Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

I know that the 12 Days of Sweet Treats are over, but where would we be without Five-Spice Snickerdoodles? The cookie you didn’t know you needed in your life, but you do. First, because they’re delicious. Second, because they’re easy as hell. Third, because five-spice and the holiday go together like peanut butter and jelly. Look it up.

These cookies are super soft, light and chewy with the slightest crispiness around the edges. All of the classic hallmark flavors and textures of a snickerdoodle are here, with a bit of five-spice powder to give them some jazzy hands.

We’re going to get right to the recipe because I’m so busy trying to play Christmas catch-up (the gifts! the decorating! the cookie making!) and I’ve been getting messages and emails from you all to get this cookie up so you can start baking it. 

12(-ISH) Days of Sweet Treats with the lovely Amisha (@thejamlab / thejamlab.co)

Here are all of the sweet treats from these past two weeks! I hope you love each and every one of them!!!

1. My Cookie Box!
2. Amisha’s Cookie Box!
3. Five-Spice Snickerdoodles
4. Peppermint Bark Cookie Bars
5. Spiced Butterscotch Walnut Fudge
6. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups
7. Rose Marshmallow Chai Marsala Cookies
8. Chocolate Peppermint Olive Oil Skillet Cookie
9. Woodland Deer Macarons with a Spiced Amaretto Salted Caramel Buttercream
10. Burnt Sugar Muscovado Truffles
11. Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies with Bailey’s Buttercream
12. Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
13. Raspberry Hazelnut Linzer Cookie With A Cocoa Hazelnut Praline Buttercream
14. Dulce De Leche Baci Kisses
15. Thandai Thumbprint Cookies with Pear and Spice Jam Buttercream

Before We Get Started 

• MAKE AHEAD. This dough needs refrigeration time to firm up a bit…a minimum of several hours and up to several days. Make sure it is wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container so that it doesn’t dry out. The longer your dough stays in the fridge, the more pronounced the flavors will be and the puffier a cookie it will yield. 
• FIVE-SPICE. I love Chinese Five-Spice Powder around the holidays for baking. It’s typically a blend containing any combination of the following: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger and fennel seeds. I wrote a collection of five-spice recipes for Bake From Scratch magazine, you can see it here (including links to some of the recipes). I also have recipes for Five-Spice Cranberries, Five-Spice Cherry Pie (the pictures suck, but it’s delicious), Five-Spice Molasses Cookies, Cranberry Spice Breakfast Buns, Cranberry-Apple Hand Pies and Five-Spice Fig Jam (great on a cheese board!!). 

Let’s make some festiveAF and delicious Five-Spice Snickerdoodles, shall we?

More Yummy Cookie Fun

Grab My Favorite Cookies Tips for Perfect Cookies, make these Crinkly, Fudgy Brownie Cookies (they’re so good!) or try my favorite, small-batch (one bowl! no rest!) Mega Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

All the classic taste + texture of a snickerdoodle with heaps of jazz hands for a bit of five-spice powder!

5 from 1 review

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Keyword: Snickerdoodles, Cookies, Chinese Five-Spice

Servings: 35 Cookies

Author: Rebecca Firth

Ingredients

For the Cookie

• 1 cup (186 g) granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons (141 g or 5 oz or 1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup (105 g) light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seed oil or other neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) milk room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) real vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (238 g) bread flour
• 1 cup (136 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (6 g) cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda

For the Cookie Coating

• 1/2 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground five-spice powder

Instructions

For the Cookie

• In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, add in the eggs one at a time, taking care to fully blend the first before adding the second. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Add in the oil, milk and vanilla and mix 1 minute more. Take the bowl out of the mixer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until the flour just disappears. Wrap tightly and put in the fridge for several hours, or until firm.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and cover several baking sheets with parchment paper.

For the Cookie Coating

• To make the cookie coating, in a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and five-spice powder.

To Assemble

• Roll 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of dough into a nice ball. Give the dough ball a generous coating of the cinnamon mixture and set on the baking sheet, allowing 2 inches (5 cm) of space between dough balls.
• Bake one sheet at a time, in the center of the oven, for 11 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack.
• Thank you for baking these Five-Spice Snickerdoodles! Tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife #12DaysofSweetTreats so that I can see all of your gorgeous cookies!!

Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo