Cottage Cheese Snickerdoodle Cookies (Print out)

Soft, pillowy snickerdoodles with a tangy cottage cheese twist and fragrant cinnamon sugar coating.

# 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together cottage cheese, softened butter, and 1 cup sugar until smooth and creamy using an electric mixer or whisk.
03 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the wet mixture; mix until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup 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 cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look just dry.
10 - Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese creates a tender crumb that stays soft for days, no dense or cake-like texture here.
  • That subtle tang from the dairy adds complexity that keeps people reaching for another cookie without knowing why.
  • You look like a creative baker without actually doing anything complicated or pretentious.
02 -
  • The difference between a soft, pillowy cookie and a hard one is about two minutes of baking time—set a timer and actually check them at 11 minutes instead of just letting them sit there.
  • Don't overbake the dry ingredients into the wet mixture; a few small flour streaks are better than overdeveloped gluten that makes tough, rubbery cookies.
03 -
  • Measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with a knife rather than scooping—this prevents dense, dry cookies that nobody enjoys.
  • The moment you pull these from the oven, resist the urge to move them immediately; those five minutes on the baking sheet are when they set up enough to handle without falling apart.
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