Easy Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

Snickerdoodles are a classic cookie recipe that never fails to please. Here is the best time-tested snickerdoodle cookie recipe that you’ll keep coming back to!

Snickerdoodles are a perfect winter-time cookie, with their classic cinnamon and vanilla flavor and warm, chewy texture. This recipe is a winner, with a perfect blend of sugar and spices that make it memorable and cravable. And because it’s so easy, it’s something you’ll turn to over and over again.

It wasn’t until I found a really good recipe that I actually enjoyed snickerdoodles. Before, I always thought they were flavorless and had a bad texture, leaving me unsatisfied. But now that I have a great recipe, I’ve made them so often even my toddler can say “snickerdoodle”!

What’s the difference between a snickerdoodle and a sugar cookie?

Some people think snickerdoodles are just sugar cookies with cinnamon. But a good snickerdoodle is very different than a sugar cookie. They have different textures and flavors. Sugar cookies are dense, sweet, and crumble when you eat them. Snickerdoodles have an airy, chewy texture from the cream of tartar, in addition to the yummy blend of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla.

What is cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar is not actually a cream, but a powder sold in the spice aisle that provides leavening to baked goods such as cookies and meringues. Baking powder is actually baking soda combined with cream of tartar. It’s a key ingredient to the snickerdoodle because it provides lift without adding extra baking soda which can add a bitter flavor. It also creates the unique and cravable chewy texture of the cookie that people remember by preventing the sugar from crystalizing.

Cream of tartar is a very common item in the spice aisle. Even if you don’t know how often you’ll use it, it’s a great item to keep in the cupboard. It doesn’t go bad quickly and has so many uses. Some recipes suggest ways to make this cookie without cream of tartar, but really, it’s just not as good any other way.

How do I know they’re done?

Because the cookies are coated in cinnamon and sugar before baking, it’s harder to tell that they’re done. Watch the timer and when you’ve reached nine minutes, check on them. If they’ve lost their shine, and show a little bit of crack, they’re done. If you touch the cookie and it’s not wet or soft, it’s cooked. Don’t let them stay in the oven too long; an overdone snickerdoodle will lose its special texture.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1-1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the mix:

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 scant teaspoons cinnamon

Recipe

1. Mix one cup/two sticks softened, room temperature butter with 1-1/2 cups white sugar.
2. Let the two cream together for several minutes, until the mix is light yellow/white and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
4. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl, especially the bottom.
5. Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and baking soda) and mix until combined.
6. The dough will be sticky and dry, definitely not a wet mix.
7. In a separate bowl, mix two scant teaspoons cinnamon with 1/3 cup white sugar.
8. Don’t overdo the cinnamon, it will interfere with the sugar coating the cookie.
9. Roll a cookie dough ball in the palm of your hand, and then roll it in the sugar mix.
10. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to show cracks, have lost their shine, and are not wet to the touch.
11. Let the cookies cool on a tray before serving. If you have any left, they’ll stay fresh for four days.
12. Dough will last the same time in the fridge, and freezes well in a roll or in individual balls.
13. Do not roll the dough in the sugar mix before freezing.
14. Enjoy these yummy classic cookies with milk, with hot cocoa, or on their own; and share joy with someone you love to make them even better!

Do I need to chill the dough?

You don’t need to chill the dough with this recipe because it has enough flour to maintain its shape as you roll it in the sugar cinnamon mix before baking it. You can chill it, which will give the cookies a slightly more uniform shape. But, doing so will make the cookies firmer, making it harder for the cinnamon sugar blend to stick to the outside. If you refrigerate the dough before cooking, give it at least 15 minutes to rest after pulling it out before attempting to work with it.

How Much Cinnamon should you use in the cinnamon-sugar mixture?

You want a ratio of two scant teaspoons for every 1/3 cup sugar for the mix. Otherwise, the cinnamon will stick to the cookies before the bigger sugar particles do, and it won’t achieve a nice uniform coating. I love cinnamon but this is not the place to overdo it.

More Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy:

• Easy Rolo Cookies Recipe
• The Best Easy Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
• Easy Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe That Really Snap
• The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The BEST Easy Thumbprint Cookies
• Easy Linzer Cookies Recipe
• Chocolate Chip Caramel Crumb Bars

These snickerdoodle cookies are easy to make – and even easier to eat. You will have people begging you for the recipe!