The best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe! This Recipe for Snickerdoodles is soft, chewy, and full of cinnamon! Delicious & easy to make.
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There's nothing better than a snickerdoodle cookie. Crisp edges with a chewy center, sweet, cinnamon-y.. they're the ultimate cookie!
Just like my Sugar Cookie Bars and Shortbread Cookies, these snickerdoodle cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients in practically no time!
What is a Snickerdoodle?
A snickerdoodle is a cinnamon sugar cookie made from flour, eggs, butter and sugar (usual cookie ingredients).
However, what makes a Snickerdoodle cookie is the addition of Cream of Tartar. It helps to keep the cookies soft and pillowy in the center instead of getting that normal ‘cookie crunch’.
Why is it called a snickerdoodle?
'The Joy of Cooking' says that the word snickerdoodle is likely German and is a play on the word Schneckennudel.
Other possibilities are that it's a nonsensical word coming from a New England tradition of giving cookies whimsical names.
why we love these snickerdoodle cookies
- Delicious: Even though this recipe is made with only a few ingredients it’s loaded with flavor. Check out the blue section for other tasty variations of this cookie.
- Perfect Texture: These cookies have a crispy outside with a soft, chewy center.
- Total Comfort Food: There is always that feel-good feeling about making and eating classic desserts.
Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe Ingredients
For the snickerdoodle cookie you'll need
- salted butter
- white sugar & brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- cream of tartar & baking soda
- ground nutmeg & ground cinnamon
How to Make Snickerdoodles
- Cream softened butter and white and brown sugar to a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Continue beating for a further 2 minutes.
- While that is beating, in a medium bowl add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon and mix with a whisk.
- Mix together dry ingredients with wet ingredients until combined.
- Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients
- Using a cookie scoop, or a spoon scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the cookie dough and work it into a ball.
- Roll in the topping mix then place on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
How to Store this recipe for Snickerdoodles
Storing: Store baked snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe Ziploc or airtight container for up to 6 months.
Freezing Cookie Dough: You can freeze this cookie dough. Scoop into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or use these cookie dough freezing trays.
Check out this post for How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips on saving cookie dough for later.
Substitutions for this Recipe:
Salted Butter: Butter is essential to this recipe. We haven't tried it with dairy-free butter but it might work!
White Sugar: We don't recommend substituting white sugar unless you have to, but White sugar can be used interchangeably with brown sugar. You can add 1 teaspoon of molasses to white sugar to make brown sugar. Check out this post on Sugar Substitutes for Baking for other ideas.
Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar can be substituted with dark brown sugar or a mixture of the two if that's what you have.
Eggs: We don't recommend substituting eggs, but you can read this article on Egg Substitutions for Baking if you need to substitute. Try it at your own risk!
Vanilla Extract: Helps to add flavor, we don't recommend substituting.
All Purpose Flour: We don't recommend substituting the flour, but you can check out this article on Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour or Substitutions for All-Purpose Flour
Cream of Tartar: Added to help activate the baking soda and provide tanginess and chew to the cookies.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is essential for this recipe. Do not substitute with baking powder.
Ground Nutmeg: We don't recommend substituting as this is an essential snickerdoodle cookie ingredient.
Ground Cinnamon: We don't recommend substituting as this is an essential snickerdoodle cookie ingredient.
Soft Snickerdoodle Recipe Tips and Variations
- Chai it up: Add chai seasonings to the cookie dough and the cinnamon sugar topping mixture.
- Chocolate Snickerdoodles: Replace ¼ cup of all-purpose flour with cocoa powder.
- More Flavor!: Add a tablespoon of chilled coffee or espresso to the wet ingredients for a unique flavor.
- Serve them on a cookie tray with: Jam Thumbprint Cookies and Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Snickerdoodles Recipe FAQs
A classic snickerdoodle cookie tastes like a tangy sugar cookie coated in cinnamon and sugar.
While both sugar cookies and snickerdoodle cookies contain mostly the same ingredients, traditionally snickerdoodles are made with the addition of Cream of Tartar. The cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their slightly tangy flavor, which pairs nicely with the cinnamon sugar topping.
Cream of tartar helps to create that traditional snickerdoodle tangy flavor. Without it, the cookies would likely taste like a normal sugar cookie. In addition to flavor, cream of tartar gives the snickerdoodle it's lovely puffy look and chewy texture. I wouldn't skip it!
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
- Crispy Gingersnap Cookies
- 80 Best Christmas Cookies
- Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Best Recipe for Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter softened room temp
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, mix together softened butter, white sugar and brown sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Continue mixing for a 2 more minutes.
- While that is mixing, in a separate bowl add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix with a whisk.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients while it is still beating. Once combined turn off the mixer.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon topping ingredients.
- Using a cookie scoop, or a spoon scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the cookie dough and work into a ball.
- Roll the dough in the topping mix until coated then place on the cookie sheet. Space about 3” apart.
- Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes at 375.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Yanhel
This recipe was so easy to follow and they are the best snickerdoodle cookies I have ever had. They taste like cookies from a fancy bakery!
Amy Woods
These cookies were delicious! So easy to make. I took them camping and everyone loved them. They will definitely be in my cookie rotation! Thank you.