The best quick and easy Snickerdoodle cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and chewy with crispy, sugary tops. Recipe without cream of tartar included.
I have been recipe testing for more than 2 years now. After an insane amount of trials and errors, I can now finally say that these are the most amazing Fall cookies ever. Everything from their texture to their flavor is absolute perfection. If you like caramel, then take it a step further and make these Caramel Snickerdoodles and if you are fond of dessert bars, then I recommend making these Snickerdoodle Bars. Both of these have similar flavor profiles. Based on my research, these cookies have a German origin and is a spin on some German word. There are also stories about a hero by this name and this cookie was supposedly named after him.
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Table of contents
Key ingredients for best snickerdoodles
- Flour- One of the base ingredients to many baked goods, I recommend using the versatile all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar- Classic ingredient that makes every sweet tooth happy.
- Butter- Using only butter without shortening or other substitutes is best.
- Brown sugar- You can use light or dark to sweeten the cookie.
- Eggs- This uses one egg and one egg yolk. Don't use 2 whole eggs.
- Cinnamon powder- This is the spice that gives these cookies that classic flavor.
- Cream of tartar- To be honest, nothing can replace the flavor this brings to the recipe.
- Baking soda- Allows cookies to rise nicely.
- Salt- Brings in just an added pinch of flavor.
How to make easy snickerdoodle cookies recipe from scratch?
- Cream together- Butter and sugars.
- Mix in- Egg and egg yolk.
- Add in- Flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon powder, salt and mix until just combined.
- Chill- Cookie dough.
- Make balls- And roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake- And enjoy!
Variations
Cookie sandwiches- Add a filling like Brown Sugar Frosting or German Chocolate Cake Frosting. You can even make ice cream sandwiches and fill with your favorite ice cream flavor.
Drizzle the tops- With melted white chocolate or dip each cookie halfway in melted chocolate.
Thicker cookie- Make cookie dough balls, then roll them in cinnamon sugar and place them on a cookie tray but DON'T flatten them and bake as usual.
Thinner, crispier cookies- Flatten the cookie dough ball slightly and bake a little longer than normal (1 or 2 extra minutes).
Toss some add-ins– Into the dough, such as mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
Try other spices– Like ground cardamom, cloves, nutmeg or pumpkin spice.
Gluten free- Some readers have said that they have successfully used Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour to make gluten free version. I have personally not tried this yet.
Tips and Techniques
Cream of tartar substitute- I don't recommend this, but if you don't have any, replace baking soda and cream of tartar quantities in this recipe with 2 teaspoon baking powder.
Prevent Spreading- By always chilling the dough for at least 1 hour.
Don't skimp on cinnamon- These cookies are packed with cinnamon powder and that's what makes them so flavorful.
Ready or not?- The longer you bake these cookies, the crispier they will get. The cookies will be ready when the edges start to set and become golden brown and the center is still slightly soft.
Don't replace butter- With shortening, margarine or coconut oil because that will alter the texture dramatically. I noticed that using coconut oil caused a lot of spreading too. The ones with shortening ended up being very greasy.
Great gift- During the holiday season, these make such a great homemade gift. Include them in your Christmas Cookie Boxes.
Recipe FAQs
They are a classic cookie that’s very popular during the holiday season, especially during Fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has a soft and chewy texture and a spiced cinnamon flavor. The main difference between this cookie and all other cookies out there is the use of cream of tartar that gives it a very subtle tanginess.
It gives these cookies its traditional tangy taste and also enhances the chewy texture. It also helps the cookies rise and become puffy. Most importantly, it helps to activate the baking soda.
They were most likely over-baked and the moisture has evaporated.
Replace baking soda and cream of tartar quantities in this recipe with 2 teaspoon baking powder. Another option is to use 2 teaspoon baking soda and 1.5 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice.
Your measurements were not correct and you may have added more liquid ingredients than required. Another reason could be that you didn't chill the dough before baking. An additional possibility could be that your oven was too hot. As a result, the butter melted very quickly and started spreading before the other ingredients had a chance to firm up into a proper form.
Storage of homemade cookies
Room temperature- Keep in a container for 3-5 days.
Fridge- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezer- Dough balls (not coated in cinnamon sugar) can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month in sealed freezer bags. When you are ready to enjoy them, remove from freezer, roll them in cinnamon sugar and bake. Please note that the baking time may be a tad bit more because the dough was frozen.
More classic Fall and Thanksgiving Cookies
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Easy Fall Cookies (Leaf Cookies)
- Easy Acorn Cookies (With Nutter Butter)
- Ginger Molasses Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
- Easy Gingersnap Cookies (Cut Outs)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Cake Mix)
- Butter Pecan Cookies
- Easy Ginger Cookies
- Oreo Turkey Cookies
- Churro Cookies
Recipe
Classic Snickerdoodles Recipe
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Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 2¾ cups Flour All-purpose
- ¾ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Butter Unsalted
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 Egg yolk From large egg
- 1½ teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup Sugar granulated
- 2 tablespoon Cinnamon powder more or less depending on your preference
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix!
- Chill this dough for at least an hour.
- Scoop out small portions of the dough and shape them into small balls.
- Roll them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper. If you like, you can flatten them slightly with the palm of your hands (results in thinner cookies).
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are firm and golden brown and the centers are slightly soft. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- If you don't have cream of tartar, replace baking soda and cream of tartar quantities in this recipe with 2 teaspoon baking powder OR use 2 teaspoon baking soda and 1.5 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Ginger
Should the butter be softened? Thanks
Abeer Rizvi
I always use room temperature butter since it blends together easily and more smoothly.
Mary Richard
I looked all over for a snickerdoodle recipe because I was craving them and I had never made them before. I searched for a few days until I finally picked one. This one! And let me tell you, I was not disappointed! I can't thank you enough for this wonderful recipe and neither can my co-workers! I didn't have cream of tartar, but substituting the baking soda worked perfectly in my opinion. The cookies were moist and full of cinnamon flavor! This will be my go-to recipe for snickerdoodles. I can't wait to try other recipes of yours! THANK YOU!
Abeer Rizvi
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Mary! I am so happy to hear this has become your "go to" scnickerdoodle recipe! Hope you enjoy my other recipes too and feel free to reach out with any questions.
Ashley
Hey! These look great. I have a question, though: Do you spoon and level the flour, take it straight from the jar or weigh it? Thanks so much!
Abeer Rizvi
I take my dough out of the jar. Then, I tap it on the edge of the jar and level it straight.
Ashley
Whats the serving size on this recipe. I cant seem to locate it anywhere. Thanks in advance!
Abeer Rizvi
This recipe easily yields 24-25 cookies (About 2 dozen). If you make them smaller, you can get more cookies.
Heather
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Abeer Rizvi
This recipe easily yields 24-25 cookies. If you make them smaller, you can get more cookies.
Heather
I need to bake 66 cookies for a party. How many cookies does this recipe make?
Abeer Rizvi
This recipe easily yields 24-25 cookies. If you make them smaller, you can get more cookies.
Heather
Thank you for your response! I'll plan to make 3 batches. (Some may be sacrificed for a quality control taste-test).
Charley
Mine look darker then the picture. Maybe too much cinnamon? Mine are not the light color shown in the picture.
Abeer Rizvi
You can adjust the amount of cinnamon to your liking but generally, more cinnamon equals a darker color.
Katherine
These are so good! made exactly 3-1/2 dozen.
Karen
How many cookies equal one serving?
Abeer Rizvi
1 cookie is 1 serving.
EDVALDO BARROSO COSTA
I did and I give a grade 10
Barb Ennis
I got three dozen + 2 cookies. They are much darker than the picture because they have brown sugar and cinnamon in them. The picture looks like my usual recipe with no brown sugar or cinnamon in the batter. They are good!
Paige
If you freeze the dough, how do you recommend baking them? Thaw first or adjust the cooking time/temp? If you thaw the dough how long does it usually take? Also, would you roll the cookies in the cinnamon sugar mix before or after freezing the dough?
Abeer Rizvi
I usually make cookie dough balls and freeze those. Let those thaw in the fridge and then roll them in cinnamon sugar, prior to baking. The baking temperature stays the same and you might have to bake for an additional 1 minute.
Don't freeze cookie dough balls rolled in sugar. It becomes messy when it thaws.
Hope this helps.
Roslind Queen
Can i freeze the cookie dough for later use?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, you can.
Stephanie
Can these be made with honey as the granulated sugar substitute?
Abeer Rizvi
No, that would change the consistency of the dough and make it too wet.
Courtney Golphin
Can i make the cookies without baking soda & brown sugar?
Abeer Rizvi
No, you really need both of those ingredients to create the perfect flavor and texture.
Candice
I made these without cram of tartar and used your suggested substitution, and they are so delicious, my family can't stop eating them. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and a great substitution suggestion!
Abeer Rizvi
Super happy to hear that the substitution worked so well for you!