Soft, buttery, and chewy, these is the Best Snickerdoodle Recipe you’ll find! No one will be able to resist these classic cookies and they’re super easy to make too.
If you’re looking for more easy cookie recipes that always receive rave reviews, try these kitchen sink cookies or these monster cookies. They’ll be a hit with kids and adults alike!
Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe
Calling this snickerdoodle recipe “the best” is a bold claim, I know. But, I have developed and tested these cookies so many times over the course of so many years, and I think they’re worthy of the title! Here’s why:
- Soft and chewy. These snickerdoodle cookies are super soft, with just a tiny bit of golden brown crispness to them on the bottom. Words cannot describe how perfect the texture is!
- Cozy and comforting. If you’re having a bad day, these sweet cinnamon-sugar cookies are the best pick-me-up! (And they’ll make your kitchen smell fantastic, which is always a bonus.)
- So quick and easy. It only takes 15 minutes total to prepare and bake these cookies. That’s it!
- Great for all occasions. Need an easy dessert for a bake sale? Or another option for your Christmas cookie platter? These snickerdoodle cookies are just the thing in both cases!
(Also, should you need more cookie recipes for the holidays in particular, check out these easy butter cookies or these Linzer cookies!)
What Are Snickerdoodles?
Snickerdoodle cookies are similar to sugar cookies, but technically they are not the same thing. What’s the biggest difference? Cream of tartar. This little known ingredient prevents the cookies from developing sugar crystals like regular sugar cookies, which means that snickerdoodles have a soft, pillowy, and totally addictive texture.
Another difference between these snickerdoodles and sugar cookies is that the former are rolled in cinnamon-sugar before baking. (Of course, you could also roll sugar cookies in cinnamon sugar, and it would be delicious!)
For classic sugar cookie recipes, try my easy sugar cookies, brown sugar cookies, and soft sugar cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s talk snickerdoodle recipe essentials! If you’re looking for the exact ingredient amounts or the full set of directions, check out the recipe card below.
- Butter: Feel free to use either unsalted butter or salted butter. Make sure that whichever kind you choose is at room temperature before you start.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The extra richness the brown sugar gives these cookies is what helps set them apart. Brown sugar adds a little moisture, as well as a deeper flavor.
- Large Eggs: You will use one whole egg and one egg yolk.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract works best.
- Baking Soda: To help the cookies rise while baking.
- Cream of Tartar: There are lots of different cream of tartar substitutes if you need them!
- Salt: Kosher salt is my go-to for this recipe.
- Ground Cinnamon: For both the cookies and the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Flour: I like to stick with all-purpose flour for these cookies.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
This snickerdoodle cookie recipe is super simple. Here’s an overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Make the dough. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix for one minute then reduce the speed to low and add the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Form the cookies. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Using a medium (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll each cookie dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Some of you will agree with my tips, especially if you’ve made this snickerdoodle recipe before – you already know they’re magic. But some of you might disagree… and that’s ok! This is what I’ve learned over the years when it comes to making the best snickerdoodles:
- Cream of tartar can be optional. I don’t necessarily think you have to use cream of tartar to have a good snickerdoodle (gasp, I know). I do use it in my recipe to keep things traditional, but, if you find yourself fresh out of it, check out those substitutes linked above in the ingredients section!
- Don’t chill the cookie dough. You don’t need to chill the dough as you normally would with snickerdoodles because of the lower oven temperature!
- Use extra cinnamon. I use cinnamon in the dough as well as in the coating. You can leave it out if you want, but the best part of a snickerdoodle is the buttery, cinnamon-ness and, in this case, more is more!
- Don’t forget the extra egg yolk. Adding one egg plus a yolk gives the cookie dough a little extra moisture and a lot of richness. You could omit the yolk and add a few tablespoons less of flour, or you could certainly add 2 whole eggs, and have a slightly thinner cookie, but the extra yolk is where the magic happens!
Frequently Asked Questions
As mentioned above, cream of tartar is what gives the cookies their ultra-soft, chewy texture. It also adds the classic tangy taste that snickerdoodles are known for.
It could be that too much flour was added to the cookie dough. Be sure to weigh your flour or spoon it into the measuring cup so that you can avoid this. Also make sure to watch the bake time closely so that the cookies don’t over-bake and dry out.
I bake my snickerdoodles for EXACTLY 11 minutes every single time at 325°F with perfect results. But, I know all ovens are different, so I wrote 10-12 minutes in the recipe card just in case. You want the edges to be lightly golden and the center to seem ALMOST done… you might think it’s not done, but once it cools completely it will be soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
How to Store Snickerdoodles
- Room temperature. Once they have cooled completely, snickerdoodles are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge. If you want them to keep for a little bit longer, you can try storing the container in the fridge. They should last about 5 days.
- Freezer. When freezing baked snickerdoodles, keep them in an airtight container or tightly-sealed plastic bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months – remember to let your cookies thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy them again!
Can I Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough?
Yes! If you want to make a double batch to have on-demand snickerdoodle cookies in the future, you totally can.
Just follow the recipe up until the cookie dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar. After you roll each cookie ball in the cinnamon-sugar, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze the dough until firm. (Usually this takes about 4-6 hours.) You can then move the frozen cookie dough to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and store them for up to 3 months.
The great thing about this trick is that you can make single-serve snickerdoodle cookies! When you feel the snickerdoodle craving, simply pop a couple frozen dough balls onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 325F for 12-14 minutes.
More Snickerdoodle Recipes
Can’t get enough of this classic cinnamon-sugar combination? Try out some more snickerdoodle-themed recipes, then!
- Stuffed Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cobbler
- Snickerdoodle Krispie Treats
- Soft Snickerdoodle Muffins
- Snickerdoodle Apple Bread
Perfect Snickerdoodles
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is the BEST most PERFECT snickerdoodle cookie recipe ever! These cookies are super soft and buttery, and loaded with cinnamon and sugar. Plus, it’s not necessary to chill the dough, so they can be made really quickly!
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, plus 1 yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 3/4 cup flour
For the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add in the egg, the yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and cinnamon and mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until just combined.
- In a separate small bowl make your Cinnamon Sugar by mixing together cinnamon and sugar, stirring until evenly combined.
- Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop portion out the dough and roll into a ball. Then roll each cookie dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
- Place on prepared baking sheet about 2- inches apart. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, turning cookie sheet halfway through baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I bake my Snickerdoodles for exactly 11 minutes every time I make this recipe with perfect results, but I know ovens vary, so bake only until the edges are slightly golden. The tops may seem slightly undercooked, but they will firm up perfectly when they cool. If you prefer a crisper cookie, bake for 2 additional minutes.
- To store. Keep leftover snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze. Keep your cookies in an airtight container or tightly-sealed plastic bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months – remember to let your cookies thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy them again!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 13.7 g
- Sodium: 131.1 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg
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BEST recipe ever bc not only super tasty but super easy!!
So glad you liked them!!
Omg. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! This cookie was incredibly easy to prepare and tastes fantastic!
I’m planning to cook the next batch a bit longer. I want a little crunch when biting I to the cookie.
It’s truly a perfect recipe for a snickerdoodle!
Can the dough be frozen after being shaped? I like to make my dough ahead for the holidays to prevent too much chaos in the kitchen. A lot of other doughs can be frozen and thawed in the fridge overnight, I was just wondering if this recipe would be fine in that situation.
Yes absolutely! You can even bake the dough frozen, just add a few extra minutes to the bake time 🙂
Thank you SO much for this recipe! I was overwhelmed with different snickerdoodle recipes and they all vary slightly. I have never baked cookies from scratch before so I was mentally prepared for them to be messed up in some way. Nope! They were absolutely perfect! My ideal texture and flavor expectations were met and it was so easy. I iced them with a homemade eggnog cream cheese icing. I can’t wait to show my friends I’m an amazing baker!
Oooh, that icing sounds amazing!!
Just made these for a last minute potluck didn’t have butter so used shortening — they came out great !! I will flatten them out a little prior to baking as they didn’t spread very much. Sooooo half way through baking i just used a large spatula and flatten them a tiny bit. overall the taste was perfect and they look like your pictures. will use this recipe ! I started with – 330 degree oven as you mentioned but it seems too low for my dual oven so baked mine at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.
You have a right to call these perfect! I’ve made them twice in the past week 🙂 They are so, so good!
Thank you so much for the recipe and I loved no refrigeration!!
So glad you like them!!
Was searching for “the best” snickerdoodle recipe as it is my sons favorite cookie. He won’t be home from college for a couple weeks. Is it possible to mix and freeze the dough and then pull out to bake them? Do I just have to let them get room temperature first?
Absolutely! I would portion the dough out, roll it into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once they’ve frozen, pop them all in a large zip top bag to store. And when you’re ready, bake them frozen. You will just need to add an extra few minutes to the bake time!
I am visiting friends and without a mixer. Can I prepare the cookies without the mixer, and just use a wooden spoon?
Yes you can, just mix well!
Tried to make these cookies and the oven broke as soon as I put them in. 0/10 would not recommend.
So the cookies broke your oven?
My go to snickerdoodle recipe! Sometimes, when I’m feeling little fancy, I’ll make some cream cheese frosting to go with them. These turn out great every time.
Ooooh what a great idea!!