This is the best Snickerdoodle recipe! It makes perfect Snickerdoodle cookies with all the classic ingredients. These cookies are easy to make and full of cinnamon and sugar flavor.
Make a cup of Snickerdoodle Coffee to go with your cookies, and be sure to make Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches if you have any left over! For more ideas, check out all of my best cookie recipes!
The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe
Among the most beloved cookie recipes, there’s the snickerdoodle. Simple, sweet, and delicious, you truly can’t go wrong when making snickerdoodles.
They also don’t contain butter, just like our very popular butter-less chocolate chip cookies.
I have a lot of fond memories of making snickerdoodle cookies as a kid. They’ve always been my pop’s favorite cookies, and we would always make a big batch of them around the holidays.
Traditionally these are Christmas cookies, but they can be served year-round!
This snickerdoodle recipe is pretty simple, but it’s all about getting the perfect balance of ingredients.
You want the cookies to be nice and chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness. And of course, they have to be covered in that classic snickerdoodle cinnamon sugar mixture. There is nothing better than biting into a warm, soft chewy cookie.
These are the best snickerdoodle cookies you’ll ever sink your teeth into and you’ll instantly fall in love with this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect chewy texture: These chewy snickerdoodle cookies have a soft center with slightly crisp edges, creating that perfect texture everyone loves.
- Simple ingredients: You likely have most ingredients for this great recipe in your pantry already, making these cookies easy to make whenever the craving strikes.
- Classic cinnamon sugar coating: The generous coating of cinnamon and sugar creates that signature snickerdoodle taste and adds a perfect crunch to every bite.
Snickerdoodle Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour – Flour adds structure to the recipe. We use King Arthur Flour to make these cookies. Make sure to measure the flour properly when baking.
Granulated Sugar – White sugar is what sweetens the cookie recipe.
Eggs – Provide moistness and give structure. Use whole, organic eggs when possible.
Vegetable Shortening – Also known as Crisco. This creates a chewy texture in the cookie.
Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar serves as a leavening agent for baked cookies. It balances out the sweetness and adds a bit of a tangy flavor to the cookies.
Baking Soda – Used as a leavening agent.
Cornstarch – This is used to give the cookies a chewy texture, they are not cake cookies. It helps soften and thicken the cookie, giving it a chewy consistency.
Ground Cinnamon – A key ingredient in these cookies! It adds both flavor and aesthetic to the cookie. The unique aroma of cinnamon also gives these cookies their signature smell.
How to Make The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe
Mix Dry Ingredients – Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
Prepare Coating – Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for rolling the cookies.
Mix Wet Ingredients – Beat vegetable shortening and sugar in a large bowl until well combined and fluffy.
Add Eggs – Mix in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
Combine All – Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Chill Dough – Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
Shape Cookies – Scoop dough using a cookie scoop and roll into balls.
Roll in Coating – Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture twice for extra coating.
Arrange – Place cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake – Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers are still soft.
Cool – Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Storage
Wondering how you store snickerdoodles? Here are a few ways you can store your cookies:
Room Temperature
Snickerdoodles should be stored in an airtight container. Let them cool to room temperature before storing them. They will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Refrigerate
To extend their freshness, you can also store your snickerdoodles in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to one week.
Freezer
To freeze snickerdoodle cookies, wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
This is a classic cookie recipe, but you can mix it up by trying one of these variations below:
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles: Add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the dough.
- Chocolate Snickerdoodles: Add ½ cup of cocoa powder to the dough.
- Orange Snickerdoodle Cookies: Add the zest of one orange to the dough.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Vanilla Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies – Add 1 tbsp vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ginger.
Eden’s Tips
Chill the Dough: Refrigerate your cookie dough for at least an hour before baking. Chilling snickerdoodle dough firms up the dough and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
Double Roll the Cookies: Roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon sugar twice. This ensures an even coating and creates that signature snickerdoodle exterior.
Use a Cookie Scoop: A cookie scooper creates uniform cookies that bake evenly. This helps achieve consistent texture across the whole batch.
Choose Quality Shortening: Spectrum Naturals’ organic all-vegetable shortening makes a good alternative to standard shortening options.
Line Your Baking Sheets: Always use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat like Silpat. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
Watch Baking Time: Monitor your cookies closely as baking times vary by oven. Take them out when the edges are set but centers still look slightly soft.
Select Good Ingredients: Using high-quality flour, fresh spices, and pure vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference in the final taste of your cookies.
Substituting Butter for Shortening in Snickerdoodles
Yes, you can substitute butter for shortening in this snickerdoodles recipe. However, the cookies will have a different flavor and texture.
Shortening is made from vegetable oils, so it has a neutral flavor. Butter is made from milk, so it has a creamy flavor.
Shortening also has a higher melting point than butter, so it will make the cookies crispier. If you use butter, be sure to use unsalted butter so that the cookies are not too salty.
Why Use Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles
Since cream of tartar acts as a leavening agent, it creates a soft, chewy snickerdoodle. That’s what makes this the best snickerdoodle recipe!
Without it, the cookies will be flat and possibly crunchy. If cream of tartar isn’t an option, use baking powder for a similar effect!
The Difference Between a Snickerdoodle and a Sugar Cookie
Snickerdoodle cookies are typically made with vegetable shortening, which gives them a unique flavor. The dough is rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Sugar cookies are made with butter and have a different flavor.
A sugar cookie is a type of cookie made with sugar, flour, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. They are commonly decorated with icing or sprinkles. Sugar cookies can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this recipe, try more of our favorite cookies:
Now that you know the secrets of how to make the best snickerdoodle recipe, it’s time to bake your own! Full recipe below!
If you make these cookies, let me know what you think by leaving a comment and review below!
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Snickerdoodle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening , like Crisco
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1` tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar, for rolling cookies
- 2 tsp cinnamon, for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat sugar, eggs, and vegetable shortening in a mixer on high until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in the flour, salt, cream of tartar, cornstarch and baking soda continue beating on medium until mixed together.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
- On a plate, mix sugar and cinnamon for rolling the dough in.
- Using a cookie scooper, scoop the dough, roll it in your hands to make a perfect .
- Roll the ball in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Place 9 cookies, spaced out on a lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on a cookie rack. Serve when they’re warm and chewy!
Notes
TIPS FOR MAKING SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES
- Chill the dough before baking the cookies.
- Use a cookie scooper to get perfectly sized-cookies.
- Try Spectrum Naturals organic all-vegetable shortening as a healthier option.
- Always line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Bake on the middle rack.
- Every oven is different, so check the cookies to make sure they are done.
Mine didn’t spread; the cinnamon to sugar ratio is too high they are hella dark. Followed the recipe exactly. Doesn’t make sense. Won’t be using this recipe again.
Every time I try these they end up super flat and undercooked! I have to add like 3 min bake time just so they’re not goopy, but they spread like crazy and end up really thin. What could my problem be?
Turned out super yummy!! Just make sure you don’t bake them for the full ten minutes suggested. We did seven minutes and they turned out perfect! 😉
Thank you for sharing Audrey! So happy they turned out for you!
This sounds amazing! If I were to sub in baking powder for the cream of tartar, what amount do you recommend? And do I still use the same amount of baking soda or do I remove that as well? Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
SO delicious! These are the classic recipe for these cookies, and they are PERFECT!
I was initially intimidated to make these, but they turned out absolutely delicious and we’re actually very easy! Thank you so much for this recipe
These really are the perfect snickerdoodles! They are always a favorite of everyone!
These really are perfect & the best!! It’s an easy recipe, that everyone will love!
Thank you, Natalie!
These look absolutely out of this world! I love a good snickerdoodle and these look so easy! Thank you!
Thank you Beth!
Yummy!! I love these snickerdoodles, they are so easy to make.