Apple Butter Molasses Snickerdoodles
These Apple Butter Molasses Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy cookies with crackly cinnamon-sugar tops and the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. The apple butter makes them extra moist and tender, while the molasses gives a rich depth that feels like fall wrapped in a cookie.
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 139kcal
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup apple butter
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add apple butter, molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth and combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed. Once flour is mostly incorporated, increase to medium speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight). This helps prevent spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon for rolling.
- Scoop dough with a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll into smooth balls with your hands, then coat in cinnamon-sugar. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set but centers are soft. Cookies should look slightly underbaked in the middle.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Chill your dough: This keeps the cookies thick, chewy, and prevents spreading.
- Don’t overbake: They should look slightly soft in the center when you pull them out. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Refrigerate: Keeps well in the fridge up to 7 days. Let cookies come to room temp before serving.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Freeze in a single layer, then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months.
- Freeze Dough Balls: Roll in cinnamon-sugar and freeze unbaked. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Sodium: 121mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 13g