Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Similar to a sugar cookie, except these cookies have a subtle tangy flavor with a hint of vanilla.
These snickerdoodle cookies are so soft and chewy. They are like puffy cookie pillows coated in cinnamon and sugar.
You're going to love this recipe for snickerdoodles because they're easy to make, and even easier to eat! If you're ever unsure of what cookie to make - snickerdoodle cookies are always a safe bet.
They have a warm and spicy cinnamon flavor, with a subtle tangy flavor from one extra ingredient - cream of tartar.
Ingredients and substitutions
Since baking is an exact science, I don't have many substitutions to offer. Each ingredient included has a purpose in the recipe, so I don't recommend omitting anything.
Your butter and eggs should be at room temperature so that they incorporate easily with the other ingredients.
Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter.
Cream of tartar
An important ingredient you'll need to make snickerdoodles is cream of tartar. If you don’t have this on hand, you can find it in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
Cream of tartar prevents the sugar from crystallizing and creating a crunchy texture in your cookie. I like to add it to cookie recipes when I want a soft, chewy cookie.
Cream of tartar also gives the cookies a unique, slightly tangy flavor, which separates it from a regular sugar cookie.
Cooking baking tips and tricks
Cooking baking tips and tricksRoom temperature ingredients will help your cookies have a consistent, creamy, and even dough. When beaten, the eggs and butter form an emulsion, which traps air in the dough, which bakes up into a soft and fluffy cookie.
Properly measuring flour is an issue I see frequently. If you have issues with your cookies not spreading, or turning out extra thick and tall, you probably measured too much flour into your cookie dough.
To properly measure flour, use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup, then level off with a knife. By scooping flour directly from a container with your measuring cup, you’re compacting the dough into the cup. This can add up to 25% more flour to your dough.
Using parchment paper helps prevent your cookies from spreading too much while baking. A greased baking pan will guarantee your cookies spread more than they should, so I always suggest parchment paper (or a reusable baking mat) instead.
Cookie storage
Your cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a tightly sealed container.
To help keep cookies fresh, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. The bread will get stale, while the cookies remain fresh and soft. Replace the bread slice as needed.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar reserved for rolling
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon reserved for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until creamed together and fluffy, about a minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
- Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls.
- In a small bowl, combine the reserved sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll balls in sugar mixture to coat. Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Your cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.
- You can keep raw cookie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen balls to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
- For extra cinnamon flavor, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to your dry ingredients before mixing into the dough.
Karly
Definitely drooling over here. It's been way too long since I've had a good snickerdoodle!
Heather
Yes these snickerdoodles are amazing!