The best soft, chewy, and thick Snickerdoodle Recipe, with tender centers and perfectly crisp edges!
Why We Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe
- Foolproof: Easy to follow steps ensure success every time.
- Perfectly Spiced: Just the right amount of cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth: Soft interior with crisp edges.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Loved by all, making them perfect for gatherings and events.
- Tangy Twist: Subtle tanginess from cream of tartar.
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.
How To Make This Snickerdoodle Recipe
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk melted butter with sugars until smooth. Add remaining wet ingredients.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients.
- Chill dough.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Roll dough into large balls and coat with a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes,.
- Cool cookies on a rack after resting on sheet for 5 minutes.
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.
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.
Variations
Love this Snickerdoodle Recipe? Try our Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or Caramel Snickerdoodles!
More Delicious Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
Snickerdoodle Recipe
The best soft, chewy, and thick Snickerdoodle Recipe, with tender centers and perfectly crisp edges!
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (Optional, but recommended!)
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter melted & cooled to room temp.
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cup white all-purpose flour (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 white sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- MELT BUTTER: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then let it cool to room temperature. Ensure it's not hot to avoid greasy cookies.
- MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ADD WET INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, mix melted and cooled butter with white and brown sugar until well emulsified. Add whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- COMBINE: Mix the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, ensuring there are no streaks of flour. Avoid over-mixing. Cover dough tightly and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
- PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Stir together white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- ROLL DOUGH BALLS: Portion dough into 45-gram balls (2 packed tablespoons) and shape them into tall balls. Roll dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Return shaped dough balls to the fridge for 15-20 minutes, or until they firm up.
- BAKE: Place dough balls on a parchment/Silpat-lined sheet with ample spacing (about 6 at a time); bake for 9-12 mins. Avoid over-baking; slight under-baking is ideal! After baking, if any cookies have uneven edges, gently press them inward with a metal spatula. Remove tray from the oven and let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack
- STORAGE: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. (Note 2).
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.
Note 2: Shape dough into balls, roll in cinnamon sugar, and freeze on a sheet pan. Transfer frozen dough balls to an airtight container or bag. Baking from Frozen: No need to thaw; bake frozen dough, adding extra minutes as needed. Bake until edges set and center is soft.
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: 31mg | 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.
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!,
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.
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!! 🙂
I never really cared for snickerdoodle cookies until I baked yours.
This made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
I feel it’s important to start by saying that I’m not a snickerdoodle fan. My daughter wanted to make these and I found this recipe. Followed the recipe to the “T”, aside from cutting it in half, and these turned out to be the BEST snickerdoodles I’ve ever had! They came out exactly like the pictures, and my kids ooooed and awwwed over them! Fantastic recipe—- But you MUST follow the recipe exactly—— 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!
Shannon thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! Baking is definitely a science! I hope you guys continue to enjoy!
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?
Wow! That sounds amazing! I’d freeze the cookies after baking them to keep them super fresh if you’re able too 🙂 Also dough chills for 45 minutes to an hour; enjoy!
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 ?
I’d just thaw them in the fridge 🙂
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 you’ll excuse me, I have some cookies to devour!
Ahh thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! They are definitely a favorite at my house!
I just made these last night THANK YOU THEY WE’RE DELICIOUS
So happy to hear that!! Thanks Amelia 🙂
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!!
You are so welcome! I’m thrilled you loved the texture and taste of these cookies Bella 🙂
Thsee cookies came out in a ball. – a hard round ball. I don’t know what I did wrong,
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!
Can this dough be rolled out to do cookie cutters ?
Unfortunately this dough wouldn’t hold the shape. Here’s my favorite cut out cookie dough recipe: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/no-chill-best-ever-sugar-cookies-2-secret-ingredients/
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!!
So happy to hear that! Thanks Kristine 🙂
My hubby and I are both diabetic, so the only change I made was using the stevia/cane sugar mix. Awesome!
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!
So, so happy to hear this! Thanks Karen 🙂