This Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe makes delightfully soft and chewy cookies every time! These homemade snickerdoodles are buttery and sweet with just the right amount of tang thanks to cream of tartar. Topped with the signature snickerdoodle cinnamon-sugar coating, they’re a timeless favorite that’s perfect for enjoying all year long.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You only need a few basic, easy-to-find ingredients to whip up a batch of these snickerdoodle cookies.
- Perfect Texture: This chewy snickerdoodle recipe results in pillowy soft and fluffy cookies with just a hint of crunch from the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Always in Season: While they’re often associated with the holidays, cinnamon snickerdoodle cookies are a classic treat you can enjoy any time of the year.
For more classic cookie recipes, check out our oatmeal raisin cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and ginger molasses cookies next.
Ingredients
Below is everything you’ll need to make the best snickerdoodle cookies!
- Butter: Provides moisture and gives the cookies a buttery flavor. I recommend using unsalted butter since there is additional salt in this recipe.
- Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar to sweeten the snickerdoodle cookie dough.
- Eggs: Provide moisture and act as a binder.
- Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base of the cookie dough and provides structure.
- Baking Soda: Leavening agent used to help the cookies rise.
- Cream of Tartar: Gives the snickerdoodles their signature tang and helps activate the baking soda. If you don’t have cream of tartar on hand, use a total of 2 teaspoons of baking powder in place of both the cream of tartar and baking soda. Note that by doing this you will lose the tangy flavor!
- Coating: A simple combination of sugar and cinnamon is all you need to create the coating for the homemade snickerdoodle cookies.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum included for best results. If your blend doesn’t already have xanthan gum in it, add ½ teaspoon per cup of flour to help with binding.
- Dairy-Free: Choose a non-dairy butter in stick form, rather than the kind in a tub, as it has more fat and texture.
- Chai Snickerdoodles: Instead of the cinnamon-sugar coating, try a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and a pinch of cloves for a chai-flavored twist.
How to Make This Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Here are the steps to follow to make the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe! Get started by preheating your oven to 400°F and grease your cookie sheet. You’ll also need to mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating and set aside.
- Step 1: Start the dough. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. Then, beat in the eggs. Next, add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt to the mixture.
- Step 2: Combine and refrigerate. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Place the dough in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 15 minutes.
- Step 3: Create dough balls. Form the dough into 1.5-2” balls.
- Step 4: Roll and bake. Roll each ball into the cinnamon-sugar coating and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- This easy snickerdoodle recipe is great for holiday cookie exchanges and parties. Make up a batch along with these gingerbread cookies and chocolate waffle cookies.
- There’s nothing like the classic combination of cookies and milk. Enjoy a snickerdoodle (or two) with this warm milk and cinnamon or this milk steamer.
- Create a mouthwatering dessert tray with handheld treats! Include these snickerdoodles as well as some Oreo truffles and homemade fudge.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overmixing: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined to prevent the cookies from becoming dense and tough rather than soft and chewy.
- Use a cookie scoop: This ensures the cookies are the same size, allowing them to bake up evenly.
- Storing: Store the snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Just be sure to let them thaw at room temperature before serving or baking.
Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe FAQs
This can happen if the butter was melted when creamed or if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Make sure the butter is just at room temperature and chill the dough for 15 minutes or longer to help the cookies hold their shape.
Overbaking or incorrectly measuring the flour can cause the cookies to turn out dry and crumbly. Watch them closely as they bake, and take them out when the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Also, be sure to measure the flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
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The Best Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at room temp
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together with electric mixer. Add eggs.
- In separate bowl sift flour, tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly combine with butter mix.
- Chill dough in fridge for at least 15 minutes more if you can.
- Meanwhile grease cookie sheet and make a cinnamon-sugar mix by combining 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- When dough is chilled, take a small amount and roll into a ball about 1 ½ -2 inches wide.
- Then roll ball in cinnamon-sugar mix to coat and place on cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400° F. Baking time varies depend upon size of dough balls so watch them closely. Cool on rack.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the dough or the cookies can become dense instead of soft and chewy.
- Use a cookie scoop to form the dough balls so that they are consistent in size and bake up more evenly.
- The cookies will keep for up to 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
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sweets by cakes says
I tried a mixture of butter and veggie shortening and the cookies came out fine but the batter didn't set up like it would have if I used all butter.