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
This is the ultimate Snickerdoodle recipe! Soft, thick, and chewy with perfectly tender centers and crisp, cinnamon-sugar-coated edges.
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.
Is it ok to refrigerate the dough overnight?
Absolutely! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
I am getting married
in two weeks…can I make these now, bake them and freeze them or should I freeze them in the ball stage? Thank you
I’d freeze them in the ball stage! Congrats!!
Why is 1.5 tsp of cream of tartar instead of 1/2 tbsp? It’s much easier, plus I only dirty 1 spoon.
The same goes for 3 tsp of cinnamon when it’s easier to scoop 1 tbsp instead of 1 tsp.
The cookies were good. Although they took longer to cook 15-20 minutes at 325. Mone were also in the fridge over night and pretty solid.
Occassionally I get a bite that tastes like flower, but most ate really good maybe a little sweet at times. I’m not a snickerdoodle fan. I don’t hate them just not in live with this type of cookie. So much better than those store bought ones for work 2 weeks ago.
This may be a dumb question. Especially since no one else asked. But how do you know the butter is 80% melted.
Thank you! Can’t wait to make these! I am a huge snickerdoodle fan!
Not a dumb question 🙂 I’d watch the video on this post to see the consistency of the butter used. Enjoy!
²I’ve always seen snickerdoodlesnwith the characteristic crackled top. Your photos look like these have a consistent cinnamon top. Is there a way to make them crackled?
I’ve never even tasted a snickerdoodle…lol. Last night I was craving something sweet and different and gave these a try. I had to threaten my 12 year old son’s life to get another after he tasted these. I’m not new to baking but am new to these. I followed this recipe completely and listened to every tip. These turned out fabulous. I see no need to ever try a new snickerdoodle recipe. I don’t think I can mess with perfection. Thank you for sharing!!
Carrie you made my day! Hahaha I feel the same way with my boys when I make these cookies! Hahaha i’m so glad you enjoyed these!:)
Absolutely great! The tips were wonderful and made for a much tastier cookie, and I have been making snickerdoodles since I was a tiny kid with my great grandma. This recipe was easy to follow and the cookies just melt in your mouth. I could not tell my kids no more cookies because I was diving in with them, hehe. Definitely a cookie recipe to save!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks Alysha! 🙂
This may sound silly but when you say separated on the eggs am I supposed to use them both after separating them or just the whites or just the yolks?
You’ll add in 1 whole egg and 1 whole egg yolk (discard the whites of 1 of the eggs). Enjoy!
Thats were i messed up i seperated the eggs n discarded the whites?
This is the best snicker doodle recipe I’ve ever made, they are like I bought them from our local bakery, perfect ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! 🙂
These cookies are absolutely fantastic! I loved the tall cookie ball technique, that really helps with them staying soft and chewy. I will be trying that technique with other cookies to see if I can get the same effect. I did use vegan butter because my husband is lactose intolerant and they came out SOOO GOOD! This is now my go to recipe for snickerdoodles!
I would just like to say that my roommate called these cookies “truly life changing” and nearly shed a tear at how good they were.
I made a convert out of a former snickerdoodle hater. Thanks for the tips! These are seriously the best.
This is the cutest comment. I’m sooo happy to hear you guys loved these! Thanks Katie! 🙂