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!
Kaylie
My kids and I were making cookies for Christmas and my husband mentioned that he loves Snickerdoodles. I've never made them before but found I had all the ingredients for this recipe. They were DELICIOUS! Nice and chewy just how I like my cookies. They were a hit with my husband and others. Going to use this recipe every year now!
Sarah Sims
Should I grease the pan if I don’t have parchment paper?
Amy
If you don’t have parchment paper, can you use waxed paper or is it better to coat the cookie sheet first?
Annabeth Leanna Chase
I used this recipe when I made my cookies and they were DIVINE! I def recommend refrigerating the dough because they become a bit sticky and hard to work with. My dad is obsessed ???? and we’re making them for our family potluck tomorrow (Christmas Eve). Best recipe ever!
Eric S
I made these for my wife’s office Christmas party. I only wish I had made more because they were gone long before dinner and everyone was looking for more! They wanted the cookies over my homemade apple pie!
Absolutely the best recipe I have found for these, ever!
Leslie S.
I started making these 3 years ago for Christmas. They are my all-time favorite cookie, because they are just the right amount of everything. It’s the only type of cookie I make a double recipe of, because they disappear so quickly! I substitute gluten free flour for the regular flour, but otherwise keep the recipe the same. Several of the people I’ve given Christmas cookies to say these are their favorites and gluten-free or not, the best snickerdoodles they’ve ever eaten. Thank you for sharing this recipe, our family enjoys it every year!
Beth W
Hello!
I'm planning to bake a LOT of cookies within the next couple of days. Can I refrigerate this Snickerdoodle cookie dough overnight? I've seen other Snickerdoodle recipes which state that the dough can be
refrigerated ONLY UP TO 24 hours but no longer. (Perhaps because the cream of tartar is the sole leavening agent?).
I'd like to use this recipe, however because it's gotten so many positive reviews!
Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Susan
I would say the baking soda is the main leavening agent in this recipe, the cream of tartar works as a leavening agent but also has a few other properties such as stopping sugar crystallization. I looked up why we refrigerate cookie dough in the first place and the answer I got was : "Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies." After 24hrs of refrigeration the whole purpose of doing it is defeated. Happy Baking!
Cathy
These cookies are just as described; soft and chewy pillows of cinnamon deliciousness! Don't save this recipe for Christmas only - too good to not make them often!
Melissa B
Have made these twice now, and they were perfectly delicious both times!
Morgan
the best snickerdoodle I've ever had, Thank you!
I do have one question- Are you able to refrigerate the dough on this overnight? I would love to pre-make my dough and just roll and bake the next day if possible.
Keb
I have left the dough in the fridge overnight and they turned out great. Furthermore, as with any drop cookies, they freeze very well. I make two batches and freeze the uncooked dough balls and just pop few out, let stand to room temp and bake when I’m in the mood for a tasty treat!
Elisabeth
These turned out wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to make and share your recipe. :3
Terry
Can you make these with salted butter?
Michelle
Yes! Absolutely you can...the first time I made them all I had was salted butter and they turned out amazing. I made them again (because my husband loves them so very much 😉 and used the unsalted butter that time and I must say you can definitely taste the difference, whether or not one likes it better than the other is personal preference I would say. I liked them better with unsalted but my husband likes the salted. Happy baking....
Ben
It'd be nice to have measurements in weight instead of volume. I get that a lot of home bakers like volume, but weight/mass is more accurate.
Bethy
I second this! Esp as I halved this recipe!
Caleb Manfred
These are so good
Sarah
These are delicious!! I wish mine would have flattened out like yours in the picture! Never the less a wonderful recipe.
Heather
Push your thumb into the middle of the ball before you bake them and they will flatten ????
Danielle
These cookies are so delicious. We loved them. But mine don’t look like the picture- they came out thicker and fluffier - any ideas why?
Jissel
did you press down in the middle before putting it in the oven?
Bob
Because the recipe has two eggs. More eggs make for a cakier texture. I was rather disappointed with this recipe to be honest, especially as it says they’re chewy. They were not bad, but they weren’t what I was going for.
Gabby
Literally the best snicker doodle recipe ever. ever ever.
They're so good right out of the oven with some milk. nearly ate the whole batch.
Definitely gonna be my staple snoodle recipe
Dar
Closing in on 70 yo. Ate my share of cookies over these years BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A BETTER COOKIE. Thats all I have to say about that.
John
My cookies turned out extremely flat and pretty much collapsed. Are there high altitude instructions? I live in Denver. I did press down in the middle as well.
Leif
High altitude just means that you would have to bake it longer. Just keep your eye on it.
Michelle
Also, I am high altitude and found the difference to be using parchment paper for sure, also refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum, but no longer than a few hours. This sets up the fat in the cookies so it doesn't spread as fast. You need to roll them in a ball as well prior to pushing down with your thumb ( just a slight indentation). I also will not bake without the Air Bake cookie sheets, even when using parchment paper it makes a world of difference!
Ambriel
Since yours turned out flatter than they should, I wouldn't press down on the middle. They'll be a bit fluffier.
Lisa
I made these without refrigerating the dough and they were fabulous! The second batch I refrigerated the dough and they didn't get enough cinnamon sugar mix so next time, same recipe but skip the refrigeration of the dough. Love this recipe!! They came out so fluffy on the inside with a crust on the oitside!
Aimee
This recipe exceeded my expectations. This will be my go-to snickerdoodle recipe from now on.
Nary
How should I adjust recipe using salted butter since a friend gave me 2-3 pounds of salted butter I would like to use.
Derek
I used Salted Butter and just did 1/2 the salt in the recipe. They came out great!
Donna
I’ve never made (or eaten) snickerdoodles before but I wanted to do something special for a coworker. This was his request. I think they’re great and will definitely be making them again. Hope they live up to his expectations. Thank you and Merry Christmas ????
Margaret Marie Osby
Vanilla extract is a flavoring agent. Made from a vanilla bean. Fine vanilla extract favoring in the baking section of the store.
Darlene Franklin
I made the frosted snickerdoodles and they are the best cookies my boyfriend is addicted to them and my daughter absolutely loves them and now she’s making them from this recipe all my friends that have tried them think they are fabulous I went exactly by the recipe and it works
Bethy
Frosted?!