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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
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The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this snickerdoodle cookie recipe and it becomes a staple in your family for years! Happy Baking!
Outstanding. First time I baked Snickerdoodles and I chose the best recipe! I will definitely tell friends about this website. Thank you.
All-purpose flour, right?
1st time I tried these ever, awesome recipe and great cookie!!
I must have done something wrong. My “dough” is like cake batter. Theres no way I can roll them into balls. I’ve got it in the fridge right now, but I think I may add a lot more flour. Disappointed.
I dropped these in .75oz dough balls (1 rounded tbsp) and made a little over 3 dozen cookies. The first batch I cooked for 12 minutes and they were still a little too doughy. The second batch I cooked longer and they were pretty good. I think the recipe has a bit too much flour, at least it did for my cold, dry climate. My cookie dough wasn’t sticky enough to pick up all that cinnamon sugar goodness. Too much flour is likely why they don’t spread much and need to be flattened before baking. The flavor is good though! Next time I will cut back on the flour a little and bake for 14 minutes and I think they will turn out perfectly. Tip: they’re done when the top just starts to crackle
How many cookies is a serving?
These were great! Perfect texture and balance of flavors!
This recipe is a winner! My cookies were perfectly crispy on the edges, with a tender, slightly chewy center. I did have to increase the bake time considerably- more like 13 minutes rather than the 9-11 shown in the recipe. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing. Yum!
Barbara,
Typically cake like cookies are a result of overbeating the mixture, especially the eggs. Also can mean too many eggs were added but seeing you followed the recipe, I would say maybe try to while your butter/sugar less and do the same after the eggs are added.
Delicious!
I do have a question, though. My cookies aren’t “chewy”, they are a bit more on the cakey side. They are still wonderful and I’m happy with them (as is my husband!), just wondering how to get a chewy cookie? This is an on-going quest for me… I did press the cookie before baking, and followed the recipe pretty closely. If anyone has a suggestion, I’d love to hear it.
By the way, found the recommended cooking time to be spot on. I used 10 minutes and it was perfect. Maybe it’s the size of the cookie that’s an issue? Bigger cookie, longer cook time? Or maybe leaving the dough in a ball rather than pressing it down?
I found that baking the cookies for a couple more minutes, like close to 13-15 minutes has a much better outcome! Also the cookies come out a perfect size if you use an ice cream scoop, so try that.
Get a good accurate scale as I weigh all ingredients now. You can thank me later.
yes – i weight all of my ingredients. measuring cups are so misleading…
Can this recipe be translated to any european measurements & temperatures please ?? Using google for measurements is just misleading & a “cup” can literally be any size. Over here (U.K. , France etc) scales are the norm, such a shame that no american recipe sites ever consider this fact. We can work in either lb/oz or g/kg
I know that weight measurements are more accurate in baking, but a cup is not “any size.” It’s an 8 oz. measure (commonly available in the U.S.), not just any old coffee cup you have in your cupboard.
Make sure you measure out your flour correctly, either aerate or scoop with a spoon. Too much flour can create the cakey texture you’re experiencing. This is a tried and true recipe in my house! Happy baking!