Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). It’s important to give your oven time to fully heat up to ensure even baking. While it’s warming, prepare the other ingredients. If you have a convection oven, you may want to reduce the temperature by 20°F (about 10°C) to avoid over-browning the top.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the batter: 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix these together thoroughly. The cinnamon will provide that signature snickerdoodle flavor, and the baking powder will help the batter rise, creating a light and airy texture. Make sure there are no lumps, especially from the flour or baking powder, to ensure a smooth batter later on.
Next, stir in the wet ingredients: 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ½ cup of melted butter. Mix until the batter is smooth and all ingredients are well combined. The butter should be fully melted before adding to the mixture to prevent any separation. Stir the ingredients until no dry spots remain, but avoid overmixing, as this could cause the batter to become dense.
Pour the prepared batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish. Spread the batter evenly across the bottom, making sure it’s level. If you don’t have an 8×8-inch dish, a similar-sized baking dish will work just as well. The batter should fill the dish almost to the top, as it will rise slightly during baking.
In a separate small bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the topping. Mix these together until they are fully incorporated. The cinnamon sugar topping adds a sweet, aromatic finish to the cobbler, which will form a slightly crispy, caramelized crust on top of the soft batter. This layer will also help create the sauce underneath the cobbler, giving it that signature cobbler texture.
Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter in the baking dish. Be sure to cover the entire surface, ensuring each bite will be full of cinnamon-sugar goodness. The topping will look dry at this stage, but don’t worry—the hot water you’ll add next will transform it into a delicious sauce.
Carefully pour the 1 cup of hot water over the cinnamon sugar layer. It’s important not to stir the
