If you're looking for a reliable, easy recipe to make your own batch of snickerdoodles at home, this is the one! The dough comes together quickly, and the result is a soft, chewy cookie with a perfectly crisp exterior from the cinnamon-sugar coating.
This truly is the BEST snickerdoodle recipe! Every time I make these cookies, I get rave reviews from everyone. They deliver that classic tangy flavor from the cream of tartar with just the right amount of cinnamon, but what really sets them apart is their texture, slightly crisp on the edges and pillow-soft in the middle!
Table of contents
What I love most about this recipe is that it relies on simple pantry staples I always have in my kitchen. There's no need for complicated ingredients or chilling the dough for hours, just basic baking essentials to create a cozy treat everyone knows and loves.
More Classic Cookie Recipes You'll Love: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugars without melting. Salted butter can be substituted, just omit the salt from the recipe.
- Granulated & Light Brown Sugar: While traditional snickerdoodles use only white sugar, adding light brown sugar is my secret to keeping these cookies extra moist and chewy!
- Cream of Tartar: A non-negotiable for authentic snickerdoodles! It gives the cookies their signature, slightly tangy flavor, and chewy texture.
- Cinnamon & Sugar Coating: A simple mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon rolled over the dough balls before baking creates that iconic crackled, sweet crust.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
How To Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
This recipe is pretty straightforward, following the typical creaming method. There is no chilling required, which is always a bonus in my book!
- Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Combine the butter mixture with the dry ingredients to make the dough.
- Scoop the dough and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. Enjoy!
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
👉 Sky's Tips
- Cream the Butter & Sugar Thoroughly: Don't rush step one! Creaming the softened butter and sugars together for about 2 minutes incorporates air into the dough. This creates a lighter dough structure, giving your snickerdoodles the best texture!
- Use Room Temperature Eggs: Set your eggs out about 30 minutes before baking (or place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes) so they blend in smoothly and keep your batter uniform.
- Don't Overbake: The golden rule for chewy snickerdoodles is pulling them out of the oven when the edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still look soft and slightly puffy. They will continue to set on the warm baking sheet as they cool! Overbaking will turn them crisp and dry rather than soft and chewy.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Store baked snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Layer cooled cookies with parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter when ready to enjoy.
Freezing Dough: Scoop the dough and roll in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour until solid, then transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the total bake time.
I hope these classic Snickerdoodle become a favorite in your kitchen too!
-Sky🩷
If you tried this Easy Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay connected!
📖 Recipe
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Coating
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, 1 ⅓ cups of granulated sugar and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt. Then stir it into the butter mixture.
- In a small bowl mix together the remaining ⅓ of granulated sugar and the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon.
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop (or 2 heaping tablespoons) to scoop the cookie dough, then roll each piece into a ball and coat it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange the balls on a prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Enjoy!
Brea says
Hands down the best Snickerdoodles, ever! My family loves this recipe.