Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
The popular cinnamon-sugar soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe. A recipe that has been in the family for over 30 years!
This was one of the first cookie recipes I made as a kid. As I have shared before, I was fully obsessed with cookbooks as a little girl. My Mom collected church cookbooks and I would go straight to the cookie recipes and beg my Mom to let me whip up a batch. I made this snickerdoodle cookie recipe 30 years ago and it is still the best I have ever tasted.
This is such a popular Christmas cookie because I have yet to find anyone who doesn't love snickerdoodle cookies! When I used to teach a cooking school for kids, it was the first cookie I taught them to make because kids love them. Whenever I make these cookies, they disappear so darn fast!
So what makes a perfect snickerdoodle cookie?
A snickerdoodle cookie has to be soft and chewy. No hard hockey puck cookies here! It has to be rolled twice in cinnamon-sugar to ensure that it is completely coated. It also has to have the signature tang from the cream of tartar.
How to make the BEST Snickerdoodle Cookie:
- Start by creaming butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. This is an important step as the butter coats the sugar crystals and creates a smooth texture. It also whips air into the cookie dough.
- Use Cream of Tartar as a leavening agent. It gives it the signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. A touch of baking soda helps the cookies to rise as well.
- Double roll the cookie balls into a cinnamon-sugar mixture. This helps to make sure the cookies are completely coated in cinnamon-sugar before baking.
- Bake just until the edges begin to become a light golden color. These snickerdoodle cookies need to be soft and chewy so watch carefully. If you want them to be flat, press the balls down in the center before placing in the oven.
- My favorite baking tools for perfect Snickerdoodle cookies -- light-colored baking sheets, parchment paper sheets, KitchenAid mixer.
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Check out some more of my most popular cookie recipes:
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
MJ's Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
Grandma Geri's Gingersnaps
Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
Mrs. Claus Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 ¾ cup Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon.
- If time allows, wrap the dough and let refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll into small balls until round and smooth. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat well. Using a spoon, coat for a second time, ensuring the cookie balls are completely covered. *To make flatter snickerdoodles, press down in the center of the ball before placing in the oven. This helps to keep them from puffing up in the middle. *
- Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool for several minutes on baking sheet before removing from the pan.
Video
I hope you love this snickerdoodle cookie recipe and it becomes a staple in your family for years! Happy Baking!
Faith
GLUTEN FREE
I made these cookies with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour. They turned out delicious. Due to the properties of the mix of non-glutenous flours, the texture wasn't real chewy. They were lighter textured than the chewy snickerdoodles we all love. I will definitely make this recipe again. Also, I dropped these by large tablespoonfuls and got about 50 good-sized cookies. Like, 2+ inch diameter.
Note: with the gluten free flour, I had to leave the dough in the fridge overnight and it was still nearly too soft to roll in the cinnamon suger. Could also be I used "plant butter".
Ron
My neighbor's little girl absolutely loves snickerdoodle cookies and this being the first time I've ever made them I used her as my judge on how I did. She LOVED them. I asked her if there might be anything I could have done to make them better and she suggested that I roll them in obviously cinnamon but instead of regular sugar to maybe next time to use brown sugar. Not sure if this has ever been suggested before but out of the mouths of babes come what I think is a good idea. Gonna try it next batch. Thanks for the recipe and will try others in the future.
Zahra
Delicious!!! I substituted cream of tartar for double the amount of lemon juice and it worked perfectly
Linda
These came out perfect- thanks!
Maria G
Yummmm. These are crispy on the the outside and melt in your mouth on the inside. So good!! I added some a half teaspoon of nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves to the cinnamon sugar to make my home smell like gingerbread and get in the Christmas spirit!!
My only tiny disappointment is that they didn't end up nice and flat like the photos; and I did press down my balls of dough in the center before cooking. Maybe I should have flattened them out a bit more? Or perhaps too much baking powder? They are still absolutely delicious, though!!
Thanks for they great recipe
Brennan Schutt
Why would the first thing to do be preheat the oven when you have to refrigerate dough for 30 minutes?
Cindy Murphy
These cookies are incredible! Unfortunately I do not have a photo because they were eaten IMMEDIATELY. Seriously. I love me a chewy cookie!
JB
Oh so yummy! I used a course cane sugar to roll them in. This helped add some crunch to the outside, mixed with the perfectly soft inside. This is a keeper!
Janis
Great recipe! We loved these cookies so much!
Evelyn
If I freeze dough balls, what would be the baking time and temp? Thanks
Stacy
So good! I think this is the new favorite Snickerdoodle recipe in a house with 5 expert cookie eaters.
Matt
I'm about to make this recipe for the third time, the cookies end up amazing and my whole family loves them!! 40 cookies are gone in a week because we just can't stop eating them!! I use a higher sugar to cinnamon ratio to roll the dough in (idk what ratio, just add more sugar lol) but everything else by the recipe and they end up so warm and chewy in the middle but slightly crunchy on the outer edges, which is perfect. Keeping this recipe for every time I make snickerdoodles!!
Lilly
I halved the recipe and ended up making about 16 cookies. Turned out soft & chewy - just perfect! I highly recommend. Thank you!
Cyndi
I have a question. I used 2 3/4 cups of flour and my dough is like cake batter
KeAudra
This recipe is absolutely delicious ! It actually made 33 cookies and they taste outstanding !!
Abby
Great cookies everyone loved them. Its a win!! looking forward to trying other recipes
Madelyn
this is so good! My family loved them
Victoria H
I’ve never left a rating on a recipe before but this is hands down the best homemade cookie recipe I’ve ever used. My new go to when we’re craving sugar we don’t need.
Jen Warren
Wow! My husband love Snickerdoodles and I have been trying to impress him for the last 5 years to no avail! This is finally the wining recipe and I'm so glad I found it! These will also be a staple in our home when I want to bake him a sweet treat! I also plan to add them to my xmas staples... Orange Drop cookies and Nestle Tollhouse cookies! Thanks for sharing!
Ida Helleskov
WARNING!
These cookies take on a life of their own and fling themselves into your mouth! Be prepared!!
In all seriousness though... I am from a country where snickerdoodles isn't a regular part of the cookie repetoire. I was reading a story in which snickerdoodles were mentioned and I thought "hi, I wanna try whatever that is" and went to the great big internet to find a recipe.
For such a simple recipe, these cookies are absolutely delicious!
I've already eate four and I only just took them out of the oven 15 minutes ago... Like I said, they fling themselves at you!
Beth Russell
Came out perfect and taste great!