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    Home » Recipes » Cuisine

    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

    Published: May 20, 2019 · Modified: Apr 8, 2025 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 38 Comments

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    3 snickerdoodle cookies with text overlay
    stack of snickerdoodle cookies

    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!

    A stack of snickerdoodle cookies on a wooden table.

    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.

    four Snickerdoodle Cookies leaning against each other

    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!

    A stack of snickerdoodle cookies on a wooden table.

    Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

    The best soft and chewy Snickerdoodle recipe ever! With their iconic cinnamon sugar coating, they take a classic sugar cookie to the next level.
    4.91 from 43 votes
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    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

    Equipment

    • Cookie Scoop
    • Baking Sheet

    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

    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

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

    Tried this recipe?We love seeing your pictures! Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kim Cunningham

      February 11, 2024 at 3:00 am

      Making them now. Ap flour or self-raising? Don’t want to mess them up. Thank you

      Reply
      • Sherri

        February 11, 2024 at 11:41 am

        All-purpose! Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Connie Flexman

      July 04, 2023 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      Very very good but I should have tripled the recipe!!

      Reply
      • Sherri

        July 14, 2023 at 7:47 am

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

        Reply
    3. Mary. Connors

      April 20, 2023 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      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
    4. Beth Hale

      December 19, 2022 at 10:12 pm

      5 stars
      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
    5. Britt

      May 05, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      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
    6. Elizabeth Harris

      December 27, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious! So glad we found this recipe!

      Reply
    7. Samantha henke

      December 27, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious!

      Reply
    8. Kristen

      November 18, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      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

        November 18, 2019 at 7:45 pm

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

        Reply
    9. Sheila D Genova

      November 09, 2019 at 6:26 pm

      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

        December 15, 2021 at 1:17 am

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

        Reply
        • Sherri

          December 15, 2021 at 9:33 am

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

    10. Grace @ The Big Reveal

      December 13, 2014 at 11:39 pm

      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
    11. Patricia

      December 10, 2014 at 9:21 pm

      5 stars
      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
    12. Andrea Fogleman

      December 10, 2014 at 5:43 pm

      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
    13. Stephanie

      December 09, 2014 at 12:22 am

      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!

      Reply
    14. Brittany M.

      December 09, 2014 at 12:07 am

      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.

      Reply
    15. Green Living For The Lazy And Spoiled

      December 08, 2014 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Ooops, that was supposed to be FIVE stars. Sorry!

      Reply
    16. Green Living For The Lazy And Spoiled

      December 08, 2014 at 6:55 pm

      1 star
      I absolutely love Snickerdoodle cookies! Thanks so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    4.91 from 43 votes (29 ratings without comment)

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