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.
Awesome cookies! I sprinkled some more cinnamon and sugar right out if the oven. Great flavor..will definitely be my go to recipe for Snickerdoodles
Love to hear that Tiffany! Thanks for your review :)
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING I MAKE THEM ALL THE TIME
Ah I’m so glad! Thanks for your review :)
Hi Jamielynn! I make these cookies all year long. Did you recently change the ingredients? I remember it being 1 tsp each of baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar. I went off memory and made them the way I had from your recipe.
Hi Nina, Yes I recently changed it as our recipe testers found using 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tarter (and no baking powder) yielded in better results.
Definitely will be a Christmas cookie staple in my home!
So glad you like them, Nancy. This would be a great one for a cookie exchange!
These cookies are so delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
These are so good! This is going to become a staple in my kitchen.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Wendy!
This is my new favorite snickerdoodle cookie recipe! Turned out really delicious and super tasty! Perfect for any gatherings! Will surely have this again! Thanks a bunch for sharing!
Happy to hear it’s a new favorite! :)
Love snickerdoodle cookies, and this recipe is totally delicious! The cinnamon flavor really comes through!
So glad you loved them, Molly :)
Love this recipe!! I make it all the time. I have a question for you, what cookie sheet do you use? When I make these, I have two different brands of cookie sheets I use and one makes these cookies super thick and fluffy and one makes them big and flat. We prefer the thick and fluffy ones, but I can no longer find that cookie sheet for sale.
So interesting! I use the USA baking pans
Can you refrigerate it for more than 30 minutes? Or is it specifically 30 minutes?
Yes you can refrigerate up to 72 hours. I would place it on the counter about 30 minutes before baking to soften a little.
These are so yummy! Thank you for the recipe.
You are so welcome! I’m glad you loved them :)
Anytime I need a recipe my first thought is to check this website, i have never been disappointed by anything I’ve made using the recipes found on here. Î started with the best chocolate chip banana bread, then these cookies, even your playdough recipe is my go to and so many more recipes on between. I’m very happy I found this site and will continue to recommend it to anyone asking for my opinion lol. Keep up the awesome job and take care
Ah, I’m so glad to hear! Thanks for trying them out 💗
Great cookies. I cooked mine on parchment paper so I could keep them gooey without them breaking apart trying to get them to the cooling rack!! A
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These quickly disappeared at my house! It was a huge hit!
These look so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give these a try! My family is going to love this!
When you say prepared baking sheet what does that mean? Greased, lined with parchment or foil or do you need a special pad like used for candy?
I line with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
These cookies are great! They keep their softness and taste amazing! Thanks!!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed them, they are a family fave! :)
I love this recipe!!
Hi Kelly! Do you put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking? They will come out a little puffy right from the oven and then flatten a bit.