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 itโ€™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 325ยฐF. 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 15โ€“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 9โ€“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 โ€œmetricโ€ for accuracy. Aim for 395 grams of flour for this recipe.
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2โ€“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 Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”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. Suzie says:

    5 stars
    Very tasty! I’m not a fan of gooey, so I let the 2nd batch cook 2 minutes longer…total of 13 mins. They turned out perfect for me…still soft. I have a question though. I like fluffier cookies. How would I do this with this recipe? Baking powder instead of baking soda? I’m not a baker, but this recipe made me look like one! Thank you!,

  2. Elyse says:

    5 stars
    Hi, I’d just like to say a massive thankyou for such a simple but delicious recipe. No one in my family, including me, has much baking talent. My mother can’t make anything without burning it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father touch something sweet in the kitchen and this is pretty much the first time I’ve ever made something which actually tastes good. This flavour just has so many memories for me. Overall, this is the first Snickerdoodle cookie I’ve had in years, and thanks so much for a recipe that even I could pull off.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Ahh Elyse this is so sweet! Thank you sooo much! And i’m so glad to hear you love these snickerdoodle cookies! They are definitely one of our favorite! Thanks!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Roberta Ishihara says:

    5 stars
    I never really cared for snickerdoodle cookies until I baked yours.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      This made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Shannon says:

    5 stars
    I feel itโ€™s important to start by saying that Iโ€™m not a snickerdoodle fan. My daughter wanted to make these and I found this recipe. Followed the recipe to the โ€œTโ€, aside from cutting it in half, and these turned out to be the BEST snickerdoodles Iโ€™ve ever had! They came out exactly like the pictures, and my kids ooooed and awwwed over them! Fantastic recipeโ€”- But you MUST follow the recipe exactlyโ€”โ€” the butter and egg temp, chilling the dough for a full hour, used a convection oven,etc. Baking is science after all, right?

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Shannon thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! Baking is definitely a science! I hope you guys continue to enjoy!

  5. Jane Salter says:

    My grandson is Thru hiking the Appalacian Trail – he’s gone over 1200 miles on his way to Maine from Georgia. He just requested snickerdoodles and so I’m sending him yours in the morning!
    He’ll pick them up next week so counting on them still being good. How long should I chill the dough?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Wow! That sounds amazing! I’d freeze the cookies after baking them to keep them super fresh if you’re able too ๐Ÿ™‚ Also dough chills for 45 minutes to an hour; enjoy!

      1. Lauren says:

        5 stars
        If I put them in freezer after baking them to keep them super fresh… how should I go about reheating my cookies when I take them out of freezer to ensure freshness ?

        1. chelseamessyapron says:

          I’d just thaw them in the fridge ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Barbara says:

    5 stars
    WOW…Was looking for the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe! I have def found it! These cookies are crazy good!! Recipe & extra tips are spot on!! These cookies are perfection!! Thank you so much! Now, if youโ€™ll excuse me, I have some cookies to devour!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Ahh thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! They are definitely a favorite at my house!

    2. Amelia Barrales says:

      5 stars
      I just made these last night THANK YOU THEY WE’RE DELICIOUS

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        So happy to hear that!! Thanks Amelia ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. BELLa says:

    5 stars
    Having made cookies numerous times, I was hesitant about the shape you suggested but wow, what an amazing technique. I used 100% white whole wheat flour and you can’t even tell. Ridiculously delicious and the perfect shape and texture. Would the tall and skinny shape work for other cookie recipes as well( chocolate chip etc.). I have never been able to get my chocolate chip cookies to come out flat and chewy. Thanks so much for this recipe and your great tips!!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so welcome! I’m thrilled you loved the texture and taste of these cookies Bella ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Janine says:

    Thsee cookies came out in a ball. – a hard round ball. I don’t know what I did wrong,

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Did you make any changes to the recipe? It sounds like you may have packed in too much flour or not used enough butter if they didn’t spread. And how long did you chill the dough for (it wasn’t frozen was it)? I’ve made these cookies dozens of times and had many successful reports from readers so I’d love to help troubleshoot these with you!

  9. Stephanie says:

    Can this dough be rolled out to do cookie cutters ?

  10. Kristine Kushmore says:

    5 stars
    Never been a huge fan, but I make them at the holidays because everyone loves them. These are the best and now one of my favorites! The tips are spot on. Thanks!!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      So happy to hear that! Thanks Kristine ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Debbie Soares says:

      5 stars
      My hubby and I are both diabetic, so the only change I made was using the stevia/cane sugar mix. Awesome!

      1. Karen K says:

        5 stars
        Tried three other recipes before finding yours. Perfection! Followed recipe exactly except went with more of a ‘pyramid’ shape on the second batch and got a rounder final cookie. Seriously, just beyond delicious!

        1. Chelsea Lords says:

          So, so happy to hear this! Thanks Karen ๐Ÿ™‚