Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic cookie we have made our whole lives. The family is obsessed with them and fortunately you guys are too! With over 3,000 FIVE STAR reviews, this recipe has been made and enjoyed by thousands of you each year and we cannot tell you how happy that makes us.
This easy cookie recipe was first made by mom decades ago. It was also one of the first recipes we ever shared here on Lil’ Luna. Although we haven’t changed the recipe, we have shared more tips and tricks to make sure it’s always soft, chewy, NO-FAIL and turns out perfect EVERY TIME.
What makes this recipe special is the perfect balance of texture and flavor—soft centers, slightly crisp edges, and just the right hint of tang from the cream of tartar. They’re easy to make, bake beautifully, and stay soft for days (if they last that long!).
Why we think you’ll love them:
- Perfectly sweet. Soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet with warm cinnamon flavor.
- Pantry staples. The ingredients are simple and found in most kitchens!
- Giftable + Presentable. They make a great addition to Christmas cookie plates and are perfect for get togethers, showers and more.
- Freezable. Great for freezing—just roll and bake later!
Snickerdoodle Ingredients
Cookie
- All-purpose flour (2¾ cups): The base that gives the cookies structure.
- Cream of tartar (2 teaspoons): Adds that signature tang and chewy texture Snickerdoodles are famous for.
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon): Helps the cookies rise just the right amount.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter (1 cup, just softened): Creates a rich, buttery base.
- JUST SOFTENED >> This is KEY! When you press in finger into the butter, you want it to barely indent. Too hard, and the dough won’t be just right – too soft and your cookies will be flat.
- Sugar (1½ cups): Sweetens and helps create the crackly texture.
- Eggs (2): Add moisture and help the dough bind together. Room temp eggs incorporate best.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Enhances flavor and adds warmth.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Sugar (⅓ cup):
- Cinnamon (2 tbsp):
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- sugar (1/3 cup): The base of the sweet coating.
- cinnamon (2 tablespoons): Adds warmth and that iconic Snickerdoodle spice.
Pro Tip: Cream of Tartar Substitution
Replace the 2 teaspoons cream of tartar AND the 1 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
BATTER. In a medium bowl, stir the 2¾ cup flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) cream together 1 cup butter (barely softened) and 1½ cups sugar until light and fluffy (at least 2 minutes) Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until it is well blended.
SHAPE. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix well, and then shape the dough into 1-inch balls (no need to chill).
COAT. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Roll the dough balls into the cinnamon and sugar mixture – TWICE.
BAKE. Place on an un-greased pan or baking sheets (flatten with the bottom of a cup if you like your cookies thinner), and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few additional minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
To Chill or Not to Chill?
This is the main question we get asked about this snickerdoodle recipe so we decided to test it for you to show the differences. The results speak for themselves!
- NOT CHILLED – our preferred method – you can see that the cookie is not too flat, has all the cracks on top and is PERFECT.
- CHILLED – the cookie is more poofy, doesn’t have as many cracks on top and does not expand as much.
- CHILLED + FLATTENED – this cookie expanded the most, but became almost too flat
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- BUTTER IS KEY. Make sure you are using real butter for this recipe (no margarine), and make sure it is JUST SOFTENED. If it’s too soft, your cookies will spread too much.
- DON’T SKIP THE CREAM OF TARTAR. It gives the cookie that famous tangy flavor!
- DOUBLE ROLL – Don’t skip rolling the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture twice – it ensures that sweet goodness is in every bite and gives that beautiful crackly coating we all love.
- DON’T OVER-BAKE – Snickerdoodles might look a little underdone when you pull them out of the oven, but trust me—take them out! They’ll continue cooking on the pan and stay soft and chewy inside.
- CHILL IF NEEDED. If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels sticky, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Snickerdoodle Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Dough
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, just softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter (barely softened) and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
- In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out dough and roll it into a ball. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture – twice.
- Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few additional minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
– Your butter was. too soft or melted – it needs to be just softened.
– Your baking soda or cream of tartar is expires – These two ingredients work together to give snickerdoodles their signature soft, puffy texture. If they’re old, they won’t do their job, and your cookies will spread. Check those expiration dates!
– Over-mixing the dough – Once you add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Over-mixing can cause thinner cookies.
– Oven temperature is too low – If your oven runs cool, the butter will melt before the cookies have time to set. Use an oven thermometer to make sure it’s at 350 degrees.
Cover and store the dough from this snickerdoodle recipe in the fridge for 1-2 days. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Store in a freezer bag, or air-tight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.
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This recipe was first published August 2012.
I’ve made these cookies many times, they are my husband’s favorite. I always get compliments when I take them to a gathering.
These Snickerdoodles came out perfectly puffy. I refrigerated the dough about 1/2 hour before rolling into balls. I’m in Mexico without cream of tartar so I appreciated the note about the substitution. I just made a second batch in 2 weeks! Everyone loved them.
So glad to hear that!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
I was excited to try these, as I have been looking for a plump, soft, and chewy snickerdoodle. I followed your directions exactly, and sadly, my cookies turned out very flat! I am do disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sorry to hear that! Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
This was a quick and easy recipe! I do like chewier cookies so I subbed 1/2 cup of white sugar for brown sugar. I’m also not into the traditional amount of tang so I only used 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar as well as a little less baking soda. Turned out great, thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thanks for sharing what you did. Glad to hear the cookies turned out delicious!
My great granddaughter and I made the Snickerdoodle cookies tonight. They were delicious!!! So easy to make and the ingredients are ones most people have on hand. The cookies were moist and chewy. The only problem I had with them was keeping everyone out of them. This cookie is a winner for sure!
Oh thank you! I’m glad you were able to give them a try and that they were a success!
I didn’t get to make them but as a 7th grader, I feel like they would be super super good!!! So if I get a chance I really want to make them. Thank you so much for being such an amazing ensperation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome! I hope you get a chance to try them too!
I made these cookies using my own gluten free flour blend (its similar I believe to Bob’s Red mill mix) and they came out GREAT! I’ve noticed that when using my blend (or any GF flour) things tend to need a little more time to bake to be fully done, so I baked them for 12 minutes, then let them sit on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I was very happy with the results!
It’s been an adventure trying to live with gluten intolerance–I was an avid baker before this happened–so have had my share of disappointments, but also some great successes. I make my own bread since the gluten free bread that one finds at the store is pretty awful. My GF bread is delicious, and my family that can eat wheaty stuff thinks so, too.
Thanks again for this recipe! I love Snickerdoodles!
I’m so glad to hear you were able to adapt this recipe to make it gluten free. And that is was a success!! Thanks for sharing your experience.
I made the Snickerdoodles to your exact recipe. They came out perfect. My wife said they looked like they came from a professional bakery and were delicious. I did not flaten them and only parked the dough in the fridge while the first batch was baking. I used a 1.5 tbs scoop and baked for a total of 10 minutes, rotateing the pan half way. My cookies came out with random cracks and measured 2.5 inches in diameter X about a half inch thick. They look just like your picture of them. Thanks for the recipe, and I’ll probably try your Chocolate Chip recipe next.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cookies!! Hope you love the chocolate chip cookies too!
Thank you SO much for adding the size of your scoop. This is where I was struggling!
Very helpful 🤗
I made these cookies as well. While in the oven, they looked very puffy. Once I took them out, they fell flat. Not sure why, I wish someone could answer that comment. They tasted good, but they were not puffy like I wanted or expected.
This happened to mine as well, and I followed the directions exactly. I wanted to take them to my grandson’s birthday party, but they don’t look very good, so I probably will not take and share them. I am so disappointed!!!!!
So sorry to hear the cookies didn’t turn out for you. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Definitely have to chill this as the dough was way too soft and couldn’t even roll into a ball.