Super soft and full of cinnamon – this Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe is sure to be a hit! They’re one of our Most Requested cookie recipes and always get so many compliments!
One of the most classic cookie recipes, we make these snickerdoodles all the time! Almost as often as our chocolate chip, sugar, or M&M cookies! It’s a recipe everyone loves, and it’s so easy to make.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
I LOVE Snickerdoodle Cookies! My family searched for the best Snickerdoodle recipe for a long time, and we finally found THE ONE. We’ve been using it for as long as I can remember now. It’s just as classic as our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sugar Cookies recipes.
Why is it called a Snickerdoodle? From Wikipedia: The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin and that the name is a corruption of the German word Schneckennudeln (“snail noodles”), a kind of pastry. Not sure how that word adapted, but I do admit that there is something sweet and fun about the word.
What’s great about this recipe is that it’s easy and cookies always turn out SOFT, which for me is pretty much a requirement for a good cookie. 🙂
We know there are tons who love this cinnamon cookie, but if you fall under that category, then I suggest giving this cookie recipe a try. We love changing it up as we did with these White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles (more white chocolate chips plus pumpkin spice).
How to Make Snickerdoodles:
We love that these cookies are so simple that even the kids can help out!! The snickerdoodle ingredients needed for this recipe include:
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
You begin by mixing together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside and cream together the butter and sugar followed by adding the eggs until it is well blended.
From there you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix well and then shape dough into 1 inch balls.
Mix these balls into your cinnamon and sugar mixture and place on an un-greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
These cinnamon cookies are baked to perfection and result in the easiest, most delicious cookie!!
What’s the perfect cinnamon/sugar ratio for snickerdoodles? We love using 3 tablespoons sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
How to keep snickerdoodles soft?
A soft snickerdoodle is essential. There are a couple tricks to making and keeping your snickerdoodles soft and chewy, including:
- Do NOT over bake them! Our recipe says to bake for 8-10 min. Depending on how soft you want them, take them out of the oven after 8 minutes. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a minute and then take them off and put them on a cooling rack. 8 minutes cook time will insure a soft chewy cookie – even after they have cooled.
- To keep them soft and chewy, store them in an airtight container. Throw in a little piece of bread into the container with your cookies. The bread will absorb the extra air in the container and make the cookies stay fresh for longer! Most cookies can stay fresh when stored in an airtight container at room temp for about 3 days.
Snickerdoodles FAQ
Is there a substitute for cream of tartar? Yes – you can always substitute fresh lemon juice or white vinegar for cream of tartar. We’ve also used baking powder as a substitute which works but does not provide that tangy flavor cream of tartar usually adds.
Do I need cream of tartar for snickerdoodles? Although cream of tartar is typically used in snickerdoodle recipes to add a unique tangy taste and chewy texture, you can still use a substitute for it. It is one of the key ingredients that transforms it into a tangy, chewy cookie differentiating it from a typical butter sugar cookie.
Can you freeze snickerdoodles? Put them into a freezer bag or container and make sure they are air-tight. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat or serve them, just let them thaw in their container on the counter. They will taste just as yummy the day you made them!
Nothing can beat a warm, cinnamon and sugar covered cookie. That is why we love these snickerdoodles so much! We hope you love them as much as we do.
For more snickerdoodle recipes, check out:
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. (Makes about 3-4 dozen cookies)
They’re very good! I was going to make another batch but saw i didn’t have any salted butter, would it turn out the same with unsalted butter?
Yes, you can use unsalted! I’d just add an extra 1/4 tsp of salt to make up that difference. 🙂
I’d been looking for a winner for snickerdoodles for YEARS! They’re my absolute favorite cookie. And this recipe right here is the only one you’ll ever need! I’ve made these over and over…double and tripled the recipe (because, duh! 😉 ). They can be made into smaller cookies and baked for 9 minutes. They can be made into larger (3T scoop) cookies and baked for 11 minutes. Always perfect. And they stay soft for at least a week or more. (The only way they last that long is if I make a huge batch, because they’re just THAT good!) So go ahead, and print this one…laminate it or put it in a sheet protector, because it’s the last recipe for snickerdoodles you’ll ever need.
Oh my goodness!! You are the sweetest! Thank you so much. I’m so happy to hear you love the snickerdoodles. They are one of my favorite cookies too! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words.
I’m with you Luna….My favorite cookie, even above the cut out sugar cookies with yummy frosting! Not only are they good, but they are relatively healthy if you don’t go crazy and eat half the recipe at one time 🙂 I always add some nutmeg to my cinnamon mixture and it adds a special something. Now, I have to go make some! Your recipes are soooooo good.
Oh thank you for your sweet words! That’s a fun little twist to add some nutmeg. So glad you love the cookies… and I have a hard time not eating half the batch in one sitting as well. 😉
These are always a hit when I make them. So yummy and easy to make!
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love when simple and yummy come together! 😉
I have never made snickerdoodle cookies but have consumed my fair share. These were so easy to make and they taste amazing. My teenage son helped me make them and taste test. He gives them 10/10 and I agree.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that they were a hit! Thank you!
First time making snickerdoodle cookies and these are awesome! Thank you for this recipe! I am never buying snickerdoodle cookies ever again. My teenage boys and husband love them too!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad these cookies were hit with your family too!
I have been makin these for a few years now and there is no better recipe than this one. Everyone loves them. Makin some now I also add nutmeg to mine.
Ooh the nutmeg addition is probably delicious. So glad you enjoy the cookie recipe!
This is the same recipe I grew up with – so yummy! The extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar after baking is a nice touch.
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! I’m definitely a fan of the extra cinnamon sugar too. 😉
The softest best snickerdoodle recipe ever made. Easy recipe to follow. Make with my granddaughters.
Yay! I’m glad the recipe was easy and delicious. What a fun thing to spend time doing with your granddaughters!
So first off the making process was okay. The problem is is that the cookies turned out dry and crumbly. They didn’t have any taste at all so I though mabey dunked in milk would make them taste better but it just got worse. Will not be using this recipe again.
Thanks for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you didn’t have a good experience/enjoy the recipe.
We love cookies in our home and these were no exception. I used my favorite 3Tb cookie scoop for a little bit bigger cookie and they were so tasty. We will be making these all summer long I’m sure.
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies. Brilliant idea to make them a little bigger…. the bigger, the better, right? 😉
Dangerously addictive!
I use some sugar in the raw with the cinnamon to give the cookies some extra crunch.
My family loves these cookies so much, my husband wants them for his birthday instead of cake!
Oh this makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad you (and your husband, too!) love the cookies!
Excellent ❤❤❤
Thank you!!
You forgot to add the cinnamon into the instructions.
Made these for my wife, Linda Gayle. They are her favorite kind of cookie. She is recovering from a stroke, and these delicious cookies hit the spot. Soft and chewy. Great recipe.
I am so sorry to hear about your wife’s stroke. I’m glad that these cookies could bring some comfort! Sending lots of prayers and well wishes.
These cookies turned out so soft, chewy and with a nice rise in them. I think I made a mistake by using salted butter and the added salt called for in the recipe because they turned out a bit salty. I had a feeling I should have used unsalted but it’s okay. They still tasted great. I also made a mistake and put the sugar in with the flour mix. It’s fine because I beat the butter slightly with the egg, then added to the dry, then mixed with the beater again and had to use my hands to form into the dough. Then it was smooth sailing from there. I’ll definitely make these again with unsalted butter and make sure to mix the butter with the sugar haha! Thank you for the recipe! Even with the mistakes I still really enjoyed them!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies. I do typically bake with unsalted butter, so you’ll have to let us know how you like the cookies with that small change. But it sounds like you still turned them into masterpieces! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Oh,,,, oh
I love it 😻
Yay! That’s so good to hear! Thank you!
These were so delicious! And I totally recommend this if you want to really wow your friends!
Awe, thanks so much for sharing! I’m so glad you love them as much as I do! 🙂
So….there aren’t enough adjectives to describe these cookies. I lost my recipe when I moved from Germany to the U.S. and have been looking for a good one. THIS IS IT!!!!!! Perfection! My son-in-law can’t get enough of them and my husband who says he doesn’t care for Snickerdoodles….well, I’ve caught him more than once sneaking some!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh that makes me SO happy to hear! I’m glad that these cookies are a hit with your family now. Thanks so much for sharing!
This recipe turned out really well, even though I had to substitute Earth Balance spread for real butter. Because of the Earth Balance, I refrigerated the dough for a couple of hours and had cookies that spread a bit more when baking, but that was to be expected. These cookies are dynamite, and I can’t wait to make them again for my family with real butter! Now I’m a snickerdoodle fan for life.
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! Snickerdoodles are a favorite over here too. Thanks for sharing!