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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!

The best Snickerdoodle recipe - cookies stacked on a white plate.
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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 for snickerdoodles on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients

  • 2 ยพ cups all-purpose flourHow to Measure Flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar – creates the signature tangy flavor
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butterjust 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.
  • 1ยฝ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 whole eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate the best
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • โ…“ 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 ยฝ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.

How to Make SnickerdoodleS

  1. BATTER. In a medium bowl, stir the 2ยพ cup flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ยฝ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) cream together 1 cup butter (barely softened) and 1ยฝ cups sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until it is well blended.
  2. SHAPE. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix well, and then shape the dough into 1-inch balls (no need to chill).
  3. COAT. In a small bowl, combine โ…“ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Roll the dough balls into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
  4. BAKE. Place on an un-greased pan, and bake at 350ยฐF 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 snickerdoodle cookies

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.
Snickerdoodle cookies stacked on top of each other with bite taken out.

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4.99 from 3410 votes

Snickerdoodle Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Super soft and full of cinnamon, this snickerdoodle recipe is one we've made for decades that is beyond delicious and NO-FAIL!
Servings: 36
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Snickerdoodle Dough

  • 2ยพ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, just softened
  • 1ยฝ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • โ…“ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350ยฐF.
  • 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 โ…“ 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

Cream of tartar substitute. Replace the 2 teaspoons cream of tartar AND the 1 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ยฝ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
Store. 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.ย 
Store cookie dough. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 67mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 172IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to store the dough?

Cover and store the dough from this snickerdoodle recipe in the fridge for 1-2 days. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.

How to store?

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.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.99 from 3410 votes (2,497 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




1,776 Comments

  1. Melissa H says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe!! Love not having to wait and chill! I double roll the cookies for extra cinnamon goodness! Thanks for an easy and delicious cookie!!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! So glad you love the recipe!

  2. Jordyn Lee Richter says:

    5 stars
    Hello, I’m 14 years old and come from California. Everybody in my family are all foodies, and this recipe right here is outstanding, we all loved it. We haven’t ever had anything like it. Right out of the oven they’re light, buttery, not too sweet, soft, a little chewy, crispy edges. Everything that a cookie should be. If you’re somewhere around my age and you’re looking for and easy recipe to bake, I highly recommend this one.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thank you for sharing!! I’m so glad that the cookie recipe was a hit for you all!

  3. Robin says:

    4 stars
    My cookies stayed puffy and didnโ€™t flatten out. What could I have done wrong? I did substitute the cream of tartar and baking soda with the baking powder. I shifted all the dry ingredients. They did taste good but just a little dry.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      My guess is they were more puffy/dry because of the baking soda/powder switch.

  4. Cathy Benedict says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe!

  5. Troy says:

    5 stars
    These are the best snickerdoodles Iโ€™ve ever had. 5 Star

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thank you!!

  6. Barbara says:

    I am a fan of several of your recipes and hope to make more of them in the future. My problem is that I canโ€™t find a link on the recipe to print them out. I prefer to use a printed copy. Am I missing the link somewhere????

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So if you click on “jump to recipe” at the top, it will take you to the recipe card. Then there should be an icon with a printer on it. If you click on that, it will take you to a printer-friendly version that you can print off. Hope that helps!

  7. Heather says:

    5 stars
    I have to confess I’m a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie girl…until I found these! They have become my family’s new favorite cookie & to make them even better they’re so easy. I followed your instructions as is & they were AWESOME! Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad that the cookies were a hit!

  8. Kim says:

    5 stars
    I did these today for my teenage sons birthday and they came out perfect. Snickerdoodles are his favorite cookie. Iโ€™ve tried other recipes from Allrecipes over the years but yours is the best. I let the butter sit on my counter for 2 hours until it was soft, but not too soft. I cooked them for 9 minutes exactly. Another trick I did was put some cinnamon in the dry mixture to add more flavor. I used Penzeys cinnamon because good spices make all the difference.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m so glad you loved the cookie recipe!

  9. Bonnie says:

    How many cookies does this recipe make?

    1. Kim says:

      5 stars
      I got 37 using a melon baller/cookie scoop.

      1. E.M.D.P. says:

        i skipped flour and butter and it only made 15, turned out terrible too. im leaving one star.

      2. Robert Uomini says:

        Yeah, I guess they would turn out poorly if you left out the butter and flour!

      3. Lil'Luna Team says:

        I don’t suppose they would taste very good without flour and butter. You should give them a try with the recipe as written. You might enjoy them more! ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Lil'Luna Team says:

      It makes about 3 dozen (36 cookies).

    3. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The recipe makes about 3 dozen (36 cookies). It could make more or less depending on the size of cookie you make.

  10. Daniel says:

    2 stars
    Has great flavor I measured everything to a tee, mixed wets and drys separately and once combined it was a cake batter I added so much flower just to get it to a loose dough I finally gave up and put it in a pie tin to make a brookiedoodle๐Ÿคž it turns out.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did and for giving the recipe a try!