Spicy Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe

These spicy snickerdoodle cookies take the classic snickerdoodle and add a delicious twist with a hint of sweet heat that brings out the cinnamon flavor.

If you love spicy cinnamon candies (I totally do!) then give this recipe a try - I think you'll love it.

Table of Contents

• 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
• 🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
• 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
• 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
• 🥫 Leftover love: how to store spicy snickerdoodle cookies
• Marye's Tip o' the day
• 💭 Insider tips: things to know
• 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
• Snickerdoodle history
• 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
• 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
• 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
• 📖 Recipe
• spicy snickerdoodle cookie
• 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

• These cookies combine the sweet, buttery flavor of classic snickerdoodles with a surprising kick of spice. They're perfect for adding a little excitement to your dessert table.
• I love them for holiday cookie exchanges because everyone's eyes go wide as they take a bite, expecting traditional flavors and getting swept away by the spicy bite.
• The first time you make these add the gound chile pepper ½ teaspoon at a time and taste as you go so you don't get it too spicy.

This snickerdoodles cookie recipe is for anyone who loves Hot Tamales or Red Hots candy. Full of spicy cinnamon flavor these may just be the spicy snickerdoodles sugar cookies you've been looking for!

Ahhhhh.... Snickerdoodles. Cinnamon heaven with a name that's fun to say and makes you smile.

Go ahead, try it. Say it three times outloud. I'll wait.

I bet you smiled. Maybe even grinned.

🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

1. Extra Spicy: Add a pinch more cayenne pepper for an extra kick.
2. Chocolate Twist: Mix in some mini chocolate chips for a chocolatey surprise.
3. Nutty Crunch: Add chopped nuts like pecans or almonds for added texture and flavor.

In the summertime I like to use them as the outsides of a dulce de leche ice cream sandwich.

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment

1. mixing bowls
2. electric mixer
3. measuring cups and spoons
4. baking sheets
5. parchment paper

🥫 Leftover love: how to store spicy snickerdoodle cookies

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Place parchment paper between the layers.

You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them as needed.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

1. Don't overmix the sugar and butter mixture - it can make the cookies go flat during baking.
2. Make sure to chill the dough to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
3. Be sure to let the cookies cool and set for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to finish cooling. This is important. If you try to remove the cookies too quickly they will fall apart.
4. Adjust the level of spice to your liking by adding more or less ground chipotle pepper.
5. Use fresh spices for the best flavor.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

Snickerdoodle history

Snickerdoodle cookies may also have been called Jumbles. They are attributed to either New England or Pennsylvania depending on what site you are reading.

They often had currants in them but those were phased out over time. The first published recipe appeared in the mid-1800s.

Here's another possibility. The name Snickerdoodle may have come from a tiny American folk hero popular in the early 1900s who fought crime with intelligence and humor.

He was a tiny little man named Snickerdoodle that drove around in a peanut shell.

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers

• Ice Cream Sandwiches: Use the cookies to make homemade ice cream sandwiches.
• Crumbled Topping: Crumble leftover cookies over yogurt or ice cream for a crunchy topping. Or, use as the streusel topping for an apple crisp.

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

While all Snickerdoodle cookies are basically made the same way they are not all created equally.

I like a chewy cookie with a crispy outside — so that's how these come out. Some recipes leave out the cream of tartar but I think it brings a tart aftertaste to the cookie that I really like. The instructions for leaving out the cream of tartar are in the notes below the recipe.

So what's different about my spicy snickerdoodles cookie recipe?

If you love Red Hots or Hot Tamale candy you will find these quite addictive. The addition of chipotle or ancho pepper powder to the cinnamon mixture creates an entirely new sensation in your mouth.

Of course, if you need a milder version just cut back on the pepper. Maybe mix it in a little as a time tasting as you go.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published August 19, 2014. Last updated July 4, 2024 for readability and helpful content.