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The popular cinnamon-sugar soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe. Tips and tricks for making the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe that always receives rave reviews. A recipe that has been in the family for over 30 years!
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
This was one of the first cookie recipes I made as a kid. As I have shared before, I was fully obsessed with cookbooks as a little girl. My Mom collected church cookbooks and I would go straight to the cookie recipes and beg my Mom to let me whip up a batch.
I made this snickerdoodle cookie recipe 30 years ago and it is still the best snickerdoodle cookie I have ever tasted.
Why you will love this Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe:
- This is the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe because they are perfectly soft and chewy with the perfect amount of tangy flavor.
- Snickerdoodle cookies are easy to make and have a comforting, nostalgic quality that makes them a favorite for many people.
- These homemade snickerdoodles always get 5-star ratings and are so popular! Everyone loves snickerdoodles.
What are Snickerdoodles?
Snickerdoodles are known for their soft and chewy texture, along with a sweet, cinnamon-sugar coating. The primary ingredients in Snickerdoodle cookies include butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, all rolled into a cinnamon sugar mixture.
What do snickerdoodles taste like?
The dough for Snickerdoodles is usually rolled into small balls and then coated with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking. This coating gives the cookies their classic, slightly crispy exterior and a warm, cinnamon flavor. When baked, the best snickerdoodles have a slightly cracked surface and a soft, tender interior.
What makes a perfect snickerdoodle cookie?
A snickerdoodle cookie has to be soft and chewy. No hard hockey puck cookies here! It has to be rolled twice in cinnamon-sugar to ensure that it is completely coated. It also has to have the signature tang from the cream of tartar.
What ingredients are in Snickerdoodles?
You only need 9 ingredients to make the best homemade snickerdoodles.
- Butter — use softened, unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Sugar — this recipe calls for granulated sugar.
- Eggs — use large eggs
- Vanilla Extract — since this recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, I suggest using a high-quality pure vanilla.
- Flour — this recipe calls for all-purpose flour.
- Cream or Tartar — this is what gives snickerdoodles that signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. See below for why it is important to use cream of tartar in snickerdoodles.
- Baking Soda — when mixed with the cream of tartar, it helps the cookies to rise.
- Salt — if using salted butter, reduce salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Cinnamon Sugar — generously roll the cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.
Why is cream of tartar in Snickerdoodles?
Cream of tartar is what gives Snickerdoodles their characteristic tangy flavor and helps to create their distinctive texture.
Cream of tartar is an essential ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies for several important reasons:
- Leavening Agent: Cream of tartar is an acid and when combined with baking soda it causes the cookies to rise and become light and fluffy during baking. This leavening reaction is critical in producing the characteristic texture of snickerdoodles, which is soft and tender with a slightly puffy quality.
- Tangy Flavor: Cream of tartar contributes a subtle, tangy flavor to the cookies. This tangy note helps balance the sweetness of the cookie dough and enhances the overall flavor profile of snickerdoodles. It gives the cookies a unique taste that sets them apart from other cinnamon-sugar-coated cookies.
- Texture and Appearance: Cream of tartar also contributes to the slightly crisp and crinkly surface of snickerdoodles, which is created by the leavening action.
How to make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe:
This is such a quick and easy snickerdoodle cookie recipe! No chilling is required.
- Start by creaming butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. This is an important step as the butter coats the sugar crystals and creates a smooth texture. It also whips air into the cookie dough.
- Use Cream of Tartar as a leavening agent. It gives it the signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. A touch of baking soda helps the cookies to rise as well.
- Double roll the cookie balls into a cinnamon-sugar mixture. This helps to make sure the cookies are completely coated in cinnamon-sugar before baking.
- Bake just until the edges begin to become a light golden color. These snickerdoodle cookies need to be soft and chewy so watch carefully. If you want them to be flat, press the balls down in the center before placing in the oven.
- My favorite baking tools for perfect Snickerdoodle cookies are a light colored baking sheet, easy parchment paper sheets, and a Kitchenaid mixer.
For soft snickerdoodle cookies…
Do NOT overbake. To make soft and chewy snickerdoodles, remove from the oven while they are still soft as they will continue to set up once removed from the oven.
This is such a popular Christmas cookie because I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t love snickerdoodle cookies! When I used to teach a cooking school for kids, it was the first cookie I taught them to make because kids love them. Whenever I make these cookies, they disappear so darn fast!
Snickerdoodle Cookie Substitutions and Variations:
For a more tender texture, you may use half cake flour and half all-purpose flour.
To make them extra cinnamon flavor packed, sprinkle in cinnamon chips to make Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodles.
You may fill these cinnamon sugar snickerdoodles with caramels and make Caramel Filled Snickerdoodles.
Do I need to chill Snickerdoodle cookie dough?
No! This is such a quick and easy snickerdoodle cookie recipe and no chilling is required.
If you want to chill the snickerdoodle cookie dough, I suggest double wrapping tightly and placing it in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
FAQ’s:
Absolutely! Snickerdoodle cookies freeze well and can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months if you keep them in freezer-safe bags.
When ready to serve, just remove from the freezer and let come to room temperature which should take about 30 minutes.
These soft snickerdoodles will stay fresh for up to 24-48 hours if you cover them and store at room temperature.
Watch carefully! This will depend on the size of the snickerdoodles (larger ones will take longer to bake), the type of baking pan (light vs. dark), and the accuracy of your oven temperature. I suggest setting the timer for 8-9 minutes and checking to see if they are done baking. Snickerdoodles will look slightly underdone but will set up once removed from the oven.
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Check out some more of my most popular cookie recipes:
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
MJ’s Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
Grandma Geri’s Gingersnaps
Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
Mrs. Claus Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies
5-Star Rated Cookie Recipes:
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The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar (for less tang, use 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon.
- If time allows, wrap the dough and let refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll into small balls until round and smooth. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat well. Using a spoon, coat for a second time, ensuring the cookie balls are completely covered. *To make flatter snickerdoodles, press down in the center of the ball before placing in the oven. This helps to keep them from puffing up in the middle. *
- Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool for several minutes on baking sheet before removing from the pan.
Video
Notes
When ready to serve, just remove from the freezer and let come to room temperature which should take about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this snickerdoodle cookie recipe and it becomes a staple in your family for years! Happy Baking!
I think the ratio of cinnamon to sugar is too high. Please adjust.
I am about to make these for the first time so have been reading through comments to pick up any hints or tips. I too thought at first the cinnamon seemed to be too much but then thought about the overall recipe. It’s high on cinnamon because the cookie is already perfectly sugar-balanced. The cinnamon is the key to Snickerdoodles. It makes complete sense in my world that adding more sugar would just skimp on the spice and end up too sweet.
But as with any recipe, everyone has the freedom to adjust it to their own liking. That’s how your own copies that you keep in your own box come to have all those hints and tips and comments jotted on them that make them beautiful and nostalgic and “yours”.
I’ll be back later today with my take on the results. From the sounds of it, I may need to protect my computer from crumbs and cookie fingers while documenting it! Ha! Can’t wait!!
Uh, oh… these whipped up very well. It was difficult to resist eating way too much dough. A good judge of cookies always has to start with delicious dough, right?? Hands down fabulous. When it came time to roll in cinnamon sugar, I was excited to verify my theory above of lots of cinnamon. I wanted lots of it, so I quadrupled it. 1 cup of sugar and 6 Tablespoons of cinnamon. Very little if any of the sugar was able to grab on for the ride because Miss Cinnamon got a little spicy and unruly. They looked like burned toast with peeks of white trying to escape through the edges.
What did I do incorrectly? Yours are so beautifully coated with a delicate cinnamon glow…
But… they did taste delicious once the cinnamon attack subsided.
OMG. Adjust it yourself. Some people complain about EVERYTHING. Even a cookie recipe. A COOKIE recipe.
For real!
Oh no! I forgot to rate this recipe! Five star all the way!
These are the best cookies I have ever made! I ask my family what type of cookies they want for dessert, and they ALWAYS reply “Your snickerdoodles!” . Thank you so much Modern Honey for making me seem like a great baker! I will always and forever use this recipe!
I find that if the recipe list has you adding salt and baking soda, it means use All Purpose flour. You can still use the Self Rising flour, just leave out the salt and baking soda.
What flour do you use? All purpose or self rising.
I used all-purpose and they turned out great!
I was looking for a recipe to use up some bread flour and I stumbled upon this one. I took another reviewer’s recommendation and added some nutmeg to the cinnamon-sugar coating. The cookies were soft and tasted great.
Baked them and ohhhhh they are like everyone said… amazing
I would like to know how to get the look though, mine just come out like normal cookies.
Did you roll in the cinnamon sugar?
Hey (:
Is there any way to sub the eggs in this recipe?
I am vegan and would love to make them, but I’m not sure what the eggs do in this recipe.
Hi Nathaniel–there are ways to substitute eggs in cookie recipes! Some eggsamples (get it) are: unsweetened applesauce (replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup applesauce), and plain vanilla or soy yogurt (replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup yogurt). Hope this helped!
mashed banana is a great vegan egg replacer! Google can tell you how much to use.
All my friends LOVE them. Now it’s one of my deserts that everyone wants me to make at their going away or gathering party.
These are indeed some of the best snickerdoodles I have ever had. Definitely the best ones I’ve ever made myself. I ate about 4 of them the first day I baked them, and I’m the one person in my family who usually avoids sugar like the plague. I really appreciated the easy to follow recipe and tips – my cookies turned out perfectly. I will be making more of these!! Thanks SO much for sharing—you’ve made my family very happy!
I made these and everyone loved them, so they were quite excellent. My only challenge was after baking for 11 minutes and letting them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, they were too soft. When I tried to move them to the cooling rack, they just fell apart. For my second batch, I baked for 13-14 minutes and they were perfect. Still came out quite soft, and remained soft 4 days later when I packed the remaining cookies for my daughter to take to work.
I baked mine for about 17 minutes and they turned out to be the perfect texture! Not too soft, but not too hard.