Easy Peach Snickerdoodles That Taste Like Sunshine!
Take everything you adore about classic Snickerdoodles and infuse it with the sweet, juicy goodness of ripe peaches. These cookies are surprisingly easy to whip up and perfect for sharing.
Equipment
- Large bowl Or stand mixer bowl
- Stand Mixer (Optional)
- Food processor (Optional, for dicing peaches)
- Medium bowl For dry ingredients
- Oven
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper (Recommended for lining baking sheets)
- Small shallow bowl For cinnamon-sugar coating
- Cookie scoop (Optional, about 1.5-2 tbsp size)
- Wire rack For cooling cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups Peaches Fresh or frozen (thawed and well-drained!), finely diced or pulsed
- 2 Large eggs At room temperature
- 3.25 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour Regular all-purpose flour works too
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon For the dough
- 2 tsp Cream of tartar
- 1 cup Crisco shortening
- 2 cups Granulated sugar For the dough
- 0.75 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp 2% milk
For the Coating
- 0.25 cup Granulated sugar For the coating
- 1 tsp Cinnamon 1-2 tsp for the coating
Instructions
- Prep Your Peaches: If using fresh, peel, pit, and very finely dice your peaches. You want the pieces small enough that they distribute well throughout the dough without making it too lumpy or wet. If using frozen, make sure they are fully thawed and drain off all excess liquid before dicing finely.
- Cream the Good Stuff: In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the Crisco shortening and 2 cups of granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This can take a couple of minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the 2% milk.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix!
- Fold in Peaches: Gently fold the finely diced peaches into the dough. Distribute them as evenly as possible. The dough will be quite soft at this point, which is fine.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2-3 days). Chilling helps the dough firm up, makes it easier to roll, and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Preheat and Prep: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the Coating: In a small shallow bowl, whisk together the coating sugar and cinnamon.
- Scoop and Roll: Take spoonfuls of the chilled dough (a cookie scoop works perfectly here, about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons per cookie) and roll them into balls.
- Coat 'Em Up: Roll each dough ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar coating, making sure it's well covered on all sides.
- Place and Bake: Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set (they might still look a little soft, that's okay!).
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!: Grab a warm cookie (if you can wait!), maybe a glass of milk, and savor that peachy, cinnamony goodness!
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Room Temperature is Key: Make sure your eggs (and butter if substituting) are at room temp for the best emulsification.
- Don't Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Chill, Chill, Chill: Seriously, don't skip the chilling step! It's crucial for preventing spread and developing flavor.
- Proper Peach Prep: Ensure your peaches are finely diced and well-drained if using frozen. Too much moisture will make the dough tricky to work with and can lead to flat cookies.
- Oven Temperature Matters: Make sure your oven is properly preheated. An oven thermometer is a great tool to ensure accuracy.
- Don't Overbake: Snickerdoodles are best when they are soft and chewy. Take them out when the edges are just set and the centers look slightly soft. Storage:
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze baked cookies: Freeze solid on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag (up to 2-3 months). Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls: Roll in cinnamon sugar, freeze solid on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time. FAQ Snippets:
- Cream of tartar is essential for the characteristic lift, chewy texture, and tangy flavor.
- Frozen peaches can be used, just thaw completely and drain excess liquid well.
- Sticky dough can be caused by ingredient temperature, insufficient chilling, or excess peach moisture. Ensure ingredients are room temp, chill adequately, and drain peaches thoroughly.
- The crackled top comes from the cream of tartar/baking soda reaction, proper chilling, baking temperature, and rolling well in cinnamon sugar.
- Room Temperature is Key: Make sure your eggs (and butter if substituting) are at room temp for the best emulsification.
- Don't Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Chill, Chill, Chill: Seriously, don't skip the chilling step! It's crucial for preventing spread and developing flavor.
- Proper Peach Prep: Ensure your peaches are finely diced and well-drained if using frozen. Too much moisture will make the dough tricky to work with and can lead to flat cookies.
- Oven Temperature Matters: Make sure your oven is properly preheated. An oven thermometer is a great tool to ensure accuracy.
- Don't Overbake: Snickerdoodles are best when they are soft and chewy. Take them out when the edges are just set and the centers look slightly soft. Storage:
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze baked cookies: Freeze solid on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag (up to 2-3 months). Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls: Roll in cinnamon sugar, freeze solid on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time. FAQ Snippets:
- Cream of tartar is essential for the characteristic lift, chewy texture, and tangy flavor.
- Frozen peaches can be used, just thaw completely and drain excess liquid well.
- Sticky dough can be caused by ingredient temperature, insufficient chilling, or excess peach moisture. Ensure ingredients are room temp, chill adequately, and drain peaches thoroughly.
- The crackled top comes from the cream of tartar/baking soda reaction, proper chilling, baking temperature, and rolling well in cinnamon sugar.