Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

Classic tangy, tender and fluffy snickerdoodles with mega jazz hands from a sprinkle of five-spice powder! This cookie dough does need to chill prior to baking so allow time for that. You will love these cookies! Also check out Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Soft Classic Snickerdoodles and Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
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Five-Spice Snickerdoodles | recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

The only thing better than a snickerdoodle is these Five-Spice Snickerdoodles!

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.

If you love classic cookies as much as I do, try these Vanilla Chocolate Chip CookiesChewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or these Fudgy Brownie Cookies. I also have a Brown Butter Snickerdoodle recipe (that is DIVINE) and a  Classic Super Soft Snickerdoodle that is so warm and cozy.

For even more cookie inspo, check out The Cookie Book!

Three stacked snickerdoodles, one with a bite out of it.

Why Cream of Tartar?

When cream of tartar is combined with baking soda, it acts as a leavening agent. It’s also what gives snickerdoodles their awesome tangy flavor and chewy texture.

Could you replace cream of tartar with baking powder in this cookie? You could, but you wouldn’t have a snickerdoodle anymore…it would be more of a soft, sugar cookie-esque cookie.

Cream of tartar is also often used to stabilize meringues as well. I use it in both these crispy french meringues and this chocolate pavlova recipe.

Can I Make These Cookies Ahead of Time?

This dough needs refrigeration time to firm up a bit…a minimum of several hours and up to several days. So yes, they can!

Make sure the dough 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. 

A stack of five spice cookies.

Let’s Talk About Chinese Five-Spice Powder!

I love Chinese Five-Spice Powder around the holidays for baking.

Five spice is 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) and Five-Spice Fig Jam (great on a cheese board!!). 

The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour

One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!

A plate with snickerdoodles on a white background.

Shop Classic Super Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

Either an Electric Stand Mixer or this is my favorite Hand-Held Mixer (it’s in all of my videos!)

This isn’t necessary for these cookies, but I love a mixer moment. 

These will let you bake more cookies at a time (make sure they’ll fit in your oven). These are restaurant grade and I love them for everything from cookies to roasting veggies and sheet-pan dinners!

The Spatula that I use for literally EVERYTHING

The set of heat-safe Glass Bowls that I use for mixing

My favorite Baking Scale 

A white plate with a pile of snickerdoodles.
A close up of a snickerdoodle with a bit out of it.

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!!

I love a snickerdoodle cookie! Along with this classic recipe, I also have a Brown Butter Snickerdoodle recipe (that is DIVINE), bakery style Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles and a Classic Super Soft Snickerdoodles that is so warm and cozy.

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

Rebecca Firth

Five-Spice Snickerdoodles | recipe via DisplacedHousewife Rebecca Firth

Five-Spice Snickerdoodles

Classic tangy, tender and fluffy snickerdoodles with mega jazz hands from a sprinkle of five-spice powder! This cookie dough does need to chill prior to baking so allow time for that. You will love these cookies! Also check out Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Soft Classic Snickerdoodles and Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
5 from 3 reviews
Print Save Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: Snickerdoodles, Cookies, Chinese Five-Spice
Servings: 35 Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookie

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 10 tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter ( room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (112 g) sunflower or grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) milk (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon (13 g) real vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (237 g) bread flour (see note below)
  • 1 cup (135 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Cookie Coating

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese 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!!

Notes

Bread Flour

This cookie will still turn out if you replace the bread flour with all-purpose flour. Simply use 2 3/4 cups (372 g) all-purpose flour for the entire recipe.

Mixer vs Your Arms

I mention a mixer in the instruction, however, this is definitely a recipe that can easily be made with a bowl and spatula. Make sure you really cream your butter and sugar so that you get that awesome cookie texture.

Freezing Ya Balls

For long-term storage wrap the entire lump of cookie dough tightly (in plastic wrap, ideally) and then stash in an air-tight container.
For short-term storage (I’m talking about wanting to have a fresh cookie (or two) every night after dinner), freeze the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, after several hours, stash in an air-tight container. When baking, they can go straight from the freezer to the oven, just tack on a few extra minutes to the bake time. This will result in a puffier cookie.
If you want the cookies to look similar to the photos here, then let the dough come closer to room temperature (just sitting out while you pre-heat the oven is fine). Add 1 to 2 minutes bake time if the dough still has a slight chill.

Want More Cookie Inspo?

Head over to My 10 Favorite Tips for Better 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

Comments

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

I love your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot, I look forward to chatting with you!

Rebecca xox

Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  • Sova July 29, 2023 at 9:02 AM

    5 stars
    Hey Rebecca!! If I were to make these and put the dough balls in the freezer for later, should I give them the five-spice and sugar coating before they go in the freezer or after I take them out to bake?

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth July 31, 2023 at 2:28 PM

      Hi Sova! Definitely roll them when they come out of the freezer. The dough will absorb the sugar if it sits on there for too long. Enjoy! I love a good freezer stash!! xox

      Reply
  • Jeanette April 24, 2023 at 4:30 PM

    5 stars
    A total hit. I baked these for our dessert following a meal of Singapore Noodles requested by a friend. The Chinese Five Spice Snickerdoodles seemed the perfect fit to end our meal and they were. Everyone loved them. A friend came for tea the next morning and lucky for her a few cookies remained. She raved about them and requested the recipe. I forwarded her the link. Looks like a new favorite for her and for my family. Thanks for putting a terrific twist on the snickerdoodle.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth April 27, 2023 at 5:33 PM

      Hi Jeanette! I’m so happy you liked these!!
      R xo

      PS I love Singapore noodles!!!

      Reply
  • Laurie Allen January 22, 2022 at 5:36 PM

    I’d love to make these but I have a question – Is 5 spice powder something you buy or mix up at home? Thank you! They look incredible.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth January 22, 2022 at 7:36 PM

      Hi Laurie! You can buy five-spice powder at the grocery store, in the spice aisle. You could create your own blend, it’s typically a blend of Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and fennel. These cookies are so good, let me know if you have any other questions!! xo

      Reply
  • Erica September 12, 2020 at 5:11 PM

    5 stars
    These are my new go-to snickerdoodle recipe. I first tried them because I figured they’d be fun to make once, but that five spice is magic here. Husband and four kids all loved them. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth November 29, 2020 at 4:28 AM

      I love hearing this! Thank you so much Erica!!! xoxo

      Reply