Snickerdoodles
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With their whimsical name and iconic tangy flavor, who can resist a snickerdoodle?
With their whimsical name and classic tangy flavor, snickerdoodles are impossible to resist. They are similar to sugar cookies, but with the addition of cream of tartar, which gives them their signature tang, and a sparkly cinnamon-sugar coating. Fresh out of the oven, snickerdoodle cookies are perfectly soft in the center and crisp on the edges. They are best enjoyed fresh, but you can revive day-old cookies by popping them in the microwave for a few seconds. Bookmark this snickerdoodle recipe for a fun family baking project—kids love to form the squishy dough into balls and roll them in cinnamon-sugar before baking.
“These cookies are so delicious, easy, and fast to make! I’ve been baking for a long time and these are the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Snickerdoodles
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the base for the cookies. To ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Cream Of Tartar: Adds a tangy taste unique to snickerdoodles.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture, creating a tender texture. Many snickerdoodle recipes call for a combination of butter and shortening, but I stick with all butter to give the cookies better flavor.
- Sugar: The majority of the sugar sweetens the cookie dough; a small portion is combined with cinnamon to create a flavorful coating for the dough balls.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Along with the sugar, provides the warm, spicy flavor characteristic of snickerdoodles.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters, combine the butter and sugar.
Beat until creamy.
Add the eggs.
Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix until the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pinch off tablespoon-size pieces of dough and form into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 8 minutes, until puffy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
These cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made. However, they can be reheated briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven texture. The dough may also be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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Snickerdoodles
With their whimsical name and iconic tangy flavor, who can resist a snickerdoodle?
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1½ cups of the sugar until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap (dust your hands with flour if the dough is sticky); refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Pinch off tablespoons of dough and shape into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, shifting the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
- Note: These cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made. However, the cookies can be reheated briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven texture. The dough may also be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (56 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 79
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 46mg
- Cholesterol: 15mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I just have to say that I have tried MANY of your recipes and every one is fantastic! Thank you so much! I really want to try this snickerdoodle recipe, but would like to add pumpkin puree. Any thoughts on that?
I’ve looked at pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes, but I trust your expertise!
Hi Athena, Glad you enjoy the recipes! It may work to add pumpkin puree to this recipe, but instead, I would suggest trying these pumpkin cookies of mine. You could also stick with the snickerdoodle recipe and add a pumpkin flavored icing to them. (I don’t have a recipe for an icing like that, but I bet you could find one online.)
Do you have any suggestions for high altitude adjustments? I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado at 6900 feet. Snickerdoodles are my grandsons fave cookie and I’d like to give these s try but am afraid they will come out flat.
By the way I made your Caramel Toffee Crunch Cheesecske two times in the last few weeks and it came out beautifully!!!!
Hi Veta, Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking so I’m hesitant to give advice. King Arthur has a great resource though. Here’s the link.
I just pulled these out of the oven and ate 3 almost immediately. They are so delicious, Jenn! I followed your recipe exactly and my cookies are perfect. They look identical to your cookies. No modifications necessary, in my opinion. When is that cookbook coming out, Jenn? I need it yesterday. ?
These are delicious!! I baked for only 8 minutes and the next day they were sooo soft and buttery. Thank you, Jenn, for another fantastic recipe!
Hi Jenn,
I would really like to make this recipe but I don’t have cream of tartar. It would be great if you could give me substitutions for it or is it essential to have that particular ingredient?
Hi Kathie, I actually think you could get away without the cream of tartar for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was so easy and so good. I’ve got a new oven and have not had much luck with my cookies as they have been coming out flat, but these cookies came out beautifully puffed up and had a great soft and almost cake-like texture.
Hi Jenn, I am wondering if I can sub AP flour with cake flour for this and all your cookie recipes? If yes, do I need to do any changes in the amount? Will the texture be different?
This chewy cookie is awesome! I can’t stop eating them! Instruction is easy to follow, this is my go-to snickerdoodle!
Hi Serena, Cake flour makes very delicate baked goods so I wouldn’t recommend it for cookies; you’ll get much better results with all purpose flour.
What kind of baked goods use cake flour?
Hi Serena, Different flours contain varying amounts of protein. Cake flour has the least amount of protein and yields very light baked goods (like angel food cake). In general, it’s good for for baking cakes and other baked goods that have a high amount of sugar. Hope that helps!
Trying to make some goodies for family when the new Grandbaby comes. Can I freeze these baked or better to freeze dough and bake later? Thanks.
Love your recipes.
That’s nice Leigh! These can be frozen either before or after baking, so it’s really based on what you prefer. See the very bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
Delicious!
Not really sure what I did wrong here but (I thought) I followed the recipe and my little balls didn’t really flatten out… so they kinda stayed round. They looked funny but tested good 🙂 I liked the “crumbly” consistency these ended up having
Sorry to hear that they didn’t look like you expected– Perhaps you used too much flour? (The flour should be gently spooned into the measuring cup.) Also, it could be that the dough was a bit too cold when you pulled it out of the fridge. Let me know if you have better luck if you make them again!
I honestly thought that these snickerdoodles were the BEST!!! Tossed out the old recipe!!!