The ultimate BEST EVER SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES! Crisp edges, soft and chewy center, and SO much flavor! These are the BEST EVER! Recipe via chelseasmessyapron.com | #snickerdoodle #cookie #dessert #bake #baking #treat #holiday #cookies #christmas #cinnamon #sugar #easy #video #tutorial

The best soft, chewy, and thick Snickerdoodle Recipe, with tender centers and perfectly crisp edges!

Stack of freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies on a plate, with one broken in half to reveal the soft and delicious interior.

Why We Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe

  1. Foolproof: Easy to follow steps ensure success every time.
  2. Perfectly Spiced: Just the right amount of cinnamon for the best flavor.
  3. Melt-in-Your-Mouth: Soft interior with crisp edges.
  4. Crowd-Pleaser: Loved by all, making them perfect for gatherings and events.
  5. Tangy Twist: Subtle tanginess from cream of tartar.

Various ingredients for making the snickerdoodle recipe arranged on a kitchen counter, including flour, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon.

Snickerdoodle Recipe Ingredients

  • Butter: Opt for unsalted for better salt control.
  • Sugar: We’re combining white and brown for the perfect sweetness.
  • Eggs: Use 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk for richer flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances overall flavor.
  • Flour: Measure accurately for the right consistency.
  • Cream of Tartar: Provides tanginess and stabilizes the dough.
  • Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise.
  • Cinnamon: Adds extra flavor in both dough and topping.

Quick Tip

Our favorite way to bake? Simply use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams. It eliminates guesswork that can come with less precise measuring using cups.

Mixing dry ingredients with added butter in a bowl to create the dough for this delicious dessert.

How To Make This Snickerdoodle Recipe

  1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
  2. In another bowl, whisk melted butter with sugars until smooth. Add remaining wet ingredients.
  3. Combine dry and wet ingredients.
  4. Chill dough.
  5. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  6. Roll dough into large balls and coat with a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon.
  7. Bake for 9-12 minutes,.
  8. Cool cookies on a rack after resting on sheet for 5 minutes.

Adding eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients in a bowl to finish making the dough.

Tips For Success

  • Correctly measure flour: Measure flour accurately to avoid dry or crumbly cookies.
  • Room temperature eggs: Use room temperature eggs for a lighter texture and even dispersion.
  • Kitchen Tools: Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper for this Snickerdoodle Recipe.
  • Press edges inwards: After baking, gently press any uneven edges inward with a metal spatula.
  • Roll tall cookie dough balls:Roll taller, skinnier dough balls for cookies with crisp edges and a chewy center.
  • Keep the dough cold: Maintain cold dough for better texture.

Snickerdoodle dough being shaped, coated in cinnamon sugar, and baked to perfection on a baking sheet for a delicious recipe.

Storage

Storage

  • Store Snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
  • Freeze dough balls, place them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag. Bake straight from the freezer as needed, adding extra a few extra minutes to the baking process.

Snickerdoodle cookies arranged on a plate, fresh out of the oven, warm and inviting with a golden-brown exterior, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and packed with the best flavor.

Variations

Love this Snickerdoodle Recipe? Try our Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or Caramel Snickerdoodles!

More Delicious Cookies

5 from 60 votes

Snickerdoodle Recipe

This is the ultimate Snickerdoodle recipe! Soft, thick, and chewy with perfectly tender centers and crisp, cinnamon-sugar-coated edges.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 22 cookies

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale optional, but recommended!
  • Sheet pan
  • Parchment paper or silicon baking mat

Ingredients 
 

  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-3/4 cup flour see note 1
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions 

  • In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then let cool to room temperature. Ensure it’s not hot to avoid greasy cookies.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • In a separate bowl, mix melted and cooled butter with granulated and brown sugar until well emulsified. Add whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  • Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, ensuring there are no streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing. Cover dough tightly and refrigerate 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir together cinnamon sugar coating ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Portion dough into 45-gram balls (2 packed tablespoons) and shape them into tall balls. Roll dough balls generously in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Return shaped dough balls to the fridge for 15–20 minutes or until they firm up.
  • Place dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat with ample spacing (about 6 at a time); bake 9–12 minutes. Avoid overbaking; slight under-baking is ideal! After baking, if any cookies have uneven edges, gently press them inward with a metal spatula. Remove tray from oven and let cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Proper flour measurement is crucial. Excess flour can lead to dry cookies, while too little can cause spreading. Consider using a kitchen food scale and switch to “metric” for accuracy. Aim for 395 grams of flour for this recipe.
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2–3 days, or freeze cookie dough up to 3 months: Shape dough into balls, roll in cinnamon sugar, and freeze on a sheet pan. Transfer frozen dough balls to an airtight container or bag. When baking from frozen, no need to thaw; bake frozen dough, adding extra minutes as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 60 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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194 Comments

  1. Trish says:

    5 stars
    My family loves these! I’ve made them successfully the past couple years, but this latest batch didn’t spread. Any thoughts on what I might have done wrong? They still tasted good. I just had to smash them down a little to make them look more normal lol.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Most likely too much flour! Be sure to level off the flour measurement and not press it down too hard into flour container/bag! 🙂

  2. Amy S. says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! I’m not known for my baking skills, but all the tips made me look like like a pro. My 18 yo son and his friends actually sent me text compliments after devouring these at school.

    1. Chelsea says:

      Ah I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Amy! 🙂

  3. callie says:

    5 stars
    As your sister, I have to say these are the BEST snickerdoodle recipe out there!! thanks for making me so popular with my friends ♥️🤪

    1. Chelsea says:

      Yay! I’m so happy to hear this Callie! 🙂

  4. Andrea says:

    You mentioned sugar cookies don’t have cream of tartar. Mine does. However, much, much less.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Oh interesting! I’ve never seen that, thanks for sharing! 🙂

  5. Chris says:

    Hello,
    I want to double this recipe, can you tell me what the recipe would be doubled?

    Thank you so much
    Chris

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I’d recommend just making the dough twice instead of trying to double. It gets tricky with the single egg yolk when doubling