Snickerdoodles Recipe
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Soft and chewy snickerdoodles are one of life’s great pleasures. I’m not kidding when I say make a double batch!
This snickerdoodle cookie recipe is a cinnamon and sugar lovers dream. Pillowy, fluffy, deliciousness awaits! Try it after a yummy club sandwich or roast beef sandwich.
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Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodle Ingredients
- Butter – Salted butter, softened. (You can use unsalted butter if you prefer).
- Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- Baking soda – Used for leavening. Make sure it’s NOT baking powder.
- Cream of tartar – Also used for leavening (makes them soft and fluffy).
- Salt – Regular table salt.
- Eggs – Large.
- Vanilla – Real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.
- Flour – All purpose flour (not self rising!).
- Coating – Ground cinnamon and sugar. We used white sugar, but you could also use brown sugar in this step.
How do you make snickerdoodles? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, cream together the butter, sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.
⭐ Then, add the flour a little bit at a time, mixing until dough has formed. Cover and chill.
⭐ Next, while dough is chilling, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll chilled dough into balls and then coat dough balls in cinnamon mixture.
⭐ Finally, bake coated cookie dough balls on a silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet until bottoms are lightly browned and cool on a wire cooling rack.
Preparation
Can you make snickerdoodle cookies ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the cookies themselves a few days ahead of time or even prepare the dough a day ahead and keep in the fridge, then bake when you’re ready.
How do you know when snickerdoodles are done?
The cookies are done when they just start to turn golden brown on the bottoms or edges.
What is a cream of tartar substitute?
If you’re out of cream of tartar, you can substitute the tangy flavor with some lemon juice or white vinegar and the fluffiness with a little bit of baking powder.
Leftovers and storage
How do you store snickerdoodles?
These are best when kept at room temperature in a sealed airtight container.
How long do snickerdoodle cookies last?
They will last 3 – 4 days at room temperature, up to a week in the refrigerator, or several months if frozen.
Can you freeze snickerdoodle cookies?
Yes! Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight freezer-safe container for 3 – 4 months.
Can you freeze snickerdoodle dough?
For sure! Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place close together (but not touching) on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the freezer until dough balls are frozen, then transfer frozen dough to a freezer safe bag or container.
Thaw for a few minutes before baking and bake as normal, or bake from frozen and add a few minutes to the bake time.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles?
The biggest difference between this recipe and sugar cookies is the softness, leavening, and tartness from the cream of tartar and the cinnamon sugar coating.
Why do you use cream of tartar in a snickerdoodle recipe?
It makes the cookies soft and fluffy while also adding the signature tanginess.
How do you keep snickerdoodles soft?
✅ The most important step is to not overbake! When in doubt, under-bake a little bit. Pull them out just as soon as the edges and bottoms begin to brown.
✅ Use a stand mixer! If you can, a stand mixer will allow you to get the ingredients properly creamed and add enough air to make them ultra fluffy and soft.
✅ You’ll also want to make sure you use the leaveners (baking soda and cream of tartar) and store at room temperature in an air tight container rather than refrigerating.
✅ It’s actually better to freeze these rather than storing them in the fridge if you want to keep them soft.
What to eat with snickerdoodles (serving suggestions)
This cookie is total comfort food in my book! We love to serve them after a dinner of hearty vegetable beef soup or French onion chicken, and homemade French bread or dinner rolls. Yum!
More delicious cookie recipes
- Sprinkle cookies
- Lemon pudding cookies
- Monster cookie bars
- Brown sugar cookie recipe
- Sugar cookie bars
- Peanut butter blossoms
- See all our homemade cookie recipes
Cinnamon recipes to try next
Other desserts to enjoy
- Banana bread pudding
- S’mores dip
- Cheesecake recipe
- Key lime cheesecake
- Oreo fluff
- Puppy chow muddy buddies
- See all our dessert ideas!
Tools we love
- Baking sheets – This set is perfect, we use them for everything from roasting, to baking, and even serving.
- Silicone baking mats – I always always always line with these, nothing sticks!
How to Make Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Dough
- 1 cup butter salted, softened
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Cinnamon Coating
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream the butter, then add in the 1 ½ cups sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar. For best results, use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until creamy.
- Add the flour a little bit at a time, and continue mixing until combined, and dough has formed.
- Cover mixing bowl, and chill for at least one hour.
- Roll dough into roughly 1 ¼" balls. (Makes 24)
- Mix together the ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon, then roll the dough balls in the mixture to coat and place them about 2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment/silpat lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375F for 10 to 13 minutes, until the bottoms are very lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
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These cookies are my daughter’s favorite and they are so easy to make! We love making a batch before we have guest come over. The perfect treat to satisfy our sweet tooth!
These were the softest snickerdoodle cookies ever!! So good, I am making another batch tomorrow because this one is already gone 🙂
Super good. These are easy and delicious. I didn’t read the recipe correctly and put the dry ingredients in a bowl and added slowly to the wet mixture in the stand mixer. They came out so good anyway. My forever recipe. Thank you.
The best snickerdoodle cookies!!! Adding to my recipe box. These are exactly how snickerdoodle cookies should be. I should have made a double batch because my husband quickly devoured them. I had to make more for our holiday celebration!
Thanks so Much
These cookies could be so much better. They lack flavor. Not enough vanilla, no cinnamon in the cookie, and maybe some brown sugar would help. I was disappointed in the lack of taste and the cinnamon sugar coating is not enough to save them. I wish I would have researched a few other Snickerdoodle recipes before making these.
Hi Ruth – Snickerdoodles by their nature are not a super sweet cookie. I’m so sorry you were disappointed and hope you find a recipe you love!
I would try adding cinnamon chips, oh my that sounds like heaven!
Vanilla frosting would be really good to try with these cookies. Snicker Doodles Yummy!!
Cinnamon frosting would be delish on snickerdoodles!!’
A snickerdoodle cookie cake sounds amazing!
I have honestly never made snickerdoodle cookies! I am not sure why because I know i would love them. I would frost them with cream cheese frosting! I have everything I need to make these so I’m heading to the kitchen now!
Love these with creamy cheese frosting! So much for my diet!
Yes, I have put cinnamon chips in my Snickerdoodle recipe!
I don’t normally like Snickerdoodles because they are a little harder than I would like…but these…THESE look so soft and wonderful!. I have never tried cinnamon morsels in anything, but when I make these, I think I will try them in these!
Hi! I have never added cinnamon chips to any type of cookies. I absolutely would love a snickerdoodle cookie cake!! For the frosting, I’d probably lean toward a cinnamon cream cheese or just cream cheese.
Snickerdoodles are my husband’s favorite! I love the fluffy goodness of them. I had not thought of adding cinnamon chips but cannot wait to try this in my next batch. Thanks for a great idea.
Snickerdoodles are a multi-generational family favorite around here! This is the recipe I use, but I always add a bit of allspice and/or nutmeg to the cinnamon-sugar mixture. I’ve recently started making them into bar cookies instead of drop cookies. No chilling or rolling involved! What frosting would I use? Well, cream cheese frosting, of course!
This is a great recipe! I would definitely consider a snickerdoodle cake with a cream cheese frosting!
I would not add cinnannon chips to my cookie ingredients and I would not frost them – they are so delicious as they are
I am an email subscriber of yours and love this recipe. No, I have never used cinnamon chips in my Snickerdoodle Recipe. What a wonderful idea!
I would be interested in seeing how a snickerdoodle cake would taste. What kind of frosting do you think would be best? I can’t have cream cheese so I would have to do dairy free or maybe a brown sugar buttercream?