SnO2/SiO2 nanocomposites have been prepared by the soaking-thermal-decomposing method, tin oxide nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed in the mesopores of silica. The optical absorption edge of the obtained nanocomposite presents a redshift compared with bulk tin oxide. With the increasing annealing temperature during the procedure of the sample preparation, the optical absorption edge of the sample moves to shorter wavelength (blueshift). These optical properties can be ascribed to the amorphous structure and band defects of surface lavers of the tin oxide nanoparticles.