Soft, chewy, buttery cookies coated in cinnamon and sugar. This snickerdoodle cookie recipe is delicious, easy to make, and turns out perfect every time!
I’ve mentioned it before, but one of my main goals on the blog is to update and share some of my favorite classic recipes with you. Because while everyone loves over the top desserts every now and then, you just can’t beat a classic. Today’s snickerdoodle recipe is one that took me several attempts to get just right, but it’s by far the best snickerdoodle recipe I’ve ever tried!
What Exactly Is A Snickerdoodle?
Snickerdoodle cookies are similar to sugar cookies since they’re soft, chewy, and flavored with vanilla. The main difference is that a snickerdoodle uses cream of tartar which adds a little but of tanginess to the cookies and then they are coated in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
And yes, they’re just as delicious as they sound! In fact, I made a test batch of cookies and sent them with my husband to work and they were gone by the end of the day. Now that’s when you know a recipe is good!
Ingredients For This Recipe
For this recipe, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients. Here’s a simple breakdown of each ingredient and what it does in these cookies:
- All-Purpose Flour: When it comes to creating thicker snickerdoodle cookies you need a slightly higher amount of flour in your recipe, so you’ll be using three cups of flour.
- Cream Of Tartar: Adds that classic tanginess we all know and love when it comes to snickerdoodles. This is also one of the ingredients that reacts with the baking soda.
- Ground Cinnamon: There’s some cinnamon in the cookie dough for flavor and in the cinnamon sugar coating too.
- Baking Soda & Salt: The baking soda helps lift the cookies and the salt balances out the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: This is what gives your cookies that beautiful, buttery flavor. If using salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon.
- Sugar: Traditionally snickerdoodle cookies are made with just granulated sugar, but I prefer to use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture to the dough, keeps the cookies soft, and makes them chewy.
- Egg & Egg Yolk: I found that two eggs were too much, so there’s one egg and one egg yolk. You can save the leftover egg white and use it in these candied pecans or these strawberry turnovers.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor, pure vanilla extract is always best.
How To Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
To make this cookie dough, you’ll start by whisking together your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. This will help ensure that everything is evenly dispersed when you mix it into the wet ingredients.
Next, you’ll cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once the butter and sugars are well combined, mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. I suggest stopping at this point to scrape down the sides of your bowl and mix again to ensure that all of the wet ingredients are well combined.
Then, you’ll add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix them together until just combined. The mixture may seem a little crumbly when you first start mixing in the dry ingredients, this is normal, just keep mixing and I promise the cookie dough will come together.
Once you’ve mixed up the cookie dough, I suggest letting it chill for at least 1 hour. The dough chilling allows the butter to firm back up so the cookies bake up thicker and don’t spread as much. Dough chilling is almost always a must for thicker cookies, so don’t skip this step!
Once the dough is chilled, you’ll measure out the cookie dough and roll each ball of dough in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. One important thing, make sure to only measure out about one tablespoon or 1 and 1/4 inch balls of cookie dough.
I find that balls of cookie dough any larger than one tablespoon don’t tend to bake up nearly as thick. If you don’t have a one tablespoon cookie scoop, just measure the first few scoops of cookie dough with a measuring tablespoon, then you can eyeball the rest from there!
FAQ’s
Do I have to use cream of tartar?
The cream of tartar is one of the ingredients that reacts with the baking soda in these cookies. If you don’t have any on hand, you may replace the cream of tartar and baking soda in this recipe with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Why are my cookies flat?
There are a couple of reasons that these cookies can turn out flat. First, if the butter is too warm the cookies will spread more in the oven. If you experience your cookies spreading too much, simply chill the rest of the cookie dough longer. The second reason could be because your baking soda isn’t fresh. I wrote a full post explaining the difference between baking soda and baking powder here which also explains how to test your baking soda to ensure that it’s fresh. I also recommend using a silicone baking mat if have one, the mat helps to grip the cookies better so they don’t spread as much in the oven.
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, don’t scoop it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- The cookie dough may seem a little crumbly once you add the dry ingredients, but this is normal! Keep mixing the dry ingredients and the mixture will come together just fine.
- Make sure to chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour so the butter is chilled when the cookies go into the oven. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much and ensure a thicker cookie.
- Be sure to measure out the cookie dough, you only need one tablespoon of cookie dough per cookie. You can either use a one tablespoon cookie scoop or a measuring tablespoon. Each ball of cookie dough should measure about 1 and 1/4 inches wide.
More Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for about 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Each ball of cookie dough should measure about 1 and 1/4 inches once you roll it into a ball.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for the coating. Roll each ball of cookie dough into a ball, then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place back on the baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
I haven’t had snickerdoodles in a long time and needed a good recipe – the cookies in the pictures on this page looked DEEEELICIOUS so I had to try. Followed the recipe exactly and came out with P E R F E C T snickerdoodles! They had a little bit of a crunch to the outside and were soft and warm on the inside. It was all I could do to keep my boyfriend from eating them straight off the cookie sheet! 10/10, would bake again, and am sharing the recipe! Thank you!!
So glad you liked the cookies, Jamie!
Hi! I followed everything instructed to do but my cookies did not spread so much. They were more small and compacted. What could have gone wrong?
Did you make sure to spoon & level the flour? If so, just try slightly flattening them before you bake them and that should help them spread. If you find your cookies didn’t spread much after they’re baked, you can also bang the pan once or twice and that will flatten them some too.
I made these and they were really good. Great flavor and crisp on the outside and chewy in the center. Mine did get flatter than those in the picture so I only gave the recipe a 4, but I will bake them again because the taste was great.
My aunt used to make the best snickerdoodles. She passed away 2 years ago. I cannot find her recipe but this looks similar. She always added chocolate chips to her recipe. Would I need to do anything different if I follow your recipe and add chocolate chips?
You can add chocolate chips to the cookie dough at the end, no need to adjust the recipe. I would probably use 1.5-2 cups.
These are so special!! The amount of tang from the cream of tartar is perfect, and the extra cinnamon in the dough really puts them over the top. Amazing. My new tried and true snickerdoodle recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter and it worked beautifully. Thank you!! : )
Loved these cookies!!! Had printed several ones to try….made these first…..stopped with this recipe….PERFECT!!! Could eat them all at once!!
So glad you liked the cookies, Sue!
The flour entirely overwhelms the cookie and all the other ingredients.
Sorry you thought that, Delilah. Did you make sure to spoon and level the flour?
No way, you must have used way too much! Did you spoon and level it, or weigh it out? Just scooping packs the flour too much and will result in using more than you need
I thought these were amazing! Do I have to do anything differently to double the recipe or just a straight calculation?
You should be able to just double the recipe. Keep in mind that it will make a lot of cookie dough, so it may be hard to mix together.
Is this basically a sugar cookie with cinnamon sugar in top? I have been searching for an amazing sugar cookie recipe to make my Christmas cookies and none of them have been up to par. Are these appropriate to add sprinkles or to frost as one would do to decorate sugar cookies? Is the base flavor the same? Thank you! Danielle, your recipes are my family’s absolute favorites. When it’s time to bake, we always refer to you first and go no farther!!!
They’re similar to sugar cookies, but these have a little tang (from the cream of tartar) that you usually find in snickerdoodles. I actually just posted a sugar cookie recipe here, you can use that and add sprinkles or frosting to it.
Are there any alternatives to the cream of tartar? I totally forgot to buy it?
It will probably be okay to omit it, there’s brown sugar in these cookies so that should be enough to react with the baking soda. The cream of tartar just adds a little tanginess to the cookies.
Oh. My. Heavens. I needed a good cookie recipe for a work party. (It was actually a holiday cookie contest.) I added a vanilla-cinnamon glaze for funsies and guess what? I won! First time making these I won actual money. You’re an all-star in my book! I’ll be visiting your site more often. XOXO
So happy to hear that! I’d love to hear if you try any other recipes too!
I have been a Snickerdoodle connoisseur for over 50 years now. This is a very delicious recipe, cookies came out moist… Premo… excellent job
I just made a batch and they didn’t spread at all. I made sure to spoon the flour and the cream of tartar added way too much tang.
Sorry you had trouble with the recipe, Nicole. If your cookies aren’t spreading your oven may be a bit too hot. You can slightly flatten the cookies before you bake them and that can help them spread. As for the cream of tartar, I don’t find it to be too tangy. You can feel free to reduce it if you prefer though.
I made these this morning with reservation since I’ve never made Snickerdoodles before. I followed the directions exactly (including spooning the flour) and was nervous when the dough was really hard after refrigeration. I baked them about 8-9 minutes or until the tops cracked and they are soft, chewy, and just slightly crispy on the edges. My only issue was they split a little on some edges and were rounded on others. Overall, they turned out nicely. Thank you!
I made these cookies for the first time and brought them to work. They were gone immediately! Someone asked me to make them again and the dough came out too crumbly and dry to make into balls. I’ve got them in the fridge for a while longer. What can I do?
Hi, Ashley! Did you make sure to spoon and level the flour for this batch?
I just made these cookies with a friend, just for fun. He was looking for a good snickerdoodle recipe and we stumbled upon yours, and I am glad we did! The cookies came out delicious: extremely moist and you could taste the “tang” of the cream of tartar, not in a bad way though. The cookies were very evenly balanced, flavor wise, and the appearance was identical to the images you had. This is now a go-to cookie recipe whenever I’m in a pinch. Thank you Danielle! <3
I plan on recreating some of your other recipes!!!
So glad the cookies turned out great for you, Lexi! I’d love to hear if you try any other recipes!
These turned out perfectly delicious and beautiful and I confess I didn’t even do the scoop/level flour method! Thanks for the recipe!
Havent tried this particular recipe yet but my snickerdoodles always begin perfectly soft right after baking and then turn rock hard within the next hour. Any tips on how to keep them soft? I wanna make super soft and chewy snickerdoodles for valentines day 🙂
It helps to *slightly* underbake them and let them finish baking/setting up as they come out of the oven. If they’re too hard, you can store them in a container with a slice of bread and that will soften them too.
I tried this recipe out and was slightly nervous because I’m at high altitude and wasn’t sure how they’d turn out, but they turned out amazing and all of the cookies were gone within hours at my house! Amazing texture and consistency – just make sure you follow the directions exactly!
I’ve been looking for a good snickerdoodle recipe for a long time. I decided to give this one a try after using the carrot cake recipe posted on this website for a holiday party (and multiple times thereafter). Followed the recipe as written, being sure to spoon out the flour, refrigerate the batter for about an hour, bake for 7-8 min. in the oven and let cool on the baking sheet. The cookies came out moist, chewy and had the right amount of tanginess–the epitome of a snickerdoodle. Fantastic.
Amazing cookies! First time I ever made them, and even with a bit of trouble (put them too close together in the first batch) I got really great cookies.
Though – they did flatten at the end. I wonder what I might need to do to keep them puffed up? After about 5minutes in the oven, they had spread out and were looking nice and puffed up, but then at 7-8min they had fallen and become flat. Still pretty chewy and tasty, but not quite as fluffy as I’d prefer.
They should stay a little puffed up after you’ve baked them. Have you checked your baking soda to make it’s still fresh?
I followed the recipe and the cookies came out perfect. My family and friends loved them. Thank you for such a wonderful and easy recipe!💖
My grandson and I will be baking these cookies later today. In the future, can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi, Dawn! You probably could use cake flour, but I recommend using all-purpose flour in this recipe. Cake flour is also much lighter than all-purpose flour, so you would need to use a bit more if you do use it.
Hi ms Danielle. Are there substitutes if nutmeg is not available? Thanks
There’s no nutmeg in this recipe. Do you mean for the cinnamon? If so, there’s not a substitute for it. I recommend using the ground cinnamon.
I had to write bc I’ve made snickerdoodles from many of the popular baking blogs with success however these blew my mind!! They were by far the best yet. Thank you for a great recipe that will forever be my go-to!!
Thank you so much, Lisa! So happy to hear that!
I have tried alot of other recipes that claim they are the best snickerdoodles. Wrong. This is definately the best! I had the page bookmarked but when I got a new cell, I lost the web page. I was devastated! I spent hours going through recipe after recipe to find this one. I finally found it and it made my day! Trust me, this recipe is the best chrwy snickerdoodles!
I followed this recipe to the T. I am always careful with spooning flour and leveling it. The dough cane out super duper crumbly. Even after refrigeration. Anything I can do to save it? Thanks!
The dough will be a little crumbly at first, but as you keep mixing it will come together. If it’s cold right now, you can try to bring it to room temperature and see if you can get it mixed together. If it won’t mix together you can try adding a little milk to see if that will help.