Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

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My Snickerdoodle recipe makes SOFT and chewy cookies in less than 30 minutes. It’s super easy to make, includes plenty of tips for success, and there’s NO chilling required. Recipe includes a how-to video!

Snickerdoodle Recipe (1)

The BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe

Christmas cookie season was always serious business when I was growing up (a tradition I’m happy to carry on in my own home). Every year, my mom would mass-produce the classics: Snickerdoodles, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies and (of course) sugar cookies.

My mom is a fantastic baker and we devoured her cookies, but I always had a bone to pick with her snickerdoodle recipe. It would start off decent enough, but as soon as the cookies cooled they quickly became dry and crumbly. They always lingered longer than the other cookies (don’t worry, they still got eaten, my family hardly discriminates with sweets), but if you know how I feel about cookies, you’ll know this just didn’t sit right with me, and something had to change.

It took a lot of tweaking and taste-testing, but I’m so excited to share my tested and perfected (Mom-approved) snickerdoodle recipe. This one is made with butter instead of shortening (my mom’s used shortening, but if you recall from mypeanut butter blossomsI’m a butter kind of person!) and a few key tweaks that make the snickerdoodle cookies extra soft. I can’t wait for you to try this one.

Why use my recipe:

  • No chilling.
  • Ready in less than half an hour!
  • Perfected ingredients and technique for soft and chewy cookies.
  • Can be made in advance (and frozen!).
  • Yields soft, buttery, crinkly, cinnamon sugar-infused cookies that all but melt in your mouth and stay soft for days!

What You Need

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My snickerdoodle recipe uses classic ingredients for that classic, subtly tangy flavor. Make sure yours are at room temperature before starting:

  • Butter. I use unsalted butter and add salt separately so that I have better control over the flavor of the cookies.
  • Egg + egg yolk. An extra yolk makes these snickerdoodles particularly soft and tender. Using two whole eggs would make them a bit too puffy and cakey.
  • Corn starch. This is my favorite secret ingredient for super soft cookies! It helps make the them tender while at the same time keeping them from spreading too much.
  • Cream of tartar. If you read my cream of tartar post, then you know this is a critical ingredient in any snickerdoodle recipe! Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor–don’t skip it, and unfortunately I can’t recommend a suitable substitute, either.

SAM’S TIP: When making cookies, I’m not as worried about over-beating as I am with cakes; however, I still recommend you avoid beating your ingredients too much or for too long as it can make for puffy, cakey, dry cookies.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Snickerdoodles

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  1. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
  2. Stir together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually stir them into the wet ingredients.
  3. Roll the dough into balls, then roll through cinnamon sugar before baking for 11-12 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool before enjoying!

SAM’S TIP: When your cookies are finished baking they should have pretty crackly centers and they may also appear just a touch under-baked–this is good! You want to let your cookies coolcompletely on the baking sheet (they would be too fragile to move, anyway) and they will finish baking all the way there. If your cookies were to come out of the oven fully baked, they would continue to bake as they cooled, which actually leaves you with over-baked, dry, crumbly cookies. This method of cooling them and letting them finish baking on the cookie tray leaves you with soft, chewy cookies!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How should snickerdoodle cookies be stored?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. My snickerdoodle recipe makes cookies that will stay soft and fresh for up to a week this way.

Why did some of my cookies crack while others didn’t?

Pretty crackled tops are as signature to snickerdoodles as their tang, so its disappointing when they are missing. Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren’t cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn’t heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn’t applied as thoroughly.

Can I make these ahead of time?

This snickerdoodle recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance; just cover and store in the fridge. You can also freeze the dough! Simply roll it into balls, wrap individually (don’t roll through the cinnamon/sugar until before baking), and store in an airtight container.

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If you’re a fan of crunchy cookies or puffy, cakey cookies, I’m afraid these might not be for you. I like my snickerdoodle cookies soft, buttery, crinkly andchewyand these are just that, nearly melting in your mouth with each bite.

Enjoy!

And if you love this snickerdoodle recipe, try my snickerdoodle scones!

Let’s bake together!I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe andvideobelow! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me onInstagram, and you can also find me onYouTubeandFacebook

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

You are going to LOVE these soft, chewy, buttery Snickerdoodle Cookies! With NO CHILLING required they are ready in under 30 minutes!

4.95 from 72 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226g) softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (see my post on how to measure flour properly to avoid cookies that are dry) (375g)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For rolling

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F¹ (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper

  • In stand mixer or with hand mixer cream butter and sugar together on medium-low speed until combined.

  • Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, stirring again until combined. Pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

  • In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

  • With mixer on low speed, gradually stir flour mixture into your butter mixture until completely combined (the dough becomes fairly thick, and you will need to scrape the sides/bottom of the bowl several times to ensure it is well combined).

  • In a separate small bowl, stir together cinnamon and sugar for rolling.

  • Roll dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls and roll in your cinnamon/sugar mixture.

  • Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake on 350F (175C) for 11-12 minutes, the centers may appear slightly under-done still and that is OK! Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet where they will finish baking without drying out or becoming hard or crumbly.

Notes

Never place cookie dough on hot cookie sheet, it will melt and you will have extremely thin cookies.

¹Recipe Update Note:

When I originally published this recipe I recommended baking the cookies at 375F (190C) for 10 minutes. That will still work (and work well!), but I’ve found that baking them at 350F (175C) for 11-12 minutes yields even softer, chewier cookies and now recommend that.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

This snickerdoodle recipe was originally published 04/18/2016.

Related Recipes

  • Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
  • Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
  • Chocolate Snickerdoodles
  • Snickerdoodle Blondies
Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my snickerdoodles crack? ›

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.

How to tell when snickerdoodles are done baking? ›

How do you know when the cookies are baked? The snickerdoodle cookies will only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them! It's best to rotate the cookies after about 6 minutes so that the cook evenly. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centres are soft and cracked.

Why didn't my snickerdoodles flatten out? ›

If your oven is too hot or too cold, it may influence whether or not your cookies spread properly. If you didn't preheat your oven to the correct temperature before placing your tray of cookies in the oven, it will be too cold and your cookies won't have enough time to spread.

What happens if you add too much cream of tartar? ›

“Too much cream of tartar will impart a metallic, tin-like taste,” Molly warns.

How much cream of tartar should I add? ›

It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake. The ratio is usually 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every egg white.

Why are my snickerdoodles spreading so much? ›

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking.

Why did my snickerdoodles come out dry? ›

However they won't be particularly chewy and they should not spread out on the baking sheet that much. There are several reasons why the cookies may have become dry and crumbly but the two most likely are that either the cookies were baked for too long or too much flour was added to the dough.

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be soft when they come out of the oven? ›

They puff in the oven and then settle back down while cooling into a soft, thick, supremely chewy cookie with a gorgeous crinkly top. They've received nothing but rave reviews!

Why does snickerdoodle dough need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerating snickerdoodle dough lets the butter resolidify and prevents the cookies from flattening out in the oven. I recommend giving the dough at least 45-60 minutes of chilling time in the fridge before baking.

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be undercooked? ›

Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie. Take them out of the oven after about 10-11 minutes. This will keep the interior of the cookie soft and chewy.

Why do my snickerdoodles taste like flour? ›

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

Why aren't my snickerdoodles puffy? ›

How do you make snickerdoodles puffy and soft? The secret's in the ratio of butter to leavener to flour to egg. Don't use shortening here; you'll miss the flavor of butter. Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie.

How do you fix snickerdoodle dough? ›

There are a few things you can do to fix dry and crumbly cookie dough. There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening.

Why do my snickerdoodles sink in the middle? ›

Snickerdoodles can come out flat if 1) the leaveners you used (for this recipe, it's both the baking soda and the cream of tartar) are on the old side and no longer work, and 2) if you baked them at a lower temperature.

What does adding cream of tartar do to cookies? ›

It adds tang to snickerdoodles, stabilizes egg whites for fluffy angel food cakes and light-as-air meringues, and prevents sugar from crystallizing for smooth syrups and chewy cookies. Cream of tartar is incredibly versatile and is an absolute must-have for all bakers, no matter their skillset.

What is the purpose of adding cream of tartar? ›

The most common recipes that call for cream of tartar are those that call for egg whites to be whipped, like angel food cake, genoise cake, meringue, and macarons. Jampel says that is because cream of tartar works as an egg white stabilizer that increases both the volume and shelf life of the meringue.

Why did my snickerdoodles come out cakey? ›

Using too much flour will make your cookies too cakey, so try reducing the flour amount by two tablespoons. Avoid using cake flour instead; try a mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour for a more dense and chewy texture.

Why are my snickerdoodles so fluffy? ›

Why are my snickerdoodles puffy? Too much flour - spoon and level the flour correctly how I show it in my chocolate chip cookie post. Inaccurate oven temperature (too hot) - I advise using an oven thermometer for accurate baking results.

References

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