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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Hi Jenn,
Just a note of appreciation for your impressively prompt, courteous, patient, and thorough replies to my pre-holiday questions re: a couple of your cookie recipes that I needed to produce at the eleventh hour! And when you must have been up to your eyeballs with your own family gatherings! These five stars are for you! Many thanks!!!
Elise
💗
hey, i just want to know if those cookies are possible if i don’t add any cream of tartar? i’d really like to make them but i just don’t have it
Yes, I think you could get away without the cream of tartar here. Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe! Question, if I make the dough the day before and refrigerate it, does it need to thaw before rolling?
Glad you like it! No, it’s not necessary to let the dough thaw before rolling.
Hi Jenn,
Not sure if my first email went thru! Asking the purpose of two racks and changing positions halfway thru the baking time? Is this to customize the temperature/texture? Or simply to accommodate two baking sheets at a time? So if using only one sheet for a smaller recipe, do I still need to change racks halfway thru?
Also, I tried both soft and crispy textures—is the crispy supposed to be just crispy around the rim, or almost like a “cracker”?
Thank you!!
Elise
Hi Elise, The purpose of using two racks and alternating the baking sheets is to ensure the cookies on two sheets bake evenly. If you’re only cooking one sheet at a time, you can bake them in the center of the oven for the whole time. The cookies should be crispy around the rim. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn,
Would like to make these cookies tomorrow for Thanksgiving on Thursday, but size of dough balls looks bigger than tablespoon on picture- can you give me an approximate diameter, so they flatten properly? Also, Can the cookies be stored in the airtight container on the kitchen counter for two days, or do they have to be refrigerated to preserve the texture? And can they be stored for two days, even if baked at the “crispy” 10 minute timing without compromising the texture?
Thanks!
Elise
Hi Elise, the balls should be about 1-1/4-inch in diameter. And, yes, it should be fine for them to be stored in a container for 2 days even baked using the crispy timing. They just won’t be as crispy when you serve them. Hope you enjoy!
These are the best ever! My boyfriend didn’t even like snickerdoodles before I made them and now they are his favorite type of cookie. So good!!
I am looking for a good pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe. Your snickerdoodle recipe sounds so good. Could I add pumpkin to this recipe? Any suggestions?
Hi Debra, I wouldn’t add pumpkin to it, but you could add some pumpkin spice. 🙂
Cookies tasted great but did not flatten. Could this be because I used 390g of spelt flour rather than 390g of all purpose flour?
Hi Ora, I’ve never worked with spelt flour so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that’s what caused the problem.
Hi Jenn! I love all your recipes! I wanted to make these into a little larger cookies? Do I have to change the baking temperature and time? Thanks so much!
Hi Radhika, So glad you like the recipes! For larger cookies, I’d keep the oven temp the same, but add a few minutes to the baking time. Just keep a close eye on them!
Thank you so much Jenn!
These snickerdoodles are AMAZING! I have tried numerous recipes and none of them compare to this one. Not only do they have a great flavor, the texture is perfect… crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 🙂 This will forever be my snickerdoodle recipe.
Thanks again!!! Everything I have made from your site has always worked out perfectly
Thanks for helping me learn to cook! ☺️
So glad you like the recipes and they’re helping you to gain more confidence in the kitchen! 🙂
I would like to make these for a grandchild who is allergic to eggs. What do you recommend for a substitute for the eggs? Thanks!
Hi Carol, Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many baking recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute.
Once again, thank you for your quick reply. Really appreciated.