Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

The BEST Snickerdoodle recipe I’ve ever tasted! These snickerdoodles are super soft, slightly chewy, and filled with cinnamon.

Looking for more easy, delicious cookie recipes? You’ll love our chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and sugar cookies.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (1)

Although snickerdoodles make a perfect cookie any time of the year, I always think of them as Christmas cookies since a friend of our family gave me the recipe as one of my presents when we were first married. This has been a family favorite recipe for over 27 years!

Snickerdoodle Recipe

As she pressed the recipe into my hand, she said, “You’ll want to make these at Christmas. We make them each year when we’re decorating the tree.”

I’m not certain why I remember her saying that to me so vividly all those years ago, but each year as I’ve strung popcorn onto string for our tree, I think of her and her snickerdoodles.

I’ve tweaked her snickerdoodle recipe slightly, just to suit my tastes more than anything, and we can’t get enough of them. Soft, tender, just slightly fat and fluffy, the perfect tangy flavor you expect in snickerdoodles, and the essential cinnamon sugar coating on the outside. In other words, simple classic snickerdoodle perfection.

Why You’ll Love this Snickerdoodle Recipe

Taste. Snickerdoodles have a signature sweet yet tangy flavor.

​​Easy. This is an easy cookie recipe perfect for beginning bakers!

Texture. This recipe gives you soft, tender, fluffy snickerdoodle cookies that everyone loves!

How to Make Snickerdoodles

This delicious cookie recipe comes together so quickly and easily. It is great to have younger children help make these cookies for beginning bakers and also for busy home cooks.

Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe

Snickerdoodle Recipe (2)

Snickerdoodles are made the traditional cookie ingredients, along with a star ingredient that really makes it: butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.

If you don’t have the cream of tartar on hand, you can make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. This is key to give the cookie its texture, flavor, and separate it from other buttery cookies. Here’s how you make your cream of tartar substitute in a pinch.

Cream of Tartar Substitute. Replace the cream of tartar and the baking soda in the recipe with 2 teaspoons of baking powderand 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Snickerdoodle Recipe (3)

Mix wet ingredients.Cream together the butter and both the granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (4)

Whiskdry ingredients.Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ground cinnamon and sugar. Set it aside.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (5)

Make cookie dough.Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (6)

Shape dough. Scoop 1-inch balls of the cookie dough and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can use a cookie scoop or a spoon! So easy!

Snickerdoodle Recipe (7)

Bake. Place the cinnamon sugar-coated cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Make Ahead Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

These cookies are excellent to make ahead, especially throughout the holidays. Simply prepare the cookies as instructed and then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

If you’d like to make them more in advance, use the Freezer Friendly instructions below.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (8)

How to Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

There are a few ways to make these delicious cookies ahead of time to freeze them.

Freeze the Baked Cookies:

To freeze the baked cookies, cool the cookies completely and then freeze on the baking sheet. When the cookies have frozen solid, about 30 minutes, store the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow the cookies to reach room temperature.

Freeze the Cookie Dough:

To freeze the cookie dough, roll the cookies to form the cookie dough balls and then place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze completely on the baking sheet. Once the cookies have frozen solid, about 30 minutes, transfer the cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow the cookies to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake as instructed.

Here’s our Snickerdoodles recipe. So simple, yet so very delicious.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (9)

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Snickerdoodles Recipe

Robyn Stone

5 from 4 votes

Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe –Simply the easiest and best Snickerdoodles recipe I've ever made, these cinnamon sugar cookies are so soft, buttery, and filled with cinnamon!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 36

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325º F.

  • Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla.

  • Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly incorporate into the butter and sugar mixture.

  • Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

  • Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon full and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into the prepared sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place onto a large cookie sheet, about 2-3 inches apart.

  • Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until cookies have lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Notes

Cream of Tartar Substitute. Replace the cream of tartar and the baking soda in the recipe with 2 teaspoons of baking powderand 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Make Ahead Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

These cookies are excellent to make ahead, especially throughout the holidays. Simply prepare the cookies as instructed and then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

If you’d like to make them more in advance, use the Freezer Friendly instructions below.

How to Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookies

There are a few ways to make these delicious cookies ahead of time to freeze them.

Freeze the Baked Cookies:

To freeze the baked cookies, cool the cookies completely and then freeze on the baking sheet. When the cookies have frozen solid, about 30 minutes, store the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow the cookies to reach room temperature.

Freeze the Cookie Dough:

To freeze the cookie dough, roll the cookies to form the cookie dough balls and then place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze completely on the baking sheet. Once the cookies have frozen solid, about 30 minutes, transfer the cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow the cookies to thaw in the refrigerator and then bake as instructed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

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

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2010.

Categorized as:All Recipes, Christmas Recipes, Cookie Recipes, Cooking, Dessert Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, Make-ahead Recipes, Recipes, Simple Recipes, Southern Favorites

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

Read more about Robyn

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Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you tell if a snickerdoodle is done? ›

How do you know when the cookies are baked? The snickerdoodle cookies will only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them! It's best to rotate the cookies after about 6 minutes so that the cook evenly. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centres are soft and cracked.

Why didn't my snickerdoodles flatten out? ›

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

Why aren't my snickerdoodles puffy? ›

How do you make snickerdoodles puffy and soft? The secret's in the ratio of butter to leavener to flour to egg. Don't use shortening here; you'll miss the flavor of butter. Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie.

What happens if you add too much cream of tartar? ›

Keep in mind that more cream of tartar doesn't necessarily mean a better, more stable result. “Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

What happens if you don't use cream of tartar? ›

Without cream of tartar, you'll get the same baked good in the end, but the consistency may not be as flawless. If you're worried about your cake coming out too flat or your lemon meringue pie going runny, adding cream of tartar is an effective way to prevent it.

Why are my snickerdoodles so hard? ›

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry.

Why is my snickerdoodle dough too dry? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

What causes flat snickerdoodles? ›

9 REASONS COOKIES SPREAD TOO MUCH & WAYS TO FIX THEM
  • OVEN IS TOO HOT. Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. ...
  • INGREDIENTS MEASURED INCORRECTLY. ...
  • BAKING SHEET IS TOO HOT. ...
  • BUTTER IS TOO SOFT. ...
  • BAKING SHEET IS OVER-GREASED. ...
  • DOUGH WASN'T CHILLED BEFORE BAKING. ...
  • DOUGH IS OVERMIXED. ...
  • BAKING SHEET WAS OVERCROWDED.

Why are my snickerdoodles spreading so much? ›

Baking cookies in a too-cool oven will cause the fat to melt before your cookies set up, leading to spreading,” Dawn says. Grab an oven thermometer the next time you're in the grocery store so you can be sure your oven is at the correct temperature.

How do you fix snickerdoodle dough? ›

There are a few things you can do to fix dry and crumbly cookie dough. There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening.

Why do my snickerdoodles sink in the middle? ›

Cakes sink in the middle due to several factors, including overmixing of the batter, opening the oven door too soon, or not baking at the right temperature. Expired leavening agents or incorrect proportions of ingredients can also cause sinking.

Why did my snickerdoodles come out cakey? ›

Generally when baking, cakey texture is from more flour and less sugar. The ratio of fat, sugar and flour is what achieves the texture of the cookie. Also, when you are whipping the eggs in the recipe as well.

Are my snickerdoodles underbaked? ›

Here are some signs to look out for: Colour: Raw or undercooked cookies tend to have a pale appearance, lacking that golden or slightly browned hue that indicates they're fully baked. Watch for cookies that still have a doughy or unbaked look. Texture: Touch the surface of the cookies gently.

Why are my snickerdoodles so fluffy? ›

Why are my snickerdoodles puffy? Too much flour - spoon and level the flour correctly how I show it in my chocolate chip cookie post. Inaccurate oven temperature (too hot) - I advise using an oven thermometer for accurate baking results.

Does cream of tartar help cookies rise? ›

When combined with baking soda, it becomes a leavening agent (the stuff that makes baked goods puff up in the oven) by producing carbon dioxide gas. If you ever run out of baking powder, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder.

What is the purpose of cream of tartar in this recipe? ›

The most common recipes that call for cream of tartar are those that call for egg whites to be whipped, like angel food cake, genoise cake, meringue, and macarons. Jampel says that is because cream of tartar works as an egg white stabilizer that increases both the volume and shelf life of the meringue.

Does cream of tartar make things thicker? ›

Cream of tartar has several culinary uses including stabilizing egg whites and whipped cream, anti-caking and thickening, preventing sugar syrups from crystallizing and helping to keep boiled vegetables colorful.

Does cream of tartar matter in cookies? ›

Adding it to cake or cookie batters prevents sugar from banding together and crystallizing, meaning that it results in more of a tender chew—snickerdoodles and sugar cookies wouldn't be the same without cream of tartar. The same effect is why it's added to some frostings and syrups, where it helps keep things smooth.

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