter.

Ingredients for the Best Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Brown Sugar One cup packed. Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that keeps the centers soft and chewy. The combination of brown and granulated sugar is what produces the texture that makes these different from a pure white sugar snickerdoodle.
• Granulated Sugar Divided. Half a cup goes into the dough for sweetness and structure. Another half cup goes into the rolling mixture where it caramelizes in the oven to produce the crackly coating.
• Unsalted Butter One cup at room temperature. Room temperature butter creams properly with the sugars to produce the right base for the dough. Cold butter won't incorporate and warm or melted butter produces flat cookies that spread too fast.
• Eggs Two large eggs provide structure and binding. The fat from the yolks also contributes to the richness of the finished cookie.
• Eggnog Half a cup of store-bought eggnog adds richness, a subtle spiced flavor, and the moisture needed to bring the dough together. Use full-fat eggnog rather than a low-fat or non-dairy version for the best texture.
• Vanilla Extract A teaspoon rounds out the eggnog and spice flavors and adds warmth that ties everything together.
• All-Purpose Flour Three cups measured using the spoon-and-level method. Too much flour from an overpacked cup produces cakey cookies rather than chewy ones.
• Cream of Tartar One and a half teaspoons. This is the ingredient that defines a snickerdoodle. It provides the signature tangy flavor and the chewy texture that sugar cookies don't have.
• Baking Soda Works with the cream of tartar to leaven the cookie and produce the right spread during baking.
• Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Cloves The holiday spice blend that goes into both the dough and the rolling mixture. Nutmeg and eggnog are a natural pairing. Cinnamon adds warmth. Cloves add depth without being identifiable as a distinct flavor.
• Sea Salt Half a teaspoon balances the sweetness and makes the spice flavors more pronounced.

Making the Easy Eggnog Snickerdoodles

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about three to four minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally during this step.
3. Add the eggs, eggnog, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure nothing was left behind.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients half at a time. Mix until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix. Once the dough has just come together use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold in any remaining dry bits with a couple of turns.
5. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The dough is very sticky and chilling makes it significantly easier to handle. Overnight chilling produces the most developed flavor.
6. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the rolling sugar mixture of granulated sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
8. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into one to one and a half inch balls. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated on all sides.
9. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about two inches apart.
10. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are set and the tops have cracked. The centers will still look slightly soft and underdone when you pull them from the oven. This is correct. They will finish setting on the hot pan.
11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips on Making the Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Chill the dough for at least an hour rather than the 30-minute minimum. The dough is genuinely sticky and an hour in the fridge produces dough that is significantly easier to roll into clean balls. Overnight chilling produces the most developed flavor.
• Roll the dough balls generously in the sugar mixture. A thin coating produces pale cookies with minimal crackle. A thick, generous coat produces the golden, crackly top that makes these cookies visually appealing.
• Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone. They will finish setting on the hot pan. Waiting until they look fully baked produces dry, overcooked cookies by the time they cool.
• For cookie exchanges, freeze the coated dough balls ahead of time and bake them fresh on the day of the exchange. Freshly baked cookies always perform better than cookies baked the night before.

Troubleshooting the Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Cookies are flat and spreading too much The butter was too warm or the dough wasn't chilled long enough. Make sure the butter is at room temperature but not melted or greasy, and chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling.
• Cookies are cakey rather than chewy Too much flour was used or the baking temperature was too low. Use the spoon-and-level method for the flour and bake at exactly 350 degrees F.
• Cookies don't have crackly tops The sugar coating wasn't generous enough or the oven temperature was off. Roll each ball thoroughly in the sugar mixture and make sure the oven is fully preheated before the cookies go in.
• Cookies are dry after baking They were overbaked. Pull them when the centers still look soft. They finish setting on the hot pan after coming out of the oven.
• Dough is too sticky to roll It needs more chilling time. Return it to the fridge for another 30 minutes. Lightly oiling your hands before rolling also helps manage sticky dough without adding extra flour.

I have made the dough ahead of time. I kept it in the fridge for 2 days. I have not kept it any longer than that.

Try my white chocolate peppermint cookies, cranberry orange shortbread, or roccoco napolatanis.

if you like my eggnog snickerdoodles, please visit my cookies page for more ideas!

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Recipe

Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies | Cleveland Cooking

Author: Dan Harper

204kcal

5 from 1 vote

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Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Chilling time 30 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr

You will want to add these eggnog snickerdoodle cookies to your holiday baking recipe list. They make a great Christmas cookie recipe for your cookie exchange.

Servings 24 cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

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• ▢ 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ½ cup eggnog
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 cups all purpose flour spoon and level method
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt

Rolling sugar mixture

• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Method

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1. In an appropriate sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
2. Cream butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
3. Add eggs, eggnog, and vanilla. Combine well.
4. Next add the flour mixture half at a time. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
5. Once dough has come together, place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to make rolling easier. The dough is very sticky.
6. Mix together the rolling sugar mixture.
7. When dough is cooled, roll dough into 1- 1 ½ inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar mixture and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving24 cookiesCalories204kcalCarbohydrates30gProtein2gFat9gSaturated Fat5gPolyunsaturated Fat0.4gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.3gCholesterol37mgSodium85mgPotassium77mgFiber0.5gSugar18gVitamin A267IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium22mgIron1mg

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Notes

It is important to chill the dough. The dough is very sticky and chilling makes it easier to handle.

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