Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 38 Comments

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This is the best Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe ever! They are soft and chewy with a cinnamon sugar coating for the perfect classic cookie.

I love making classic cookies like these as well as these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Snowball Cookies too!

Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (1)

Table of contents

  • Easy Soft Snickerdoodles
  • Ingredients
  • Variations/ Substitutions
  • How to Make this Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
  • Tips
  • FAQ’s

Easy Soft Snickerdoodles

This snickerdoodle recipe has always been one of my favorites cookies. It’s a sugar cookie taken to the next level! They’re a little crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. The cinnamon and sugar outside makes it the ultimate classic snickerdoodle. This recipe is absolute perfection!

Ingredients

  • Butter: Unsalted butter is best to use.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough.
  • Brown Sugar: Adds extra richness.
  • Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
  • Vanilla Extract: Pure extract is a great flavor enhancer.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Gives the dough its structure.
  • Baking Soda: Allows the cookies to puff up and become light and soft.
  • Cream of Tartar: Gives the distinctive tangy flavor they are famous for.
  • Salt: Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness of the cookie.
  • For the Topping: Granulated Sugar and Cinnamon

Variations/ Substitutions

  1. Substitute ½ cup of all purpose flour for ½ cup of whole wheat flour.
  2. Use a 1:1 gluten free flower substitute like Bob’s Red Meal.
  3. Add a pinch of nutmeg for additional warm flavor.

How to Make this Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

Step 1 – In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes until fluffy.

Step 2 – Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Step 3 – In a separate medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

Step 4 – Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Step 5 – Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Step 6 – Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if desired.

Step 7 – In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.

Step 8 – Roll about 1 ½ tablespoons of the cookie dough into a ball. Use a cookie scoop to make the cookies equal sizes.

Step 9 – Then roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. (I like to roll them twice!)

Step 10 – Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are just light golden in color. They need to be soft so check them carefully. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Tips

  • Be sure to not use too much flour, use the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale when measuring for best results.
  • Let eggs and butter come to room temperature before using. Usually letting them sit out for 30 minutes prior is enough.
  • Avoid over-mixing the dough as it can lead to dense cookies.
  • If the dough is too sticky while rolling, place it back in refrigerator for a few minutes to chill again.
  • Press the balls down in the center before placing in the oven for a flatter cookie.

    FAQ’s

    How to store?

    Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for a week.

    Can you freeze?

    Absolutely! Once completely cooled, place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
    Place parchment paper between cookies to prevent them from sticking together.

    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (2)

    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (3)

    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

    This is the best Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe ever. They are soft and chewy with a cinnamon sugar coating for the perfect classic cookie.

    4.91 from 43 votes

    Print Pin Rate

    Course: Dessert

    Cuisine: American

    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

    Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

    Chill Time: 30 minutes minutes

    Total Time: 53 minutes minutes

    Servings: 15

    Calories: 151kcal

    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter softened (1 stick)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • cup brown sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    For the topping:

    • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Instructions

    • In a medium, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes.

      ½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup brown sugar

    • Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.

      1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla

    • In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

      1 ½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon salt

    • Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

    • Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    • In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.

      2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon

    • Roll about 1 ½ tablespoons of the dough into a ball.

    • Then roll this ball in the cinnamon & sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. For a flatter cookie, press down the center a little.

    • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are just light golden in color. They need to be soft so watch carefully the last couple of minutes.

    Notes

    Measure out flour carefully to avoid the cookies being too hard.

    Press the balls down in the center before placing in the oven for a flatter cookie.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 28mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.6mg

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

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    Inspired by In the Oven

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      • Sherri

        All-purpose! Enjoy!

        Reply

    1. Connie Flexman

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (8)
      Very very good but I should have tripled the recipe!!

      Reply

      • Sherri

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!

        Reply

    2. Mary. Connors

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (9)
      Delicious! I did struggle with mixing butter should of made it softer. Lesson learned! I did add extra vanilla. Thanks for the recipe! My son loved it

      Reply

    3. Beth Hale

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (10)
      Made these for the first time today and my husband said YEP! They’re delicious, that’s a snickerdoodle. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I’ll definitely be baking another batch!

      Reply

    4. Britt

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (11)
      I love snickerdoodles & these taste similar to what my Mom made as a kid. I thought mine might come out wrong because my dough was a bit crumbly, but they were soft & perfect.

      Reply

    5. Elizabeth Harris

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (12)
      Easy and delicious! So glad we found this recipe!

      Reply

    6. Samantha henke

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (13)
      Easy and delicious!

      Reply

    7. Kristen

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (14)
      This was easy & fun to make there are one of the best snicker doodle cookies I have ever made I will definitely make these again. =) Ella age 9

      Reply

      • Sherri

        I am so happy to hear you liked them as much as we do! Thanks so much for letting me know!

        Reply

    8. Sheila D Genova

      Very yummy delicousll I let the cookies come to room temp before cooking. Also flattened down very slightly to make sure they cooked all the way through. I used a crystalized turbindo sugar.

      Reply

      • lormar

        How do you get them to crack at edges & on top?

        Reply

        • Sherri

          Chilling the dough in the refrigerator and coating them in cinnamon-sugar creates those perfect cracks 🙂

    9. Grace @ The Big Reveal

      These look delish! I will have to try them with gluten free flour! Thank you so much for sharing at The Found & Foraged Linky party. I hope you will come by to see us again! The party starts tonight at 8 PM CST!

      Reply

    10. Patricia

      Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (15)
      Hello!
      Thank you for posting this recipie! We are definitely a Snickerdoodle family! I wonder if the the dough can be made ahead of time and frozen/refrigerated? Has anyone tried this? I’d love to hear your feedback! Thanks!

      Reply

    11. Andrea Fogleman

      Snickerdoodles is one of my hubby’s favorite cookies. I usually make them and more then likely will this year too. Thank you for sharing and linking up to Scraptastic Saturdays. This post has been shared via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Have a wonderful week.

      Reply

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    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    Why do my snickerdoodles come out hard? ›

    Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake – when the edges are set but the centers are still soft and puffy, they are done. Also, make sure you're not adding too much flour.

    What are the ingredients for snickerdoodles? ›

    Ingredients
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar.
    • 1/2 cup butter, softened.
    • 1/2 cup shortening.
    • 2 eggs.
    • 2 3/4 cups Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour.
    • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar.
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda.
    • 1/4 cup sugar.

    Why do my snickerdoodles taste bitter? ›

    Many people identify snickerdoodles as having a tangy aftertaste. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that tanginess. I've found that a lot of people are very sensitive to the tangy flavor of cream of tartar and the bitter, metallic flavor baking soda can have.

    Can I leave cream of tartar out of a cookie recipe? ›

    You can also simply leave out the cream of tartar from a recipe, which may result in baked goods that are not as fluffy, but will still work out and taste good.

    Why didn't my snickerdoodles spread out? ›

    One of the most common reasons why cookies didn't spread out in the oven is because you added too much flour. Cookies rely on the perfect ratio of butter to flour in order to spread just the right amount when baked. It's very easy to over measure flour when using cup measurements.

    What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

    Cornstarch Is The Secret To Soft And Chewy Cookies.

    Are snickerdoodles supposed to be soft when they come out of the oven? ›

    They puff in the oven and then settle back down while cooling into a soft, thick, supremely chewy cookie with a gorgeous crinkly top. They've received nothing but rave reviews! Snickerdoodle is sort of a strange name, yes?

    Why do my cookies go flat after I take them out of the oven? ›

    If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.

    What is a substitute for cream of tartar in snickerdoodles? ›

    You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

    Can I refrigerate snickerdoodle cookie dough overnight? ›

    Yes! Prepare the snickerdoodle cookie dough, scoop it, roll it in sugar, and refrigerate it overnight. Cookie dough that's been in the fridge for longer than 2 hours should sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before baking, to take the chill off.

    How to tell when snickerdoodles are done? ›

    To test if your snickerdoodle cookies are done, try lifting the edge of a cookie slightly. If it lifts off the cookie sheet, chances are they're done!

    Why put cream of tartar in snickerdoodles? ›

    Mom would tell you the cream of tartar stabilizes the snickerdoodles, providing the light, soft, pillowy texture. It also adds the tangy note associated with snickerdoodles.

    Why is my Snickerdoodle dough too dry? ›

    Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

    Why is Snickerdoodle dough so sticky? ›

    Cookie dough can be sticky for various reasons, such as using too much liquid, not adding enough flour, or not chilling the dough enough. It can also be affected by humidity and temperature.

    What happens if you omit cream of tartar? ›

    A frosting without crystalized sugar is a lot creamier, and any batter or meringue with stabilized egg whites yields a fluffier end result, The Spruce Eats explains. Without cream of tartar, you'll get the same baked good in the end, but the consistency may not be as flawless.

    Can I skip using cream of tartar? ›

    In some recipes, you can leave out cream of tartar if there is no suitable replacement. You can simply omit cream of tartar from the recipe if you're making whipped egg whites, syrups, frostings, or icings.

    What is a good substitute for cream of tartar? ›

    What is a Good Replacement for Cream of Tartar? A good replacement for cream of tartar in baking is 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

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