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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.
Followed the recipe exactly and these turned out amazing! Thank you!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed them!
such a disappointment. these cookies came out SO FLAT. i make a lot of cookies and i’ve made snickerdoodles probably 25 times in my life and i’ve never had cookies come out so flat??? this recipe came up first on google when i typed in “snickerdoodle recipe” so i figured i’d give it a try and wow what a let down. i didn’t chill or flatten the dough as per instructed and they spread sooooo much – i tried the “spoon trick” and it honestly made them look worse. so i popped the remaining dough in the fridge to chill and tried with chilled dough – nope, still massive spread. i thought maybe it was because i was using my silpat so i tried on an unlined pan and, yep, you guessed it, still spread. these cookies are as thin as a credit card. i am embarrassed to bring these to my potluck tomorrow 🙁
I don’t know how to delete reviews so I’m replying to my own — y’all it was 100% user error. I never review recipes but I was so grumpy they came out so flat that I left a midnight review, only to wake up and realize I somehow messed up the flour measurements (I think I did 2 and 1/4c rather than 2 and 3/4c). Even more embarrassed to bring these to my potluck today I decided to give the recipe another try – using the correct amount of flour – and they came out perfectly. I’ve never immediately remade a recipe that didn’t turn out right and I’m so glad I did. Re-reviewing this with 5 stars, because even the flat cookies tasted good.
Oh thank you for taking the time to try the recipe again and to come back and comment/rate! I’m so glad you gave them another try and that they were a success!
I was so glad to see that you had the same experience as I did! Such a disappointment, and I can’t figure out what went wrong. I even tested my cream if tartar for freshness afterward, but when I poured hot water over a mix of cream of tarter and baking soda, it foamed up quickly as expected. Wish I still had my grandma’s old recipe. 🙁
My boyfriend and I are fans of this recipe !! Will be looking into others soon.
I’m so glad!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Can you use Splenda in place of sugar?
Such an easy cookie to make. Thank you for that. I remember making these with my Grandmother. We had fun. This is one of my Favorite cookies to make. Let alone eat. Thank you for the recipe and reminder you are married.
The taste was fantastic. I only gave 4 stars because I could not make the cookies thicker. I tried chilling the dough and they came out the same as if I didn’t chill it. What are I doing wrong?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
The fam loved them! I didn’t have cream of tarter so substituted with 3 tsp. baking soda.
Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m so glad you all enjoyed the cookies!
The dough was perfect and I changed nothing. Baked on parchment for 8 mins at 350°F on convection. Everyone loved them!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Give it closer to 12 min or at 375. Not tolerant of undercooking.
Dough was way too creamy to work with. After watching the video I am skeptical the 1 cup of butter is right. It looks like maybe a stick of butter in the video. Can you confirm the correct butter amount?
The 1 cup is the correct butter amount. If the dough seemed too creamy, you can chill the dough. Typically, we don’t for this recipe, but you can if you feel like the dough is too soft to work with.