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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Do you have weight measurements for the flour and sugar?
Hi Janice, I just added them to the recipe. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Just made the dough and was doing it in metric, but noticed the sugar seemed a little short. I thought 200g was about one cup of sugar, not 1.5 cups.
Anyway I made the dough with the 200g so I’ll see how it turns out.
I made these cookies yesterday and they are wonderful! I’m so glad to have found a good Snickerdoodle recipe. I just ate two for breakfast! Thanks so much!
Hello! My daughter and I tried this recipe but the cookies did not flatten out and looked like a dome. Do you know what we might have missed? Anyhow, she said it’s still delicious!
Hi Maureen, it could be that the dough was quite cold (which will cause them to spread less while baking) or that you used a bit too much flour. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely. Also, did you serve them on the same day? Like most homemade cakes, they don’t stay fresh for long.
Recipe was so easy and worked beautifully! I’ll be making these again! I was out of cream of tartar, so substituted with baking powder and they came out great. I will make with cream of tartar next time to compare.
These snickerdoodles are SO good! I did tweak a little- added a touch of vanilla and used 3:1 ratio cinnamon/ sugar mixture. I plan on taking these to my son’s school for Open House. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Delicious Cookies. Recipe worked perfectly, and everyone loved them!
I am the new hero of my friend’s teenagers! I thought I’d try these at the last minute (the recipe is SO easy and quick!) and boy, were they a hit! I am now “known” for “my” Snickerdoodles because of this recipe! I tried both doughy and crispier and both were good! Highly recommend you make these but you might want to double the recipe so there are more to share! They go FAST!
We tried this recipe and it is soooo good! Made this numerous times. My daughter even brought these cookies to a cookie party and hers was just gone in minutes! Delicious and easy to follow baking instructions! Way to go Jen! Love, love them.
Absolutely delicious and our kids had a lot of fun making these!! We actually made these twice this past week and took them to parties with rave reviews. These will certainly be on our rotation to make again and again. Thanks for another solid recipe!
These snickerdoodles came out beautifully- very buttery and full of cinnamon. I like a chewy cookie and this had a more tender crumb. It also made for the perfect texture cookie for ice cream sandwiches. Will definitely make again!