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The best snickerdoodle cookies are soft and chewy, covered with cinnamon sugar, and served warm from the oven. The taste of this classic cookie has never gone out of style and is a hit with children (and grown-ups, too). They’ve been made for over 130 years, making them one of America’s most famous cookies!
My first time having this cookie was actually from Insomnia Cookies (not sponsored). I didn’t know what they were at first until I ate one. I fell in love right then and there. It was soft and had the same scent as a cinnamon roll. I decided to make my own when I had the chance. The most opportune time came about when my sister-in-law and her wife came to the rescue to take care of my cat over Christmas after our cat sitter lost the key to our house! Thankfully we got a full refund, but I was still upset. My anxiety was through the roof. I decided since it was still the holidays at the time, I would make her these cookies. It was my payment to her for taking care of Baxter!
These cookies were invented in 1891 by a New York cooking teacher and newspaper writer by the name of Cornelia Campbell Bedford. She was working on a recipe for the Cleveland baking powder company and came up with these cookies. Luckily they went viral because it’s such a delicious cookie. Snickerdoodles have been huge in the Amish community, especially in Indiana. It is a widely celebrated cookie and they even have a huge celebration every year on October 7th.
How to make Snickerdoodles
These cookies take 30 minutes from start to finish. Roll these cookies in a cinnamon sugar coating, and your whole house will smell of warm cinnamon. (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- All-Purpose Flour: Try your favorite gluten-free flour for a gluten-free snickerdoodle.
- Eggs
- Cream of Tartar: This is important! There are a few reasons why cream of tartar is key to the perfect snickerdoodle. I’ll have these listed in the Tips & FAQs section below.
- Salt
- Butter
- Baking Soda: This works together with the cream of tartar. Cream of tartar activates the alkaline in baking soda, turning it into a leavener (the stuff that makes baked things rise).
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon & Granulated Sugar: For the coating.
Mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a standing mixer on the low setting, cream together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients so the flour doesn’t go everywhere. Beat until well combined. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar together and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, start scooping the cookie dough, roll it into a ball, and roll it around in the cinnamon sugar mix. Place each ball about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Do not throw out your cinnamon sugar mix. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes and place the cookies onto a wire rack to cool. Once the cookies are cooled, dip them into the cinnamon sugar again.
Tips & FAQs
-
Storage: Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can throw in a piece of bread to absorb the extra moisture, making it so the cookies last longer!
- Freeze: You can freeze the cookie dough and thaw it to bake later! Once you have shaped and coated the cookie dough balls with the cinnamon sugar mixture, line them up on a small baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Place the dough balls in the freezer until they are solid, then transfer them to a freezer Ziploc. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Bake after freezing: Line the dough balls on a baking sheet and allow them to thaw for about 20 minutes before baking. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time to make up for the frozen part of it.
- Why do I ABSOLUTELY need cream of tartar for snickerdoodles? Instead of baking powder, you would use the cream of tartar and baking soda. Sure, you can substitute the cream of tartar (1 1/2 tsp baking powder for every 1 tsp of cream of tartar), but will it really be a snickerdoodle? Cream of tartar adds a unique tangy flavor to the cookie, which sets it apart from sugar cookies and makes it a classic snickerdoodle.
-
Most recipes say to chill the cookies. Is that necessary? I didn’t, and I got the perfect soft and puffy cookies. There’s a difference between chilling the cookies and not chilling them. Cookies and baking always come down to a science!
- Chilling the Cookies: When you chill the snickerdoodle dough, it usually becomes a thicker cookie, without as many cracks as are usually found on the tops of Snickerdoodles.
- Not Chilling: This is my classic recipe. You get lovely and appealing cracks on top that are usually found on the tops of classic snickerdoodle cookies.
-
Tips for the Perfect Snickerdoodle:
- You want the butter barely softened. If the butter is too soft, then the dough will be too soft. Cold butter won’t be incorporated all the way and will result in a thicker cookie.
- Room-temperature eggs are better than cold ones. It mixes with the batter more and rises easily.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on the low setting and using 1/3 cup at a time, add in the dry ingredients. I found this technique will result in a soft cookie. You can also sift in the dry ingredients. The less gluten that activates, the softer cookie you will have.
- Use a cookie scoop, or a 1 tbsp measuring spoon. This will ensure the cookies are uniform in size and will bake evenly.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, just soft (2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- In a standing mixer, or a bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on a low setting until just light and fluffy. Do not overmix. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while keeping the mixer on a low setting. Stop the mixer every now and then to scrape the sides of the bowl, then continue adding the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 cup of sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Using a small cookie scoop or 1 tbsp measuring spoon, scoop some cookie dough so it’s just heaping, roll it into a ball, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mix. Place the balls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining cookie dough. Do not throw out the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few additional minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.
- Once cooled, roll them around in the cinnamon-sugar mix to double-coat them.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can throw in a piece of bread to absorb the extra moisture, making it so the cookies last longer!
- Freeze: You can freeze the cookie dough and thaw it to bake later! Once you have shaped and coated the cookie dough balls with the cinnamon sugar mixture, line them up on a small baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Place the dough balls in the freezer until they are solid, then transfer them to a freezer Ziploc. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Bake after freezing: Line the dough balls on a baking sheet and allow them to thaw for about 20 minutes before baking. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time to make up for the frozen part of it.
Why do I ABSOLUTELY need cream of tartar for snickerdoodles? Instead of baking powder, you would use the cream of tartar and baking soda. Sure, you can substitute the cream of tartar (1 1/2 tsp baking powder for every 1 tsp of cream of tartar), but will it really be a snickerdoodle? Cream of tartar adds a unique tangy flavor to the cookie, which sets it apart from sugar cookies and makes it a classic snickerdoodle.
Most recipes say to chill the cookies. Is that necessary? I didn’t, and I got the perfect soft and puffy cookies. There’s a difference between chilling the cookies and not chilling them. Cookies and baking always come down to a science!
- Chilling the Cookies: When you chill the snickerdoodle dough, it usually becomes a thicker cookie, without as many cracks as are usually found on the tops of Snickerdoodles.
- Not Chilling: This is my classic recipe. You get lovely and appealing cracks on top that are usually found on the tops of classic snickerdoodle cookies.
Tips for the Perfect Snickerdoodle:
- You want the butter barely softened. If the butter is too soft, then the dough will be too soft. Cold butter won’t be incorporated all the way and will result in a thicker cookie.
- Room-temperature eggs are better than cold ones. It mixes with the batter more and rises easily.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on the low setting and using 1/3 cup at a time, add in the dry ingredients. I found this technique will result in a soft cookie. You can also sift in the dry ingredients. The less gluten that activates, the softer cookie you will have.
- Use a cookie scoop, or a 1 tbsp measuring spoon. This will ensure the cookies are uniform in size and will bake evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
120.91Fat (grams)
5.24Sat. Fat (grams)
3.25Carbs (grams)
17.81Fiber (grams)
0.43Net carbs
17.38Sugar (grams)
10.23Protein (grams)
1.05Sodium (milligrams)
108.23Cholesterol (grams)
13.56The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
