The BEST snickerdoodle recipe! These easy cookies are crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle, and filled with sweet cinnamon flavor.
I’m kicking off cookie season with a new snickerdoodle recipe! It yields snickerdoodles just the way I like them. These classic cookies are crisp around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. They’re lightly sweet and warmly spiced with cinnamon, and they have a subtle tangy flavor that I find completely irresistible.
Taste aside, I also love this snickerdoodle recipe because it’s so simple to make. You can mix up the dough, bake the cookies, and have them ready to eat in under 30 minutes, no chilling required! It’s a great recipe to make throughout the holiday season (who would say no to a snickerdoodle on a festive cookie plate?!), but it’s also one of our favorites year-round. I hope you love it as much as we do.
Snickerdoodle Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy snickerdoodle recipe:
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to spoon and level it so that you don’t pack too much flour into your measuring cup. Adding extra flour to the dough can make these cookies dry and cakey instead of chewy.
- Granulated sugar – You’ll mix some into the cookie dough and use more to make the cookies’ cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Cinnamon – Rolled onto the outside of the cookies along with some sugar, it gives the snickerdoodles their signature look and spiced taste.
- Unsalted butter – Allow it to come to room temperature before making the recipe. It should be soft, but not melted.
- An egg + an egg yolk – The additional yolk gives the cookies an extra-chewy texture.
- Cream of tartar – The not-so-secret ingredient in a classic snickerdoodle recipe! Cream of tartar gives snickerdoodle cookies their characteristic tang, and it also keeps them soft, as it prevents the sugar in the dough from crystallizing.
- Baking soda – Along with the cream of tartar, it helps the cookies rise.
- Vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
These snickerdoodle cookies are so simple to make!
First, make the cinnamon-sugar coating. Mix together the cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a small bowl.
Then, mix up the cookie dough in the bowl of a stand mixer. An electric hand mixer works too! Cream together the butter and the remaining sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and egg yolk, followed by the cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour a little at a time and mix until just combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Next, shape the cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough, and use your hands to roll it into balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Finally, bake! Arrange the dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure to leave at least 2 inches between balls. Bake, one sheet at a time, at 375°F until the cookies are puffed, just 8 to 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe Tips
- Bake one sheet at a time. Even though you set your oven to one temperature, the actual temp throughout it can vary. This means that, if you have multiple cookie sheets in the oven, cookies on a low rack could over-brown before the timer goes off, while cookies on a high rack could still need a few more minutes. I recommend baking one sheet at a time on a middle rack for the most consistent results.
- Don’t overbake. The best time to take these cookies out of the oven is when they still look underdone. They’ll have spread out and puffed up, but they’ll still be pale, and they won’t have set in the middle. In my oven, they reach this point after 8 to 9 minutes of baking. It might be tempting to go longer than this, but trust me! The cookies will set up nicely once they’re out of the oven. Bake them past this point, and they won’t retain the chewy middle we all look for in a snickerdoodle.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet. Re: the last tip, the snickerdoodles will be super soft when you take them out of the oven. To give them a chance to set up, let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack (or sampling one!).
- Freeze the extras (if you have any). If you think you’ll polish off these snickerdoodle cookies within 4 days, disregard this tip. For that amount of time, the cookies will keep perfectly well in an airtight container at room temperature. But if you want to save a stash for a treat down the road, pop them in the freezer! Stored in an airtight bag or container, they keep well for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these snickerdoodles, try one of these favorite cookie recipes next:
Want more easy cookie recipes? Find 17 of our favorites here!
Snickerdoodle Recipe
Serves 25 to 30
These soft snickerdoodles are lightly crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. They’re SO easy to make (this recipe doesn’t even call for chilling the dough!), and they have an irresistible buttery, tangy flavor. One of our favorite treats!
- 1¼ cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
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Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a shallow dish, mix together 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and the remaining 1¼ cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until creamy. Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla, and salt and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour and mix until just combined.
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Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then use your hands to roll it into balls. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between balls.
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Bake, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed. They will look underdone, but taking them out at this point helps them stay soft and chewy in the middle. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
