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These easy Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy and slightly tangy. They come together in about 30 minutes with no need to chill the cookie dough. This classic cookie is coated in cinnamon sugar, delicious and totally addicting!
Table of Contents
- Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles
- Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodles Recipe
- What Are Snickerdoodles?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Snickerdoodles
- Can I Make The Dough In Advance?
- Tips for the Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
- How to Store Snickerdoodle Cookies
- More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Watch How to Make Snickerdoodles
- Get the Recipe
Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles
I have been searching for the perfect snickerdoodle recipe for a long time. After much trial and error, I finally got it right. This foolproof recipe makes pillowy-soft snickerdoodle cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon. Thick, but not too thick, they have the perfect hint of a crunch on the outside from their glorious cinnamon sugar coating and just the right amount of chew on the inside. The classic sweetness of the sugar cookie with just a hint of tanginess from the cream of tarter blends wonderfully with the comforting warmth of cinnamon. Gosh, they are so good!
These snickerdoodles are not only delicious but they are quick and easy to prepare. You don’t even have to chill the dough before you bake them. Cookies in less than 30 minutes anyone? I’m in!
Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodles Recipe
These really are some of the best cookies I have ever tasted. Here are just a few of the reasons I think they are so outstanding.
- No chilling necessary. Unlike many cookie recipes that require you to chill the cookie dough before you bake, this one does not. This makes them so much quicker and easier to make, but they aren’t lacking in any way from not being refrigerated.
- Simple ingredients. This recipe requires only a few simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. It’s the perfect spur-of-the-moment recipe.
- Flavor. These cookies have the sweetness you’d expect from a sugar cookie with a hint of tang from the cream of tarter. Pair that with the perfect amount of cinnamon and you’ve got a 100% crave-able cookie.
- Soft and chewy cookies. These snickerdoodles are the perfect thickness and wonderfully soft and chewy on the inside. Everything you could dream of in a cookie. Plus, they have just the tiniest bit of crunch from the cinnamon sugar coating that envelopes them. The combination is to die for.
What Are Snickerdoodles?
A snickerdoodle is a popular type of sugar cookie. What sets it apart from other sugar cookies? Cream of tarter is added to the dough to give a subtle tang and an addictive chewiness to the finished product. In addition, the dough balls are rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before they are baked, which gives the cookies a wonderful warmth and an extra boost of sweetness.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll only need a few basic ingredients to make these easy snickerdoodle cookies. Here they are. For precise measurements, scroll to the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure your flour accurately or you’ll end up with dry cookies. I prefer a food scale, but the spoon and level method works too. Just be sure not to pack your flour into your measuring cup.
- Cream of tartar – Don’t skip this. It brings a wonderful chewiness and a lovely tang to the finished cookies.
- Baking soda – For just the right rise and chewiness.
- Salt – To accent the flavors in the cookies.
- Unsalted butter – The butter must be at room temperature, otherwise, it won’t cream with the sugar properly.
- Sugar – Sugar adds sweetness and helps to make the cookies tender.
- Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – For rolling the cookies.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
Here’s a quick look at how to make this chewy snickerdoodle recipe. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more thorough instructions.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat together the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy and light in color.
- Put it all together. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and the dry ingredients.
- Coat the cookies in cinnamon sugar. Whisk together the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Roll the cookie dough into balls and roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake. Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Can I Make The Dough In Advance?
Absolutely! Simply wrap the dough in a tight layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to bake your cookies, let the dough sit at room temperature until it’s soft enough to scoop. Make dough balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar, arrange them on a baking sheet, and bake.
- Use a dark cookie sheet. Did you know that the color of the cookie sheet actually has an effect on how quickly your cookies bake? A dark color will absorb heat more quickly, which helps set the edges without causing the cookies to spread. That’s exactly what you want here, so grab the darkest pan you’ve got!
- Measure correctly. Baking is a science. Even when you are attempting the simplest of recipes, it is crucial to measure correctly, especially when it comes to flour. If you want to achieve the perfect light, chewy texture, check out my tutorial on How to Measure Flour Correctly.
- Cream thoroughly. Creaming the butter properly brings a nice light and fluffy texture to these cookies. Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy and noticeably lighter in color. Otherwise, you will likely end up with overly dense cookies.
- Don’t over-mix. Mix just until everything is incorporated. Over-mixing the batter can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, leaving you with tough, dense cookies.
- Get the temperature right. Most cookies bake at 350°F, but these ones require a higher temperature (400°F) to stop them from spreading too thin. Stick with the instructions in the recipe if you want that classic soft and chewy snickerdoodle texture.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Seal the container and store them at room temperature for up to 1 week. Do not store these in the fridge. They will dry out.
Can I Freeze Them?
Yes! There are a couple of ways to go about it.
- Freeze the baked cookies. Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze the cookie dough. Form the dough into balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and pop them in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Once frozen solid, seal the dough balls in a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can bake them directly from frozen. Just add an extra minute or two to the cook time.
Cookies are the perfect quick and easy solution to dessert. I’m always on a mission to develop new, easy cookie recipes to share with you. Here are some of my favorites.
Watch How to Make Snickerdoodles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 45
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tender, buttery and slightly tangy sugar cookies are coated in cinnamon sugar and baked to perfection in this classic dessert! Whip up a batch of these Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies and experience blissful comfort with each cozy bite.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar, plus 3 tbsp for rolling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a cookie sheet (I recommend a darker cookie sheet) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Add the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar to a large mixer bowl and cream until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon in another small bowl.
- Create balls of one tablespoon of cookie dough each.
- Roll each ball of cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then set on the prepared cookie sheet with about 2 inches between them.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Makes 40-45 cookies.
- To Make Ahead: Wrap dough in a tight layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, let dough sit at room temperature until soft enough to scoop.
- To Store: Keep cooled snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, thawing before enjoying. Alternatively, freeze formed and coated dough balls on a lined baking sheet for 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, increasing cook time by 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie Ball
- Calories: 86
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 57.7 mg
- Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.9 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 16.4 mg
Is it okay if I leave out the cream of tartar? Dont have any :/
You can, but it is kinda an iconic part of a snickerdoodle and it would change up the texture and flavor of the cookie a bit.
These are the best dang snickerdoodles I’ve ever had. I cannot stop eating them, and I’ll probably never use another recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Can I use salted butter
Sure, that would be fine.
I love snickerdoodle cookies and couldn’t wait to try this recipe. However, I put them in at 400 for 8 mins and they came out raw. I put them in for another 3 mins but they still weren’t right.
I’m sorry you had trouble, but that’s a pretty normal baking time for the size of cookie specified. Did you happen to make larger cookies that would have needed more time?
Great recipe! They came out awesome. I subbed 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon with nutmeg, and added a dash of cloves, plus about 1/2 teaspoon of superfine “popcorn” salt to the rolling mixture. So, so good.
The popcorn salt sounds interesting! Fun! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Hello, good morning
I’m going to try this recipe. My mother had, (almost) the same exact recipe. Except she used shortning instead of butter. When I decided to try her recipe I was apprehensive about using shortning. So that is why I want to bake your recipe. I’m excited and can’t wait to bake my childhood favorite. But, can you tell me the difference between using shortning vs butter? A added fact, my mother’s recipe is about 60 70 years old. Thank you.
They are similar in many ways, but in this case differ in flavor and texture. The shortening is firmer, so the cookies will bake a little differently.
I love snicker doodles. This is a 5 star recipe for sure. Soft chewy and full of great snicker doodle flavor.
John
And again another perfect recipe! I had another one that had more butter, and I always thought there was something to improve, and yours uses less butter, and the snickerdoodles are so so good! Also, no chilling, that’s so much easier! Thank you so much!
Awesome! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them!
My husband loves snickerdoodles but I have never made them before. I found this recipe on Pintrest and tried it the same day. It was WONDERFUL! My whole family loved them and that is not an easy task!! Thank you so much for posting this!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you enjoyed them!
I liked that this recipe didn’t call for chilling the dough. However my cookies came out very spread out and not fluffy enough.
I redid a batch to make sure my measurements were right and the same thing happened (I adjusted the oven temp thinking it may help with the crispness) /:
Try refrigerating them before baking. Worked good for me.
Great recipe Lindsey! I love to cook and entertain. I baked these cookies for holiday entertainment. It was a big hit.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Thanks for the receipe!! The cookies tasted delicious but they were rather thick, I wish they were spred thin just a lil more. Any suggestions on what I did wrong? They we’re still rather domed rather than flat like a cookie, but still very tasty. Maybe I should make them bigger next time?
Hmm, there could be a number of reasons. How did you measure your flour? I measure by weight to be sure that it’s accurate, but if you are using a scoop, you don’t want to pack the flour in. Or did you happen to refrigerate the cookie dough at all?
It sounds like your cookies didn’t spread very well, so either something wasn’t measured quite right making a thicker cookie dough, or they were cold when they went in the oven, or something else that would have affected the way they spread when baking.
Yum! Thank you for this recipe! It was so easy to make and turned out so well. The cookies are crunchy on the outside and impossibly chewy in the middle. They also have that perfect snickerdoodle taste, if you know what i mean! Highly recommend
Thanks Ashley! I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
I’ll be making these delicious for sure, juat wondering, is it ok to mix up the batter and bake them off the next day?
Yes, it should be fine.
Very delicious! I love snickerdoodles also, but I couldn’t find my recipe. I tried yours and it is excellent. This will be my new go to snickerdoodles recipe!! Thank you!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Can I substitute the crème of tartar with something else? They’re out everywhere where I live😔
Hello Lindsay. I love your recipes they are the best. Here in Spain we don’t use to do this type of cookies so I am about to do them this weekend. My only doubt is, do you think I can change the butter for olive oil? We don’t use to use much butter here at home, as I can’t eat it, so I always try to substitute the butter for olive. Do you think it will work?
Thank you for all your help. Hugs from Barcelona.
No, olive oil wouldn’t work in these cookies, I’m sorry. It’s much too soft compared to the butter.
Could you sub Coconut Oil ?
It would give you a different result, but you could try it.
Could I leave out the tartar? Or is this an absolute must for the dry ingredients? I’ve been a cookie making machine and have most of the basics in my pantry but no tartar- really want to make these today. Butter currently sofenting.
The tartar is kind of iconic in snickerdoodles. You could leave it out but they aren’t quite the same.
I have now made this recipe as well as your sugar cookies and both are amazing! Thank you!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!