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.
I love to hear from you! If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating. If you make any of my recipes, tag me on Instagram @modern_honey so I can see your creations. It’s one of my favorite things seeing you make these recipes in your own kitchen. Sign up for my newsletter below so you never miss a recipe. Thank you for following along! I truly do have the greatest readers. FOLLOW ME ON: INSTAGRAM --- FACEBOOK --- PINTEREST
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!
Trulayne
Absolutely the best!! Making them again right now because I’m CRAVING THEM!! Thank you for sharing (I can’t seem to, haha! They’re mine! ALL MINE!!)
Melissa Stadler
Hahaha your comment made me laugh Trulayne! I’m totally with you, these are sometimes too good to share! I am so glad that you love them. Thanks for using my recipe!
Crystal
This is the best snickerdoodle recipe I've ever tried. Perfectly crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside. Myself, I didn't press them down before putting them in the oven, just because I wanted that puff and a nice cracked appearance on the top. My daughter and friends all loved them, and I'll be making these in the future for sure. BTW, I have no idea what people are talking about when they say they half or even 1/3 the amount of sugar. The base of a snickerdoodle cookie is just sugar cookie dough. It's supposed to be sweet, and this recipe is great as is.
Melissa Stadler
Thanks Crystal! I personally love sweet cookies, I’m glad that you love them too! Thanks for using my recipe!
Chris Austen
Wow, excellent cookies and so easy to make. The first time, I froze half the dough and the second half of the cookies tasted as good as the first. This time, I will again freeze half of the dough of the current recipe, otherwise we’ll pig out on them. I used my stand mixer to make them. They turned out perfectly.
Melissa Stadler
So glad that they froze well! I love this recipe for that reason. It’s so nice to have some frozen dough on hand to eat whenever you want it! Thanks for using my recipe and for taking the time to comment!
Mollie
Hands down the best snickerdoodle recipe. I've been making this recipe for several years now, and everyone who tries them asks for the recipe. Nothing else even comes close to these cookies! If you like snickerdoodle, you absolutely have to make these!
Melissa Stadler
What a sweet compliment, Mollie! I love hearing that you’ve been using this recipe for a couple years now. Thank you so much!
Dina B
Snickerdoodle cookies are one of my all time favorites, and this recipe did not disappoint!! Perfection! Soft, and chewy, with the right amount of crunch. Double rolling in the cinnamon sugar is a must. SO YUM!!!
Melissa Stadler
This made me so happy to read! I am so glad that you loved my recipe, thank you so much for trying it out!!
Tammie A Cooley
This recipe turned out amazing! The only thing I changed was I added a third egg yolk. Everyone who tried them loved them. Thank you.
Buck Hord
This is the third time I am making them
EVERYONE LOVES THEM and say they are addictive, especially my 93 year old neighbor!
Thanks so much for recipe and detailed instructions!
Melissa Stadler
This is just the sweetest thing! I am so glad that you love my recipe and that you’re sharing it with your cute neighbor.
Becky
Nice and easy recipe but far too much sugar! I halved the sugar and they were nice. They're almost the same as our family's Scottish cinnamon biscuits.
Carrie F.
You gave this recipe the correct name....they are the absolute very BEST Snickerdoodle recipe! Thank you!
KFD
I made these again for the teenagers in my Sunday church class….they get so excited when I bring them and they all tell me they are the best snickerdoodles they have ever had…..and I have to agree!
Chris
I haven't made these yet and I didn't know what to rate it. So, don't pay attention to the rating!! Question: It says 24 servings. What's considered a serving? One cookie? Two? How many cookies does the recipe make?
Dina B
Hi Chris, I believe the recipe makes 24 cookies. She probably had to list it as servings based on the specs of the site layout. Hope that helps!
Jodi Hill
I am not a baker but had a craving for snickerdoodles. They turned out absolutely fantastic! I followed all of your tips and voila! It was certainly not my talent, so it had to the recipe. Thanks so much!
Melissa Stadler
I am so glad that they turned out great Jodi! I am sure it wasn’t just the recipe, it takes some skill on your part! Thanks for using my recipe!
Danielle H.
I made these cookies for my church potluck and they are amazing! I did the double recipe and it made so many cookies! I used a medium sized cookie scooper so they were all uniform. Thank you for this recipe! P.S. I only had salted butter so I omitted the salt in the recipe and they are delicious!
Delaynie C
Really great recipe! I baked mine in muffin tins and used them as the base for mini snickerdoodle flapper pies. The flavour of the cookie by itself is absolutely delicious. I will be making these cookies again (and probably all the time!).
allie
i’m curious if i could use a cookie press instead of rolling the dough into a ball?
i’m assuming that might effect bake time a bit , but would it ruin anything else? please give advice !
Melissa Stadler
Allie I’ve never recipe tested with a cookie press before, but I think that it should be fine! I would keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t get too brown too quickly. They’ll be beautiful! Good luck!
Delaney
I find these way too sweet per the recipe and halve the sugar (sometimes using only 1/3 what this recipe calls for). People LOVE them and don’t know why they are so different - it’s because they actually taste like food and aren’t cloyingly sweet.
Madeline Garrison
These cookies were exquisite! I totally recommend it if you like sweet, soft, chewy cookies!
Shyanne
I've been using this recipe for years, its always a hit when I make it for parties and gifts. They always come out so soft and they taste amazing ♡
Heidi McDonald
I made these cookies, following the directions exactly (chilling the dough and flattening them slightly). They are really excellent cookies, just the right height and flavor, and they do stay chewy, even when they're cool -- which is why I chose this recipe. Thanks so much!
Melissa Stadler
So happy to hear it! Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it!
Rob Swanson
I live at 8,500 ft and recipes are often screwy. You said to take them out when the edges were brown. The centers didn't seem cooked but trusted you and took them out. Perfect! Delicious!
Kim
The taste is there but mine won't go flat! I did the center press and everything and didn't chill it as long in the fridge. Anyone experience the same?
Jaeda
Yes I experience the same thing and still have no clue how to flatten them.
Minyon
I just made these snickerdoodle cookies to send to my Mom in Baltimore. I am familiar with the great cookie snickerdoodle cookies. These cookies are really good and taste better. The cookies were flat nice flavor and had a chewy texture.