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Bake the best Snickerdoodles at home! Follow our simple and delicious Snickerdoodle cookie recipe for the classic sweet, cinnamon-sugar treat.
Tender, soft and chewy with cinnamon inside and a crispy cinnamon sugar coating – this will be your new go-to recipe!
Give me a fresh from the oven Peanut Blossom or Chocolate Crinkle Cookie and I’m in heaven, but there’s just something about a Snickerdoodle that hits different.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Snickerdoodle Cookies
The beloved, classic Snickerdoodle cookie recipe is a warm, inviting treat that’s not just for holidays but a comfort all year round.
- Signature crackled surface – As they bake, the sugared coating melts a little into the cookie, forming a crackled exterior.
- Cream of tartar – Snickerdoodles have a unique ingredient that sets them apart: cream of tartar. This ingredient not only imparts a distinctive tangy flavor but also contributes to the cookie’s soft, chewy texture.
- Cinnamon sugar coating – Then there’s that delicious contrast of the sugary, cinnamon-spiced exterior for a cookie that’s a standout in taste and texture.
How to Make The Best Snickerdoodles
- In one bowl: Cream together butter and sugar then add eggs and vanilla.
- In another bowl: Whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Make the dough: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together into a soft dough.
- Roll dough: Use a cookie scoop and form balls of dough about 2 tablespoons in size. Roll the balls in cinnamon sugar.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 375℉ and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
Cream of Tartar Substitute
Cream of tartar is crucial for the signature tanginess, but in a pinch, you can substitute it with lemon juice or white vinegar.
If you don’t have the cream of tartar on hand, you can replace bother the cream of tartar and baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
FAQs
Snickerdoodle cookies typically use cream of tartar, which gives them their unique, slightly tangy flavor and chewy texture.
Store Snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for about a week.
Yes, you can freeze the dough. Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag.
This issue is usually due to overbaking. Since ovens can vary, you may have to play around with the timing. Start with underbaking a little, then let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Perfectly cooked Snickerdoodles will be golden around the edges and soft and chewy in the center.
Expert Tips
- Cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. You want to make sure that the mixture is light, fluffy and airy.
- Use room temperature ingredients. When the eggs are the same temperature as everything else, they blend better and tend to have a better rise.
- Chill the dough. If your cookies are too flat or spreading when they bake, the dough may be too warm. Chill the dough before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Don’t transfer right away. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Leave space between cookies. Make sure to evenly space the cookies on the baking sheet to allow for even baking.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure all your cookies are the same size and bake evenly.
More Cookie Recipes
- Nutella Cookies
- Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Red Velvet Cookies
- Magic Bar Cookies
- Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Cheesecake Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Best Ever Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For Rolling:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well until a nice dough forms.
- Mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together in a shallow dish (like a pie plate) and set aside.
- Divide dough and roll into balls about 1.5-2 tablespoons in size. (Using a medium cookie scoop is very helpful for this). Roll into a ball and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cook completely.
- Store cooled cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to one week.
I made these and they are the bomb! I’ve tried numerous receipes and this one is the best. Cookies almost didn’t make it to the freezer. I have company coming so I am baking ahead of time. Very easy receipe to follow.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Victoria.
I don’t understand all the hate you’re getting on these cookies. They turned out PERFECTLY!! I didn’t substitute any ingredients and they were perfectly chewy and soft. The dough was “pie crust like” when I started mixing the wet and dry ingredients, but I kept mixing and the dough came together like any great cookie dough. Took them out when they still looked soft and they finished baking while cooking and were the perfect consistency. I will absolutely make these again. Great snickerdoodle.
Hi Marta, Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate hearing your positive experience!
Well going by your direction of 2 tbls cookie scoop… the yield is 12
Cookies.. so to get to your 2 doz.. perhaps you should update your directions to 1 tbls I’m afraid I followed your directions and now I have one big blob on my cookie sheet 😣😑
A medium cookie scoop is about a tablespoon and a half and is the common size used for cookies. So it’s 1.5-2 tablespoons. If you got a huge blob on your cookie sheet your balls of dough were too close together.
I made this recipe in error. Followed the recipe and the cookies did not come out like other recipes I have used. Next day cookies were rock hard.
I’m sorry to hear that Anita. Is it possible they were overbaked? That’s the only time I’ve had my cookies come out hard.
Planning on making these but saw a comment about cream of tatar being called for in recipe, but don’t see it in the ingredients for instructions, am I missing something?
Hi Melinda, Some readers were confused because most Snickerdoodle recipes call for cream of tartar. Mine doesn’t; instead it has baking powder which actually has cream of tartar in it. Hope that helps!
Not a good recipe it came out like pie crust. I would recommend this recipe
Sounds like you must have missed something in the recipe. This cookie is far from pie crust.
Very disappointed, came out doughy
The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar but there is no mention of this ingredient in the procedure of silting dry ingredients so I’ll just include it.
I’ve made these countless times and always get so many compliments. However, I’m about to make it again and the ingredients call for baking soda but the recipe says baking powder. In the past I’m pretty sure I’ve used baking powder so that’s what I’m going with, but maybe if it’s possible to update the recipe as to not confuse anyone? Either way, still love this recipe!
Weird! But thanks for the heads up. Yes, this recipe used baking powder. So glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe – it’s been used in our family for decades!
I’m not sure what I did wrong. When totally mixed, my “dough” was like pie crumb consistency. I really had to squeeze it to form balls and they never changed size or shape. Has this ever happened to you before?
Hmm, no that hasn’t happened to me before. Did you use softened butter and 1 egg?
My fiancé and I loved this recipe. So easy and delicious!! Thanks!!🍪😍
You are so welcome Shirin! Thanks for stopping by.
hi there, these look so good! Thank you for sharing! Can I bake these ahead of time and freeze them? If so, how long would they last? Thank you!
Yes you can bake and freeze. Cookies generally are best within 3 months of being frozen, but could go up to 6 months.
Made these for Christmas and they were the first ones to be gone! BEST snickerdoodle recipe I have ever made!!
That’s awesome Megan! Thanks for stopping by.
Can you make the dough ahead of time and freeze for a few days? Or will this change the flavor or consistency?
Yes, you can! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap a few times adn into a freezer bag. You can actually freeze this for up to a month.
I just realized the instructions measurements don’t change when you change the serving size, so be careful with that if making more than one batch!
Yes this is true and also why I don’t usually include measurements in my instructions. Ir can get confusing. But thanks for the reminder.
These look delightful! Salted or unsalted butter?
I usually use salted butter, but either will work. With salted butter, you can cut the amount of salt in half.
Thanks for responding to my question about this recipe having no cream of tartar in it.
I have now made your Snickerdoodle recipe twice and we love them! They’re better
than any other Snickerdoodle recipe I’ve tried. I love the texture and that they are
puffy. I tripled the recipe the 2nd time I made them.
Yay! Thanks for the review Linda, I really appreciate it. I’m so glad you loved the cookies!!
Before making these I have a question. There is no cream of tartar listed in the ingredients
and every recipe I’ve ever made calls for it. Could you please let me know?
The recipe calls for baking powder, which has cream of tartar in it. Enjoy!
Try adding peanut butter (and a splash of milk) with butterscotch/caramel flavored chips!
That sounds amazing!
I did the recipe as directed and my batch didn’t make 2 dozen (24) cookies. It only made 19 cookies but I will be using this recipe again, I may double the recipe though lol
Thank you Julia!
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Shouldn’t the recipe call for baking SODA instead of baking POWDER?
No?
What is the difference? I’m not a baker
Baking soda would make the cookie darker since no acid was being added. Also baking soda would make for a flatter cookie since it it activates faster and at lower temps then baking powder. It’s a matter of taste between a soft or crisp cookie.
yes they are the very best
I love snickerdoodles, these look AMAZING!!