Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies that are soft and chewy and packed with cinnamon sugar flavor! You’ll love this family favorite recipe that we’ve been enjoying for nearly 40 years!
If you love cookies be sure to try my peanut butter cookies for a delicious twist. Or give these oatmeal raisin cookies a try, one of my favorites!
Soft Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Soft and chewy cookies in my mind, are the absolute perfect.
These soft chocolate chip cookies stay soft for DAYS, and I wanted that same chewy soft texture in today’s homemade snickerdoodle cookies.
Snickerdoodles remind me so much of childhood. A butter cookie dusted with a hint of cinnamon, these have remained one of my favorite cookies.
- The chewy snickerdoodle cookie recipe below is my go-to recipe from my mom and the one I ate growing up.
- No need to chill the dough. One of the best parts of today’s cookie, no chilling required!
- This recipe is easy enough for kids to help and produces delicious cinnamon sugar cookies each time. The Best Snickerdoodle recipe is sweet but not rich.
- Aside from all of that, the word “snickerdoodle” is just really fun to say. Go ahead, try it.
Snickerdoodles. You can’t help but smile, right? For the NEXT LEVEL of snickerdoodles, try our cinnamon cookies, packed with white chocolate chips and pecans!
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Snickerdoodle Ingredients
Want to make the best snickerdoodles? Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for full ingredient list.
- Baking soda and cream of tartar. You’ll notice today’s snickerdoodle cookie recipe is missing baking powder. The cream of tarter (not-so-secret ingredient) gives it that tangy flavor while still allowing it to rise into a chewy texture.
- Butter. I choose unsalted butter in 99.9% of my baking and cooking. This allows me to control the kosher salt in a recipe. Use my guide on how to soften butter quickly.
- Eggs. Binds the cookie dough together and gives a soft texture.
- All-Purpose Flour– use my guide on how to measure flour so that your cookie dough is perfect!
- No need to chill the dough. One of the best parts of today’s cookie, no chilling required!
*Adding pure vanilla extract to the cookie dough can elevate this cookie, but it definitely is not necessary. Use my homemade vanilla extract for delicious flavor.
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
These easy snickerdoodle cookies start with a simple cookie dough.
Make the Cookie Dough.
- After beating room temperature butter with eggs and sugar, add the dry ingredients: flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. If using an electric stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Otherwise a hand mixer is just fine.
- Mix just until cookie dough is combined (do not over mix).
Aimee’s Best Tip
The baking soda is key for achieving that chewy texture that spreads just enough! Do not try to substitute the baking soda with baking powder. The texture of this classic cookie won’t turn out right.
Now comes the most important part of making Snickerdoodles! The cinnamon sugar mixture.
Before baking, you dip cookie dough balls into cinnamon sugar. You’ll want a small bowl filled with your cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookies several inches apart on a baking sheet.
When you take them out of the oven, you’ll have chewy, buttery cookies. They will have a crisp, slightly crinkly cinnamon outside.
PRO TIP: Make it in a 13×9. Use my snickerdoodle bars recipe as a guide to bake these classic cookies in a 13×9 instead! So easy.
Be sure to cool cookies completely on a wire rack. These may end up being your new favorite cookie!
Why buy frozen snickerdoodle cookie dough when you can save yourself some money and prep your own?
Tips and Tricks
Making my easy snickerdoodle cookie recipe is the first step. Step two is learning how to store snickerdoodles properly.
- STORE– Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- FREEZE DOUGH– Scoop cookie dough with a metal cookie scoop for even sized dough balls. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (or baking dish) and freeze for 30 minutes. Then remove and place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Bake as directed from frozen, adding several minutes to your bake time. Use my guide on how to freeze cookie dough for best results.
- FREEZE SNICKERDOODLES- Cool cookies completely then store in airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on conunter.
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Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and eggs with a hand or stand mixer. Do this for a couple minutes until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add this mixture into the sugar and butter mixture. Beat again until dough forms.
- In a small bowl mix together cinnamon sugar coating. Using your hands or a small cookie scoop form ½ inch round balls of dough. Roll each ball around in the cinnamon sugar coating it generously.
- Place dough balls two inches apart on your baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden and no longer doughy. Let cool on a cooling rack for five minutes and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to get a nice coating of cinnamon sugar on each cookie dough ball.
- Can you freeze snickerdoodle cookies? Yes! Divide the dough into balls using a small scoop, dip into the cinnamon sugar then place on a baking sheet. Stick the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, just until frozen. Immediately transfer the frozen cookie dough to an airtight container to avoid freezer burn!
- What can I substitute for cream of tartar? Swap the cream of tartar and baking soda for 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead!
- How do I get fluffier cookies instead of flat? Slightly underbaking the cookies will help, and if you must, refrigerate the cookie dough if your butter was TOO soft.
Video
Nutrition
This is the only Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe you will ever need! Perfect as an afternoon snack, a dessert or a lunchbox treat, Snickerdoodles are the classic childhood cookie.
Perfect cookie recipe! SOOOOOO good and delicious! I had to bide them from my husband, lol!
Can I use gluten free bobs red mill flour in this recipe….
The cup for cup gluten free flour works great!
I grew up making Snickerdoodle cookies, they are 1 of my favorite cookies, even as an adult.
This is the best snickerdoodle recipe I have ever tried and it is the only one I will ever use now thank you so much for it. My husband is in love with these cookies but then, so am I. Lol
So glad to hear it!
My 30 yr old Daughter loves snickerdoodles, and your recipe did not disappoint! I always use cream of tartar for snickerdoodes .
These turned out perfect. I mixed wet ingredients for easily 2-3 minutes. Used a small dough scoop to make the balls. Baked for closer to 10 minutes, perfect thickness and delicious!!!
What if the dough is too sticky and can’t roll balls because it sticks to my hands?
I had never had snickerdoodles before until I tried this recipe and omg they are amazing and immediately went to the top of my favorites list.. So I was wondering if I could use this recipe as a base for mini apple pie bites/cupcakes? I think these would make it super amazing dessert. I look forward to your answer.
I couldn’t seem to make 1/4” balls, I did 1/2”. Baked 9 mins and they were very tasty. Made 54 cookies.
I meant to say, I couldn’t do 1/2” balls, I did 1”.
My cookies did not flatten out. They stayed in a ball. What did I do wrong?
These cookies are delicious, its just us two so I half the batch and and froze the dough for later.
I did cookies these cookies longer then suggested, every oven is different it will depend on your oven and cookie sheet, mine was a stone.
They came out great.
Stoneware usually requires a few extra minutes when baking cookies, as it takes time for the stone to heat up!
I tried this recipe today and the cookies came out great!
I can’t fit a tray of cookies in my freezer. Will chilling them in my refrigerator for a longer period of time have the same effect? If so, how long would you recommend?
I see cream of tartar as an ingredient, can I bake them without it?
Cream of tartar is a must for the baking soda to work. Otherwise you will need baking powder. Baking soda needs something acidic to activate it and help the cookies rise, baking powder already had the acid mixed in it.
In my part of the USA , Snickerdoodles without cream of tartar are just cinnamon cookies.
It is the taste you get from cream of tartar that makes them Snickerdoodles!
I also was wondering about the recipe not having cream of tartar. Always read it is what gives it the certain taste.
Cream of tartar helps cookies rise (like baking soda and powder). I wanted to create a recipe that does not include that ingredient since so many people have said they don’t have it on hand (and it goes bad like baking powder)…way before you would use it up.
I’ve always made snickerdoodles with a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda. I’m curious how using only baking powder affects the texture. These sound like very good cookies. I always thought it was the cream of tartar that gave them their texture. I learned something new!
Cream of tartar helps cookies rise (like baking soda and powder). I wanted to create a recipe that does not include that ingredient since so many people have said they don’t have it on hand (and it goes bad like baking powder)…way before you would use it up.
Where is the cream of tartar?
You can find it in the seasoning aisle…near the nutmeg and ginger 🙂
There is no Cream of Tartar in the recipe. Should there be?
Cream of tartar helps cookies rise (like baking soda and powder). I wanted to create a recipe that does not include that ingredient since so many people have said they don’t have it on hand (and it goes bad like baking powder)…way before you would use it up.
I dont see vanilla listed in ingredients? Is this a typo
Snickerdoodles have to be my favorite cookie of all time. These sounds so amazing.
I love snickerdoodles. There’s just something about the cinnamon sugar combo that is so tasty.
I’d love to have you share this recipe on Sweet Tooth Fridays. I hope to see you there! http://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/03/chocolate-toffee/
Those snickerdoodles look delicious and so wonderfully crackly on the tops. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog called “Sweets for a Saturday” and I’d like to invite you to stop by and link your cookies up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com