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Super soft and full of cinnamon, this snickerdoodle recipe is one we’ve made for decades that is beyond delicious and NO-FAIL!
A Family Favorite
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 NO-FAIL and turns out perfect EVERY TIME.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Perfectly sweet. It’s double-dipped in cinnamon + sugar!
- Pantry staples. The ingredients are simple and found in most kitchens!
- Giftable. They make a great addition to Christmas cookie plates.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 min
COOK TIME: 10 min
Cookie
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar – creates the signature tangy flavor
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter – 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.
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate the best
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
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. 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.
- BAKE. Place on an un-greased pan, 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!
- 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
- NOT CHILLED – our preferred method – you can see that the cookie is not too flat, has all the cracks on top and is PERFECT.
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Snickerdoodle Recipe
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
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.
This is a great recipe. Just remember you mixed dry ingredients then set aside, so remember to add them to your butter-sugar-egg-vanilla mixture before scooping dough out 😵😵😵😄😄😄😄I’ve enjoyed Little Luna recipes many times so knew what to do
Thank you! I was so confused and am not a baker. I’m like “what happens to the bowl with the flour?!” Lol
Definitely need more flour than the recipe calls for.
I’m making these as I review this recipe. I made my balls large because I like a bigger cookie so I bake them longer l4-15 mins, first batch came out very flat but soft and tasty, I raised temp to 360 and 2nd batch came out perfect puffy with crispy outer and chewy soft inside. I did put dough in frig only for only 10-15 mins and keep in there while baking.
This was a great recipe. I’ve been making snickerdoodles since my college days back in the ‘70s. This is one of the better recipes I’ve come across.
Others already mentioned the updates you need to make regarding adding the dry ingredients.
Thanks for a nice recipe of a favorite cookie.
Need to add the flour mixture to the sugar and eggs in the directions
Great recipe but some directions are missing and some directions are repeated in the missing directions place.
Thanks for catching that. We’ll get it updated.
There is no step in your instructions to add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. I mean, it’s obvious you have to do this but for someone who isn’t really a baker it might confuse them. Also, step 4 & 5 are the same instructions in different words. Same with steps 6 & 7. Just thought you might want to update your instructions. My cookies are in the oven, my house smells like HEAVEN 🙂
Thanks so much for catching that. We’ll get it updated!
Tried this recipe a few times now and each result yields flat, thin snickerdoodles. 🫠
Baking at a higher temp, 400 degrees, will yield a puffier cookie. I just tried it after my first batch in the oven at 350 came out very thin. The 400 temp cookies came out much thicker!
Obsessed with this recipe!! And so are my coworkers! Question though! I’d like to make pumpkin snickerdoodles with this recipe! Any thoughts on how to go about that?? Would just adding some pumpkin in do the job
My new go to recipe, thanks for sharing!
My mom used to make these cookies and I absolutely love them need the recipe desperately