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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.
I made this recipe two different ways. First I did not chill the batter but made a dozen cookies, and they came out flat, but good. I chilled the rest of the batter over night and finished baking the cookies the next morning. They still came out flat. They were never puffy like yours. I was disappointed that they still came out flat after I chilled the dough. But they tasted good.
Thanks for sharing your experience and for giving the recipe a try!
I had mine completely flat. Was hoping for a puffy cookie.
Best snickerdoodle recipe I’ve ever tried! They came out so chewy and delicious!
Seems like an amazing recipe but I followed it to a T and my cookies came out flat and had an eggy taste. I’m not sure how to fix this or what could have gone wrong?
You can add a little more flour if you feel like your cookies were too flat. While we don’t call for chilling for this recipe, you can also try that.
Fabulous Cookies!! I made these for the first time for a coffee shop at my church, and they were an absolute hit. I chilled the dough slightly to make rolling them into balls easier, and they all turned out perfectly. Thanks for posting such a wonderful recipe!
Came out extremely flat and raw after 10min of baking and 2 min on the pan. The oven temp was correct & the recipe was correct with new ingredients. I’ll be finding a better recipe next time.
Sorry to hear the cookies didn’t turn out. I would recommend adding a just little bit more flour if the dough seemed too sticky or they seemed too flat or raw. You can also adjust the baking time slightly. Elevation and ovens can affect baking. Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies and that they were a hit!
Do you weigh your flour or measure with a measureing cup? Some recipes say a cup of flour is 120 gms and others say 150 gms. Any idea how much your flour weighs per cup?
I typically measure the flour with a measuring cup. But a cup of all purpose flour is typically about 120 grams, if you did want to measure it out by weight.
This just didn’t work. I’ve been baking quite some time and had all ingredients at the correct temp, no overmixing and new cream of tartar and baking soda. These came out almost raw despite the 10 minute cooking time. The oven is the correct temp. Tried turning up the temp to “set” the cookies. Tried chilling dough. Still ended up with greasy, flat, underbaked cookies.
i had that same issue, but i just threw it in the oven for a few more minutes and eyeballed them (about 15ish mins total) and they were perfect! soft on the inside but still had crispy edges
Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I have made snickerdoodles in the past, but first time using this recipe. Made them for Christmas and everyone loved them. I was actually craving them, after we ate them all. Several have asked for the recipe. Mine came out a little flat. I will have to make them again, practice makes perfect. This is going to be my go to recipe .
These are AMAZING! Little bit of crisp with near gooey inside. Reminds me of Great American Cookies. I used salted butter & substitution for cream of tartar. I wish I could post a picture of them!
I used sugar replacement in these, and it was kind of funny because they got super poofy. i think i might have used too much flour? a gram weight for things that can be weighed like flour would probably be helpful.
Thanks for the feedback!