These delicious, homemade Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies practically melt in your mouth! With each bite, you'll get soft, chewy, buttery sugar cookies generously coated with a lovely sugar cinnamon coating that makes them undeniably irresistible to all. YUM!
So my husband and I decided to go south over the kids spring break this year. To prepare ahead, I wanted to make some treats to take to our other kids who reside in Florida.
So, I made these Soft Snickerdoodles for my son Derek, because this is one of his all-time favorite cookies. Of course, this best soft snickerdoodle recipe seems to be a favorite of many as well!
I ate several (not counting) while baking them. I literally had to stop myself and divert my attention elsewhere, so my mission could be completed, which was to bring the cookies to Florida...remember? Luckily, they (most of them) made it. 🙂
Snickerdoodle Flavors
Vanilla and cinnamon really amp this snickerdoodle cookie recipe up! If you've ever had a snickerdoodle, you know the perfect version, taste-testing would consist of buttery and sugary with a hint of vanilla and a little tanginess from the cream of tartar.
The unbaked dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar before being baked, further amplifying the cinnamon flavor up!
If you love snickerdoodles in general, Home-made Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars, Apple Cinnamon Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars, Snickerdoodle Mini Donut Muffins, Who Needs 25 Snickerdoodle-Palooza Party Desserts and these Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Chip Cookies!
Ingredients You Need for The Best Soft Snickerdoodle Recipe
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- butter
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt
Sugar Cinnamon Mixture
- sugar
- cinnamon
How to Make Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies
Sugar Cinnamon Mixture
- Add the sugar mixture together, mix and set aside.
Snickerdoodle Dough
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using mixer, in mixing bowl add the chopped cold butter, both sugars, and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt) to the wet ingredients and mix together until dough comes together.
- Roll approximately 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball (or use a medium ice cream scooper, I used 1.5 tablespoons and heaped them with dough) and then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the cookies.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and then place cinnamon-sugared cookie balls on baking sheets. Cookies will spread some, so space cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies may appear undone but will continue to bake on the warm baking sheet. Leave cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storing Cookies
- Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Pro Tips for Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- Use cold butter for thicker cookies and to avoid chilling the dough, so you get cookies straight from the oven, once they've cooled! Just cut the butter into cubes, then use a mixer to incorporate it with the sugars.
- No need to bring eggs to room temperature with this recipe, since we're using cold butter.
- Avoid overmixing as you incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet which can result in a tough cookie.
- Be sure to measure the flour carefully, spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a metal spatula or back of a straight knife. Too much flour will make what should be a light, chewy cookie denser and more cake-like.
Cream of Tartar
- Cream of tartar is used in traditional snickerdoodles and gives it the cookies a unique tangy taste and chewy texture.
- However, you can substitute the cream of tartar AND the baking soda (leave out both) with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, if you don't have cream of tartar/baking soda.
Baking
- Do not to overbake them, unless you want crunchier, harder cookies. Then by all means, bake them a couple of minutes longer. But keep in mind, as the cookies cool, they will firm up.
- Look for the tops not to be wet when you remove them from the oven. Once they come out of the oven, the tops of the cookies will deflate just a little and you'll see more crinkles appear as they cool. We love the crinkles, all the sugar gets down in the cracks!
- For best results, bake cookies on the middle oven rack. For even baking, it's best to bake your classic Snickerdoodle cookies one baking sheet at a time.
This is the best soft Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe, that is amazing anytime of the year. But Christmas time, these are very traditional and you scarcely see holidays with out them! Perfect for gift-giving and making ahead for party trays or cookie exchanges!
More Cinnamon Inspired Desserts!!
- Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Bake
- Cinnamon Swirl Streusel Coffee Cake for the Weekends! (9x13 Pan)
- Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
- Easy Quick Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
Soft & Fudgy Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold from fridge, slice into cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose Flour
Sugar Cinnamon Mixture
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar add more if you want more sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon add more if you want more cinnamon flavor
Instructions
Sugar Cinnamon Mixture
- Sugar Cinnamon Mixture - Add the sugar mixture together, mix and set aside.
Snickerdoodle Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using mixer, in mixing bowl add the chopped cold butter, both sugars, and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt) to the wet ingredients and mix together until dough comes together.
- Roll approximately 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball (or use a medium ice cream scooper, I used 1.5 tablespoons and heaped them with dough) and then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the cookies.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and then place cinnamon-sugared cookie balls on baking sheets. Cookies will spread some, so space cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies may appear undone but will continue to bake on the warm baking sheet. Leave cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Note: I would say, the most important thing to remember about these cookies when you are baking them is not to over bake them, unless you want a crunchier cookie.
- Cream of tartar is used in traditional snickerdoodles and gives it the cookies a unique tangy taste and chewy texture. However, you can substitute the cream of tartar AND the baking soda (leave out both) with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- For super thick cookies, scoop dough balls and chill for at least 30 minutes or until dough is cold. Bake cookies a couple of minutes longer.
Irene N Nettler says
I remember cream of tartar in my original recipe. This is not in the bar version, right?
Can’t wait to try them. I bake weekly for the community lunches at the church.
Kim Lange says
Yes, no cream of tartar. They are fabulous, hope you love them!! xo
Jilie says
Awesome recipe . My dough seemed kind of sticky, is that normal? Still an epic recipe thank you!
Kim Lange says
Hi Jilie! Yes, it is a little sticky. I did use a cookie scoop, so I could drop them into the cinnamon sugar and roll them around until they were fully coated. Thank you so much for your epic rating and comment! 🙂 Awesome!