This is the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe with soft and chewy texture and lots of cinnamon sugar flavor in every bite. This classic cookie is family favorite!
Love cookies? Try my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, snickerdoodle cake mix cookies & m&m cookies.
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
These snickerdoodle cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies and a timeless classic to make anytime of year. I usually always have all the ingredients on hand and is something I know everyone will love.
The best part about this recipe? It only takes about 30 minutes to make and is perfect for the kids to help with. Make these and my brown butter pecan cookies for your cookie exchange this year!
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar and vanilla extract.
- Cream of tartar: This gives the snickerdoodles their perfect, pillowy top.
- Butter: Creaming this with the sugars help make the cookies airy while still being chewy.
- Vanilla: The vanilla gives the cookies their
- Eggs: The binder that brings it all together and helps activate the baking soda.
- Cinnamon sugar: A coating of cinnamon and sugar gives these cookies their beloved flavor.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and the brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Then add in the dry ingredients and stir just until smooth. Cover the dough and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch size balls and then roll into the cinnamon sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake in oven at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. The centers will look slightly under cooked and that’s okay. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and they will firm up. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Helpful Baking Tips
- Cream of tartar. See that nice pillow top? That’s from the cream of tartar. You definitely don’t want to make these cookies without it! For an easy cream of tartar substitution replace the cream of tartar and baking soda with 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. You can also add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to mimic a tangy taste.
- To chill the dough or not. Chilling the dough makes them thick and chewy. I usually refrigerate my dough for at least 30 minutes or so but you do not have to chill them!
- Do not flatten. You do not need to flatten the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet prior to going into the oven. The cookies will spread as they bake, while still remaining thick and chewy on the insides.
- Don’t overmix. This causes the cookies to dry out. Mix the dough just until combined to give them that perfect soft texture.
- Don’t overbake. Remove them from the oven when the edges are slightly golden brown. The centers will probably look a little undercooked, but they’ll firm up after about 5 minutes as they cool. Then you’re left with perfectly soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies!
- Double dip in cinnamon sugar: After cookies are cool enough to handle, dip them in cinnamon sugar again for added flavor, texture and crunch.
Other favorite cookie recipes that are easy to make include iced oatmeal cookies, spice cake mix cookies, and iced pumpkin cookies!
More Snickerdoodle Inspired Recipes
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Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter , 2 sticks at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (85 grams) light brown sugar , packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Cinnamon Sugar for Rolling
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and the brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just until smooth, being careful not to overmix, and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Stir just until smooth. For a thicker cookie you can cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch size balls and then roll into the cinnamon sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. The centers will look slightly undercooked and that’s okay. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Double roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar for extra flavor.
- Mix in 1 cup of white chocolate chips for a delicious twist.
- Mix in 1 cup of butterscotch chips (or a mix with white chocolate)
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
“A New England favorite, these crinkly-topped sugar cookies are probably German in origin. Their name may be a corruption of the German word ‘Schneckennudeln,’ which translates roughly as ‘crinkly noodles.” -Robert Patten
What makes snickerdoodle cookies different than a regular sugar cookie, is that they are rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.
This is a key ingredient when making any classic snickerdoodle recipe. It gives the cookies that famous pillowy top that everyone knows and loves. You won’t get the same results if you make this recipe without it!
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Keep in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months. When ready to eat thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Enjoy! Hope these snickerdoodles become a new staple in your home and win you lots of new friends!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These were amazing! We bake snickerdoodle cookies every year for Christmas and I wasn’t loving my recipe. I tried your recipe and they were sooo good! I will definitely be making these again and again!
So glad you found this snickerdoodle recipe and loved it Laura!
Awesome!! Double dipping is a game changer!
So moist and chewy! Love them!
Thanks for the review!
Hi.
Cookies are baking as I’m posting this. I did notice that baking powder isn’t listed in the ingredients. However, it is mentioned in the instructions. Maybe I’m just overlooking it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you for noticing that typo! Baking powder is not needed for snickerdoodles.
They are delicious and the addition of the brown sugar, really adds a lot of flavor. I’ve never seen a recipe with that before! These will be my go to for Snikerdoodle Cookies from Now on.
I love to hear this! I am so happy you enjoyed the snickerdoodle cookies Linda :)
So good! Perfect combo of slight crunch on outer edge and soft in the center! Will keep using this recipe!
Made these yesterday to share with family and wow…they think I’m the best cookie Gram ever. :-) Thanks to your recipe you so kindly share with all of us. They are soft and flavorful and will be cookie staple in this home from now on. Going to have a couple with my morning coffee…thank you so very much!!!
How much baking powder? It is not listed in the ingredient list but IS listed in the instructions.
Hi Lauren! There isn’t baking powder in this recipe, but there is 1 teaspoon of baking soda :)
Baking powder is listed in mixing instructions.
These cookies are such a hit at my daughter’s home. She has 3 hockey billets late teens early twenties and they can’t stop talking about them. I make them every time I go there.
I love this! I’m so happy you all loved the cookies Jacqueline :)
I have made this recipe 3 times this week, they are that good! We made these for a dinner party the first night and ran out of the first batch. Had to make it for our family again a 2nd time and got another request to make it again this week. Delish!!
I made this recipe and was a hit
I halved the recipe, since I’ve never had snickerdoodles before, and made 14 (medium size!). I didn’t have cream of tartar, so I subbed in lemon juice. I don’t have a frame of reference for this cookie flavour, but I really enjoyed them! A tad on the sweet side for me, so maybe I’ll do less sugar in the cinnamon dust next time. Regardless, new favourite type of cookie alongside oatmeal raisin!
Great substitution! I am glad that it worked out for you without the cream of tartar. Thank for your great review. I really appreciate it!