Snickerdoodle Cookies
These soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies with a hint of cinnamon are true classic!
Can we all agree that snickerdoodles are the unofficial cookie of fall? It’s all I’ve wanted to bake lately, and I’m sharing them with everyone who’ll let me. I’m taking them to play dates, little league, and even my running club.
Their thin crunchy cinnamon-sugar exterior gives way a very soft cake-like center. They are light, flavorful, and require no chilling before baking. This recipe has been a family favorite since I was a kid and I’m so happy to share it with you!
What are Snickerdoodles?
Snickerdoodle cookies are basically soft sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. They’re simple and uncomplicated, and that’s probably one of my favorite thing about them.
I have made a few slight adjustments to my Mom’s snickerdoodle recipe to up the flavor even more— subbing some of the granulated sugar for light or dark brown sugar, and adding a little ground cinnamon into the cookie dough. Nothing major, these cookies are still so easy to bake!
Snickerdoodle FAQs
While this cookie recipe is pretty straightforward, here are some commonly asked questions:
Do I need to use cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar is one of the signature ingredients in snickerdoodles and gives them their classic tangy flavor. Most recipes (including this one) call for baking soda + cream of tartar. However, baking powder is a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, so if you find yourself without cream of tartar there is a solution! Simply replace both the baking soda and cream of tartar in this recipe with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
How do I know when Snickerdoodles are done?
The end goal is a soft white cookie so it’s hard to know when they’re done. If you wait until they start to brown, they will be over baked and crispy instead of soft. The best thing to do is to follow the baking time as listed in the recipe. Every oven is different however, and so that’s why I give a range of 9-11 minutes.
Cookies should no longer appear wet and shiny, and instead look puffed with a few small cracks on top. When in doubt, bake a few as a test and find the sweet spot for your oven.
If you’re a fan of a more firmer cookie, just let them bake for an extra minute or two.
Why did my cookies spread?
This is a question I get with most of my cookie recipes. Usually, it’s because of one of these reasons:
- You started with butter that was too warm. Butter that’s already a little bit melty will cause flat melty cookies. Butter should be soft enough that your finger leaves an indent, but not so soft that you can easily press your finger all the way through it. Next time to need room temperature butter fast, skip the microwave and check out these tips for getting butter up to temperature quickly.
- You didn’t beat the butter and sugars long enough. “Creaming” these ingredients together incorporates air into the dough, which helps with rise. No trapped air means less of a rise and a flatter cookie.
- You’re reusing hot baking sheets. Placing cookie dough on a hot sheet pan means it starts melting and spreading right away. Rotate with 2 pans so you have time to let one cool while the other one is in the oven. These are the sheet pans I use and love.
Try These Other Snickerdoodle Recipes
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Recipe originally published March 2011.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (170 grams)
- 1 ¼ granulated sugar , divided (250 grams)
- ⅓ cup light or dark brown sugar (70 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (330 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon , divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and brown sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy. Add the eggs and beat to combine, scraping the bowl down as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add to the the stand mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the cookie dough into rounded tablespoons and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Place evenly on the prepared cookies sheets.
- Bake until they are puffed and slightly cracked, about 9-11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
Wondering if you can help. It takes forever for butter and sugar to get light and fluffy/cream. Most times over 20 minutes. I take the butter out to come to room temp 25-30 minutes b4 using. Why does it take so long??? I use a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Love Snickerdoodles.
Hmm, that is bizarre! What speed are you using to mix? It should be a solid medium high, but not quite as high as what you’d mix whipping cream with for whipped cream, if that makes sense. Also, are you referring to this snickerdoodle recipe, or another recipe? If you’d like to troubleshoot more options, please send me an email! completelydelicious@gmail.com.
These turned out wonderful! I, too, added an extra tsp of cinnamon to the mix and I use our big ol’ duck eggs for any baking. Based on one of the comments I went ahead and chilled the dough longer than the 10-15 min required. I love snickerdoodles but have never made them before and these will keep me making them again and again. Thank you for this recipe!
The food looks simple. I will check if it tastes as good as you said in the recipe.
Thanks for your sharing. Your article is informative and excellent t rex game
Looks so delicious. One day I need to try it.
I have now made these twice and they have been perfect both times. Batch 1 didn’t even last 48 hours before the family had devoured them.
I’m British, and snickerdoodles aren’t really a thing over here, I think I’ll be bringing out this recipe to show off to guests.
Oh, and thank you for providing a weight measurement in addition to the cups, we tend to go by weight here and I’ve never been completely comfortable with cups, I’m always paranoid I’ll mess something up and screw up my mix.
Amazing cookies!
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I just made these with my 4-year old son, followed your recipe to a T (er, save for the part where I messed up and put the 1/2 cup of white sugar and cinnamon in with the dry mix) and they are AMAZING! 😀 I baked them on air bake pans and mmm…crispy outside, cakey inside, just like you said. And that’s even with me messing up!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have made your coconut cake, banana bread, and now the snickerdoodles. Everything has turned out just exactly how I like them, and exactly how you said they would turn out. Yours is by far my favorite baking blog, and your recipes are better than I’ve ever found in any cookbook. And you take beautiful photos. Thank you, Annalise!
You have just made my day, so thank YOU! 🙂 So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes.
Thank you Annalise for the tips, il try the cookies again keeping the tips in mind. My father says these r the best cookies hez ever had. and this is what a cookie should be like soft n light.
Hi Annalise, i made the cookies and everyone loved them they came out crisp till the center and were vere light. but they dint come out soft and chewy in the center. moreover , the first batch dint become flat they just spread a bit during baking. so i made the second batch flat . also they dint have the cracked texture just smooth on top. but everyone at home liked the end result. could plz tell me how to get the same taste and texture as in ur pics.
thanx n regards
Naila, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. But without being there with you in your kitchen while you made the cookies, I couldn’t say what happened to give those results. The temperature of the butter plays a large part in cookie spread, make sure it’s not too warm. And the length you bake them can affect that cracked texture on top. I usually take them out just a minute before they look totally done, which makes the crisp outer layer collapse some on the soft center. Hope this helps!
Try beating the egg/sugar mixture 5 minutes. Makes a huge difference!
I know what you mean about not being able to stop eating these! They are so comforting and addicting 🙂 I think I ate 7 in one day…
I just made these. I want you to know that these are really good cookies. Fantastic flavor (light, which I loved with this), and even better texture (very soft inside, slight crunch outside). Thank you Annalise!!