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!
Brynne
Delicious! Swapped out reg flour for 1:1 gluten free (Celiac) and it was perfect!
OM
This cookie is an absolute STAR!!! Tried it once and we were all hooked. Now it's a staple.
francesca
followed exactly as written. best snickerdoodle cookie i've made so far!!! 🙂
Rhonda
Made these for my granddaughter’s elementary basketball party and my other granddaughter’s college basketball team and they were a huge success! The MANY compliments I received were “These are THE BEST Snickerdoodle cookies I have ever eaten!” I couldn’t believe how many people came up to me giving me compliments on my cookies! Only thing I changed in the recipe was I added more sugar and less cinnamon in the sugar mixture you roll the cookie dough in. Thanks Modern Honey for making me look like a professional baker! Note: Also, try Modern Honey’s The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. I made these for both teams and they were well received as well!
JM
I bake a lot with my 4 year old. We've tried a lot of recipes online and I've never felt compelled to write review until now. These are the best cookies I've ever made. So easy, quick, and unbelievably good. I'll come back to this recipe again and again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Leslie
I love this recipe for snickerdoodles, they always turn out perfect!
Sue Matthews
They were tasty, soft and a little crunchy on the edges. Perfect combination. Everybody loved them.
Sera
It turned out amazing and was sooooooo delicious, thank u for making this recipe. ????
James
Made these into edibles and I HIGHLY recommend this recipe! It works like a charm every time. 10 minutes on the dot was the sweet spot for my liking ????
Christina
These snickerdoodles were DELICIOUS. I didn’t have time to rest the dough in the fridge, but the texture was still spectacular. I brought them to a family party, and everyone ended up eating them immediately (at 10:30am!) because they looked so appealing.
Daniel
How important is cream of tartar lol? We are about to find out
Ilene
How did they work without cream of tartar? Just was going to try these spur of the moment and dont have in house!
Tamara
I don't bake. At all. I don't even like to. I had to make Christmas cookies for a Christmas cookie sale at work. I picked these up because they were cheap and easy. They were amazing! They sold out and I had request to make more. I have made them twice since then. It was so easy and they turned out perfectly. My go to dessert for parties and just because. Thank you.
Dee
My coworker friend used this recipe and the cookies turned out great! This was also his first time baking cookies from scratch.
Kaylee
These were the best homemade snickerdoodle cookies we've ever had! Several family members said the same thing and are begging me for the recipe! Definitely making again soon!
Christopher
Made this recipe today with vegan butter and flax egg substitutes. They were awesome. Thank you!
Casey
I’ve made these snickerdoodles for Christmas two years in a row, and my whole extended family raves about them. They are the best snickerdoodles anyone has ever had. I get requests to make sure these cookies will be at family events! Even those who don’t love snickerdoodles have been converted to snickerdoodle lovers because of this recipe! They taste exactly like something you would get from a high end professional bakery. Slightly under baking them is key for a soft and tender cookie. These are the bomb!
Misa
Thank you for the best snickerdoodle cookies!!! Husband and kids say these are now their favorite cookies and chocolate chip has been moved to 2nd place. I followed the recipe exactly as stated but did have to bake it for 12-13 mins but I think it’s cause I made mine a bit larger. This is going into our family recipe book!
Heather
I found this recipe several years ago and it is my go-to cookie recipe. These snickerdoodles are buttery and chewy. Highly recommend!
Heidi Reid
The snickerdoodles were easy and soooooooo good.
Susan
I make snickerdoodles every Christmas as it is my husbands all-time favorite cookie. However, this recipe made THE BEST snickerdoodle I have EVER made...and my husband agrees! I don't think it was so much the ingredients but the simple tips before the recipe that did it. Thank you!