Tender, buttery and slightly tangy sugar cookies are coated in cinnamon sugar and baked to perfection in this classic dessert! Whip up a batch of these Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies and meet your new favorite cookie recipe.
Soft & Chewy Homemade Snickerdoodles
As a massive fan of all things cinnamon, I could never say no to a snickerdoodle cookie. In fact, they’re some of my all-time favorite treats! Every Christmas, I’ll enjoy a handful of freshly baked snickerdoodles alongside a tall glass of cold milk or Eggnog. Making these melt-in-your-mouth cookies for Santa is a surefire way to secure your spot on the Nice List.
Although I tend to associate snickerdoodle cookies with the holiday season, they’re a heavenly dessert that’s great for any occasion you could think of. Even if it’s just a regular old weeknight! If you’re anything like me, you’ll start using every excuse in the book to bring these tender cinnamon cookies to life in your kitchen.
What Is a Snickerdoodle?
A snickerdoodle is a popular type of sugar cookie that’s made with cream of tartar to add a touch of tang. Before snickerdoodles are baked, the dough balls are rolled in cinnamon sugar to give the finished cookies some wonderful warmth and an extra boost of sweetness. The combination of flavors is utterly divine!
This foolproof recipe makes pillowy-soft snickerdoodles with just the right amount of cinnamon. They come out thick (but not too thick!) and chewy every time – and you don’t even have to chill the dough before you bake them.
What Makes this Recipe the Best?
There are many things to love about this easy snickerdoodle cookies recipe, but here are my top highlights:
- It’s a no chill cookie recipe. There’s no need to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking!
- It has the perfect amount of cinnamon. These cookies have the ideal amount of cinnamon. They also make your home smell amazing!
- It makes soft and chewy cookies. Is there anything better than biting into a pillowy snickerdoodle? Probably not!
Recipe Ingredients
These crowd-favorite cookies keep it super simple with a short list of basic ingredients. You’ll see the exact amounts included in the recipe card that follows this post.
- All-Purpose Flour: Fluff up the flour and fill your measuring cup by the spoonful to prevent overpacking. Better yet, use a food scale.
- Cream of Tartar: This doesn’t just add tanginess – it also helps keep the cookies nice and chewy.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: Bring it to room temperature.
- Sugar: You’ll need some for the dough itself and a little more for the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality extract for unbeatable flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon
Follow these detailed steps to set yourself up with some flawless snickerdoodles. Happy baking!
- Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Beat Butter & Sugar: Add the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar to a large mixer bowl. Cream until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Add Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Combine Dry & Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the combined wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon in another small bowl.
- Form Cookies & Add to Baking Sheet: Create balls containing one tablespoon of cookie dough each. Roll each ball of cookie dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place them onto the prepared cookie sheet with about 2 inches of space in between each one.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes.
- Let Cool: Remove your cookies from the oven and allow them to rest for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy! Serve your cookies while they’re still warm or wait until they’ve cooled to room temperature.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?
I love the fact that this cookie dough doesn’t have to be chilled – but you can totally pop it into the fridge if you’d like to make it in advance! Simply wrap the dough in a tight layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Once you’re ready to bake your cookies, let the dough sit at room temperature until it’s soft enough to scoop.
Tips for Success
These handy tips and tricks will have you making top-notch snickerdoodle cookies with ease.
- Use a Dark Cookie Sheet: Did you know that the color of the cookie sheet actually has an effect on how quickly your cookies bake? A dark color will absorb heat more quickly, which helps set the edges without causing the cookies to spread. That’s exactly what you want here, so grab the darkest pan you’ve got!
- Cream the Butter & Sugar Well: Fully creamed butter and sugar will develop a noticeably lighter color and texture. Make sure you see that transformation happen before you move on to the next step.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: As soon as everything is well combined, you’re good to go. Over-mixed batter can cause cookies to come out tougher and denser than they’re supposed to.
- Bake at 400°F: Most cookies bake at 350°F, but these ones require a higher temperature to stop them from spreading too thin. Stick with the instructions in the recipe if you want that classic soft and chewy snickerdoodle texture.
Storage Instructions
Extra snickerdoodles should be allowed to cool completely before they’re transferred to an airtight container and stored at room temperature. Enjoy your cookies within 1 week of baking them.
Do Snickerdoodles Freeze Well?
Yes! You can freeze the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months – just remember to thaw them out completely before you enjoy them. If you’d like to freeze the unbaked cookie dough, you’ll first have to form the balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
Once they’re formed and coated, place the dough balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze them for 3-4 hours. Once the balls are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store them for up to 3 months. Bake them directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the cook time.
More Crowd-Pleasing Cookie Recipes
Want more holiday-worthy cookies that are sure to delight any crowd? Say no more!
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 45
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tender, buttery and slightly tangy sugar cookies are coated in cinnamon sugar and baked to perfection in this classic dessert! Whip up a batch of these Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies and experience blissful comfort with each cozy bite.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar, plus 3 tbsp for rolling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a cookie sheet (I recommend a darker cookie sheet) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Add the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar to a large mixer bowl and cream until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon in another small bowl.
- Create balls of one tablespoon of cookie dough each.
- Roll each ball of cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then set on the prepared cookie sheet with about 2 inches between them.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Makes 40-45 cookies.
- To Make Ahead: Wrap dough in a tight layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, let dough sit at room temperature until soft enough to scoop.
- To Store: Keep cooled snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, thawing before enjoying. Alternatively, freeze formed and coated dough balls on a lined baking sheet for 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, increasing cook time by 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie Ball
- Calories: 86
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 57.7 mg
- Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.9 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 16.4 mg
Keywords: snickerdoodles, snickerdoodle cookies, chewy snickerdoodle recipe
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Hi there! I was wondering if you’ve had any success making them bigger than 1 tablespoon dough balls? I like a big cookie, but didn’t know if it would change baking time or if they would spread too much. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it. But you’re correct that they’d need to bake longer and would likely spread more. I’m not sure if that would make them turn out differently or not without testing it. I think these would be ok.
I love Snicker Doodles. So good
Definitely recommend 💯. I love this recipe and have used it multiple times! Thank you. It’s absolutely delicious and perfect for those cold snowy mornings or that midnight snack!
★★★★★
Awesome! So glad to hear that!