Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

This soft and chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe is a family favorite. If you love snickerdoodle cookies the way we do, then you’ll want to have this easy snickerdoodle recipe in your collection!

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The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe

For me, a delicious snickerdoodle has a few requirements:

  • Snickerdoodles first and foremost must be soft and chewy. The best snickerdoodle recipe in my opinion has to be a soft snickerdoodle recipe. Crunchy snickerdoodles are a hard pass for this girl. I prefer a soft snickerdoodle, and one that stays soft for days.
  • Next, it has to have a fantastic blend of flavor, with both butter and cinnamon coming through. The perfect snickerdoodle cookies are a delicious and balanced combo of both.
  • Finally, as with almost all of my recipes, I prefer an easy snickerdoodle recipe. This is a cookie, not Honors Pre-Calculus (a current headache in my home), therefore it needs to be simple and easy to make.

This snickerdoodle recipe checks ALL of those boxes.

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Truth be told I didn’t even try a snickerdoodle until about ten years ago. A friend of mine loves the Disneyland snickerdoodles, and asked me to bring her one home when we went for a visit. I searched that entire park for a darn snickerdoodle. Finally a cast member at one of the bakeries told me they had rotated them out for for another cookie at that given moment in time.

So I did what any crazy, obsessed snickerdoodle stalker would do. I came home and set out to make amazing, Disney-worthy, snickerdoodles.

Recipe For Snickerdoodles

A few things to take note of before you start making this snickerdoodle recipe.

Flour

It’s critical that you measure your flour correctly. You want to give your flour a stir, then gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Check out my all about flour post if you need more details. If you scoop, or don’t level your flour, you will have too much in your recipe.

Chill Your Dough

First, you are going to need to chill your dough. I know, dough chilling can be a pain. I get it. Trust me, I avoid putting into recipes when I can. For this recipe however, it really does make a difference. Chilling the dough gives you a richer tasting cookie that doesn’t spread too much.

Brown Sugar

Second, this recipe uses brown sugar. If you’ve made snickerdoodles before, chances are they just used granulated white sugar. And that’s fine. But brown sugar, it will take your snickerdoodles up a notch.

One time I needed to make snickerdoodles for an event, and like always was doing it at the last minute. Gasp, I was almost completely out of granulated sugar. Brown sugar to the rescue! That was one of the best substitutions I’ve ever made. The depth of flavor is greatly increased and the texture is just a bit softer.

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Cream Of Tartar

Third, this recipe uses cream of tartar. Apologies if you you don’t have it in your pantry at the moment, but it’s really a snickerdoodle staple.

Cream of tartar is an acid, a tartaric acid. It’s used as a leavener, and when combined with baking soda they produce dioxide gas, which is the same gas that is produced by yeast in bread baking. Not only does it help make your cookies wonderfully soft, it also gives a hint of tartness.

If you don’t have any on hand and need to make these snickerdoodle cookies immediately, here’s some substitution advice. Disclaimer, I haven’t tested this snickerdoodle recipe with a substitute, only with cream of tartar.

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Click to pin and save recipe.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (5)

Snickerdoodle Recipe

4.91 from 20 votes

Author Christi Johnstone

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

This soft snickerdoodle recipe produces perfect snickerdoodles that nobody can get enough of. The best snickerdoodle recipe I've tried, it uses both granulated and brown sugar for extra flavor and softness.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar light or dark is fine
  • 2 large eggs make sure they are large eggs as they provide moisture for the recipe
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and cream of tartar. Set aside.

  • In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well.

  • Stir in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

  • Cover bowl (or remove dough from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap) and chill for at least one but not more than 24 hours.

  • When ready to bake, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  • Form the dough into 1 inch balls. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and roll each ball of dough through the cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat well.

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  • Place on a greased baking sheet or a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or silicone baking mat.

  • Bake 8-10 minutes. Check for the tops to start firming up, and the sides to show a bit of browning. Make sure they are cooked but do not over bake. Allow to cool on baking sheet for at least ten minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

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Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Disclaimer

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this Recipe? Pin it!Mention @LoveFromTheOven or tag #LFTORecipes!

Need more snickerdoodle cookies in your life? I hear ya. I have a few more recipes you’ll want to try! My Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are always a big hit. My friend Rebecca over at Foodie With Family has a Snickerdoodle Cake recipe that you need in your life. Aimee over at Shugary Sweets has a Snickerdoodle Banana Bread that makes mornings extra delicious. Snickerdoodle Pie? Oh yeah, it’s a thing and Deborah over at Taste and Tell will fill you on in that deliciousness.

Snickerdoodle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for cream of tartar in snickerdoodles? ›

You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

Why are snickerdoodles called snickerdoodles? ›

A few cookbooks explain that snickerdoodles are German in origin. They state that the cookie's name comes from the German word shneckennudel (which is a kind of cinnamon bun). Others trace its origin to New England's tradition of whimsical cookie names.

Is snickerdoodle German? ›

If you've ever wondered how snickerdoodles came to be, you've come to the right place. The cinnamon cookie that we know and love was likely brought to America by Dutch-German immigrants, cookbook author Ann Byrn says in American Cookie.

What happens if you don't use cream of tartar? ›

In other applications where whipped whites provide structure, the meringue base would be weaker, and possibly collapse, without a stabilizer like cream of tartar.

Can I skip using cream of tartar? ›

In some recipes, you can leave out cream of tartar if there is no suitable replacement. You can simply omit cream of tartar from the recipe if you're making whipped egg whites, syrups, frostings, or icings.

What happens if you leave cream of tartar out of cookies? ›

You can also simply leave out the cream of tartar from a recipe, which may result in baked goods that are not as fluffy, but will still work out and taste good.

What is a dupe for cream of tartar? ›

The Best Substitute for Cream of Tartar

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. As an example, if your cookie recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice instead of the cream of tartar.

Why did my snickerdoodles come out flat? ›

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

Why did my snickerdoodles spread so much? ›

Mixing Butter & Sugar

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

Why are my snickerdoodles crunchy? ›

Granulated Sugar and Ground Cinnamon: These two are mixed together to create the classic cinnamon-sugar coating that snickerdoodles are known for. The sugar caramelizes slightly as the cookies bake, giving them a slightly crisp exterior.

Why do my snickerdoodles taste like flour? ›

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

Does Pepperidge Farm make snickerdoodles? ›

The cinnamon-and-sugar-topped snickerdoodles from Pepperidge Farm's line of soft cookies taste really good and are a perfect chewy consistency—eating just one an exercise in futility.

Why do snickerdoodles crack? ›

Almost all recipes call for a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda (an acid and a base); the idea is that when they bake the reaction of these two ingredients will cause the cookies to puff up and then collapse, creating those cinnamon-y cracks on top.

What is a good substitute for cream of tartar? ›

What is a Good Replacement for Cream of Tartar? A good replacement for cream of tartar in baking is 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

Is cream of tartar necessary? ›

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

Can I omit cream of tartar from a cookie recipe? ›

But while technically you don't need the ingredient, Food Network still recommends swapping it with vinegar or lemon juice as opposed to leaving it out of a recipe that calls for it. These substitutions work because cream of tartar is powdered tartaric acid, per Healthline.

Why do my snickerdoodles come out hard? ›

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake – when the edges are set but the centers are still soft and puffy, they are done. Also, make sure you're not adding too much flour.

References

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