The best soft and chewy Snickerdoodle recipe ever! With their iconic cinnamon sugar coating, they take a classic sugar cookie to the next level.
Need more cookie recipes to make? You will love these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or these Snowball Cookies and this Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is a great twist on an all-time favorite!
Easy Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodles have been a favorite of mine my whole life. This recipe has the perfect amount of crisp on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. The cinnamon and sugar together on the outside makes it the ultimate classic snickerdoodle cookie.
Great for any occasion or just weekend baking, these cookies can be whipped up in no time. They require simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, making them great for a last-minute treat!
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Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this easy recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card with amounts.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best to use in my opinion for extra buttery flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough.
- Brown Sugar: Adds extra richness.
- Egg: Let eggs and butter come to room temperature before using. Usually letting them sit out for 30 minutes prior is enough.
- Vanilla Extract: Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
- All-Purpose Flour: Substitute ½ cup of all purpose flour for ½ cup of whole wheat flour or make them gluten free using a gluten free flour like Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One flour.
- 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:
- For the Topping: Granulated Sugar and Cinnamon. Add a pinch of nutmeg
How to Make Snickerdoodles
Step 1 –In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes until fluffy.
Step 2 – Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you blend.
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 the dough into balls. Use a cookie scoop to make the cookies equal sizes, roughly 1 ½ tablespoons of dough.
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 super soft so check them carefully. Remove them from the oven and leave the cookies to 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.
- Check the date on your baking soda to make sure it is still fresh so the cookies rise correctly.
- 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.
Storing Leftover Snickerdoodles
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for a week.
Freeze: Allow cookies to cool completely, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. You can also freeze the dough before you roll the dough ball in cinnamon sugar to use for future recipes for up to 2 months. I like to flash freeze them for about 20 minutes on a baking sheet before putting them in bags.
Baking from frozen: Place frozen dough balls on baking sheet then bake as directed but add an additional 1-2 minutes to cooking time.
Why do my cookies spread too much?
Over-spreading can result from too soft butter or an overly warm dough. Ensure your butter is at room temperature and the dough is chilled before baking.
Is cream of tartar necessary?
Cream of tartar in Snickerdoodles Cookies gives it their signature tangy taste and soft texture. If you don’t have it, the cookies will still be delicious, but they may not have that classic soft and chewy Snickerdoodles feel.
If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate it in the recipe card. We would love for you to join us and over 300,000 followers on Facebook as well as on Pinterest and Instagram too!
Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ 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
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Kim Cunningham
Making them now. Ap flour or self-raising? Don’t want to mess them up. Thank you
Sherri
All-purpose! Enjoy!
Connie Flexman
Very very good but I should have tripled the recipe!!
Sherri
I’m so glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!
Mary. Connors
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
Beth Hale
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!
Britt
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.
Elizabeth Harris
Easy and delicious! So glad we found this recipe!
Samantha henke
Easy and delicious!
Kristen
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
Sherri
I am so happy to hear you liked them as much as we do! Thanks so much for letting me know!
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.
lormar
How do you get them to crack at edges & on top?
Sherri
Chilling the dough in the refrigerator and coating them in cinnamon-sugar creates those perfect cracks 🙂
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!
Patricia
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!
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.
Stephanie
Looks delicious! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Brittany M.
I have seen your post/cookies several different places over the last couple of days and every single time I stop and stare, and my mouth begins to water slightly. I love cookies, especially cookies without chocolate chips, or anything extra. Think I will finally give these a try, I think I have been given a sign lol.
Green Living For The Lazy And Spoiled
Ooops, that was supposed to be FIVE stars. Sorry!
Green Living For The Lazy And Spoiled
I absolutely love Snickerdoodle cookies! Thanks so much for the recipe.