Our Classic Snickerdoodle recipe has everything you are looking for. These cookies are soft, full of yummy cinnamon, chewy, and have that tang you are looking for when you bite into a snickerdoodle cookie.
Growing up, there always seemed to be a few cookie recipes that were at every function. There were always plates full of homemade chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter blossoms, Buckeyes, and of course, plates full of Snickerdoodles.
I think that's one of my favorite things about classic recipes. They really never go out of style. They just keep getting better each year and it's a bit sentimental to see the family recipes being passed down one generation to the next.
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❤Why this recipe works
This recipe works because it's an easy and timeless recipe, it's budget-friendly, and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry.
🥘Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - remember anytime you are baking, and you are going to be adding additional salt, you must use unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour - make sure to use the scoop with a spoon and level with a knife method when measuring the flour.
- Cream of tartar - this is another key ingredient. It's the tang flavor you taste when enjoying a snickerdoodle.
- Baking soda - this is your leveling agent.
- Kosher or sea salt - remember to not use table salt as that is only to be used at the table for seasoning.
🔪Instructions
Combine all of the dry ingredients.
Making the wet ingredients.
Rolling the cookies in the cinnamon mixture.
The finished cookies. Yum!
🧾Substitutions
Cream of tartar - I have seen some different combination of ingredients, however, since it's so easily available at your local grocery store, in my experience, it's better to just keep a container on hand.
Pure Vanilla Extract - if all you can find is Imitation Vanilla Extract, that is fine.
📖Variations
🍽Equipment
One of the great things about this cookie recipe is that you don't need a lot of equipment. You will need your mixing bowls, a mixer, parchment paper or silicone mats, two baking sheets, and a 1 1/2" cookie scoop. That's it.
🍶Storage
Refrigerator: To keep them soft, store them in an air-tight container on the kitchen counter, for up to 3 to 4 days. However, they probably won't last that long if your family loves them like mine does.
Freezer: After baking them, place them in a freezer safe bag for up to three months. To use them, remove them from the freezer, allow them to come to room temp on the counter and enjoy!
🔎Top tips
Make sure to chill the dough before baking the cookies. It will help hold the shape as well as make rolling the dough into balls much easier.
❔FAQ
Even though Snickerdoodles are often called "sugar cookies", they are really a lot different. Sugar cookies are rolled in white granulated sugar. Snickerdoodles are rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and white granulated sugar.
Snickerdoodles also have a cracked surface and have cream of tartar as one of the ingredients.When making Snickerdoodles, you must use cream of tartar. It adds the tang you need plus it help activate the baking soda.
📚History Behind the Recipe
Having been around since the late 1800s, these New England favorites, are also referred to as Snipdoodles and Cinnamon Sugar Cookies.
It is believed that Snickerdoodles are originally from German and could have been called "Schneckennudeln".
Classic Snickerdoodle Recipe
Equipment
- 1 1/2 cookie scoop
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper/silicone mats
- hand-held mixer or stand mixer
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour scooped and leveled with a knife
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, make the topping by adding the 1/3 cup of white sugar and the 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon together and whisking the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- Then in a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This will take about two minutes. Next add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until everything is thoroughly mixed together.
- Next, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter. Once the dough is ready, cover and place in the fridge and let it chill for 1 to 2 hours.
- After the dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Take a spoon and spread out some of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto a plate. Then using a 1 1/2″ inch cookie scoop, scoop out some dough. Roll the dough into a ball then roll it into the sugar mixture and place on the baking sheet. Then press the ball down gently with the palm of your hand.
- Bake one sheet at a time, on the middle oven rack for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once the cookies are starting to turn light golden brown and crack on the top, remove from the oven.
- Let the cookies remain on the cookie sheet for a few minutes. Then remove them from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to let them finish cooling.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- If using a 1 1/2″ cookie scoop, you should get 20 2 1/2″ cookies.
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