Soft, thick snickerdoodle cookies with a perfect cinnamon-sugar coating! These cookies are made in just 20 minutes with no chilling!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Servings
8 cookies
Difficulty
Beginner-friendly.
Calories *
289 kcal per serving
Technique
Make cookie dough, divide, roll in cinnamon sugar, and bake.
Flavor Profile
Buttery, tangy, and warm with cinnamon-sugar coating.
* Based on nutrition panel
I made these Snickerdoodle cookies yesterday, and they were absolutely delightful! The combination of cinnamon and sugar created a heavenly aroma that filled my kitchen. The cookies turned out perfectly soft and thick, my kids loved them! Thanks for sharing this recipe! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Janice
Why You Will Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe
- No chilling required. Using cold butter straight from the fridge keeps these cookies thick and chewy without chilling the dough. You’ll have fresh-baked cookies in just 20 minutes!
- Perfectly soft and thick. These cookies have a slight crunch on the outside but stay pillowy soft on the inside. The cream of tartar gives them that classic tangy flavor that makes snickerdoodles special.
- One-bowl recipe. Simple ingredients, minimal cleanup. Everything comes together in a single mixing bowl.
- Year-round favorite. While these are especially fun during the holidays, they’re a total classic you’ll want to bake all year long. They’re perfect alongside this cut out sugar cookie recipe and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Table of Contents
These Snickerdoodle cookies are warm, cozy, soft, and flavorful! Each bite tastes like a cloud of cinnamon and sugar. They are often made during the Christmas holiday season, but they can be enjoyed year-round.
That comforting and nostalgic taste, with a hint of warmth from the cinnamon, pairs perfectly with these brown sugar cookies, homemade brownies, and this brookie!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour: You can also use a gluten-free flour blend. Do not use almond flour or coconut flour, as they won’t give you the right texture.
- Cream of Tartar: This is the magic ingredient! It creates a slightly tangy flavor that differentiates snickerdoodles from regular chewy sugar cookie recipe. It also helps create that soft, tender texture.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda reacts with an acid, cream of tartar in this instance, to leaven the cookies. It reacts more powerfully than baking powder and will create a more dramatic rise.
- Salt
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating
What is Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar is a white, powdery byproduct of the wine-making process. In baking, it acts as a leavening agent when combined with baking soda, helping create that light, fluffy texture. More importantly, it gives snickerdoodles the characteristic tangy flavor that sets them apart from regular sugar cookies.
Variations
- Top with a frosting. Top these cookies with my cream cheese frosting for cookies, or use the frosting from these frosted sugar cookies.
- Add some mix-ins. Cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips would be delightful. Even some toasted walnuts or pecans!
- Change the spice. Use a different spice mix, such as a pumpkin spice recipe or this speculoos spice mix recipe, for the exterior sugar coating! You can also add spice to the cookie dough for an extra kick.
- Brown butter or Pumpkin! You could use brown butter as I did in these brown butter cardamom snickerdoodles. Or you can head over and make these pumpkin snickerdoodles!
Professional Tips
- Use cold butter. This is crucial for preventing spread and achieving thick, chewy cookies.
- Don’t overbake. Cookies will puff but will look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out. They’ll continue cooking in the pan.
- Generously coat in cinnamon sugar. Don’t be shy! That coating creates the signature crackled top.
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Use these instructions to make perfect homemade snickerdoodles every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; set aside.
Step 3: Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 4: Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Step 5: Mix gently. Add the flour mixture in two additions with the mixer on low until just combined.
When working with cold butter, the flour mixture takes a little longer to incorporate. Add it in at least two additions to keep the cookies from becoming tough.
Step 6: In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar for coating.
Step 7: Portion. Divide the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Step 8: Bake. Place the cookie dough on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
These cookies will look soft and doughy after 9 to 10 minutes. They will continue to cook on the baking sheet. You don’t want over-baked cookies.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They’ll firm up as they cool!
Recipe FAQs
Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature, or freeze the cookie dough in balls. Store in plastic bags in the freezer for up to 1 month. The longer the dough is stored in the freezer, the flatter the cookies will be.
Using warm or softened butter instead of cold butter is the most common cause. If your butter gets warm, you will need to chill the dough for at least an hour before baking.
Yes! You can roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.
You can substitute 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, adding it with the vanilla extract, but the flavor won’t be quite the same. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their signature tang. Or you can make these lemon cookies!
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, cold, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture in two additions with the mixer on low until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar for coating.
- Divide the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place the cookie dough on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until edges are set, but centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They'll firm up as they cool!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this classic cookie recipe. Check out our other delicious cookie recipes like this or this skillet cookie!
These snickerdoodle cookies are absolutely perfect! Soft, chewy, and loaded with cinnamon flavor. I’ve made them three times this month!
These are perfect snickerdoodles, they have that classic flavor, and the texture is perfect. I love the ratios of the cinnamon sugar mixture!
These snickerdoodle cookies are so adorable and delightful! Kids love to bring them to school and share them with friends.
I made these Snickerdoodle cookies yesterday, and they were absolutely delightful! The combination of cinnamon and sugar created a heavenly aroma that filled my kitchen. The cookies turned out perfectly soft and thick, my kids loved them! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My middle daughter saw these on one of her socials (pinterest I think) and asked if she could make them with her friend yesterday.
I was a bit hesitant as it was my one day off this week (ER nurse here ?????) and I didn’t want to deal with a messy kitchen or the inevitable “Mum can you help/finish this for us” but she was instant that she and her friend would do it all and clear up, so I gave in as it is a much better pastime than them both sitting on her bed staring at their phones.
Well firstly the cookies were delicious and she can definitely make them again.
Secondly the instructions where so clear that she and her friend followed them with no help needed. I just got to relax on the sofa and then eat a cookie with a cup of tea!
So thank you, a great recipe that my 12 year old followed perfectly.
We baked these cookies with regular flour and a second batch with GF flour. They both turned out so good. I am going to be baking the GF version frequently.
These snickerdoodle cookies had the taste and texture of the ones I loved as a child. I appreciated the recommendation to the cut the butter into small cubes and will be doing this for all the cookies I make.
Snickerdoodle Cookies are a classic, soft, and chewy cookie that’s perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth!