Best Snickerdoodles
Posted Jul 14, 2019, Updated Nov 20, 2023
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The best Snickerdoodles recipe! These snickerdoodle cookies have crispy edges, chewy centers, and a rich cinnamon flavor. They’re easy to make with simple ingredients & no chilling! A classic Christmas cookie recipe passed down from my grandma that I have been baking since I was a little girl!
I’m bringing you a little holiday cheer with my classic Christmas cookie recipe, Snickerdoodles! I very s lightly tweaked my grandma’s snickerdoodle recipe to make the best snickerdoodle cookies ever.
These snickerdoodle cookies are absolute perfection. Crispy edges, chewy centers, with a rich cinnamon flavor. They’re easy to make and do not require any chilling.
Plus, I personally think they are even better the day after they are baked, making them a great choice to give as holiday gifts to neighbors and friends!
Snickerdoodles Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter: You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, you may just need to increase the sea salt in the recipe. You also can use all shortening and no butter (that is what my grandma’s recipe called for). However, I really like the flavor of the butter.
- Shortening. I don’t recommend substitutions for the shortening.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar, or organic cane sugar.
- Vanilla extract. Please use pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the best results.
- Fine Sea Salt. Sea salt is different than iodized table salt, so if you use iodized salt I recommend using less than the recipe calls for.
How to make the best Snickerdoodles
Let’s walk through how to make snickerdoodles step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by mixing the cinnamon & sugar together in a small bowl. You will roll the snickerdoodles in this mixture before baking.
Then, sift the flour into a medium bowl.
Sifting flour
For soft & tender snickerdoodles, it’s important to sift the flour. I use this fine mesh strainer to sift ingredients. It’s a versatile kitchen tool (I use it for draining pasta, rinsing quinoa, filtering yogurt, etc.) and works very well! You can also use a regular flour sifter if you own one.
Stir in the baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt and cinnamon and set the mixture aside.
Note: Adding cinnamon to the dough is one of the things I tweaked from my grandma’s recipe to make this snickerdoodle recipe extra special! I love that there is a double dose of cinnamon, both inside and outside each cookie.
Next, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar using either a standing mixter fitted with the paddle attachement, or a large bowl and a handheld mixer.
My grandma’s recipe called for all shortening, but I found that using an equal ratio of butter and shortening gave this snickerdoodle recipe the best taste and texture!
Then, beat in the egg and vanilla.
Then beat in the dry ingredients until they are just combined. The dough should be very slightly tacky and easy to work with.
Use a cookie scoop to measure out 1.5 Tablespoons of dough.
Then, roll the dough into a smooth ball in your hands and then set aside on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
Next, roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated.
Bake the Snickerdoodles
Evenly space the snickerdoodles on a large baking sheet so there is about 2-3″ between the cookies. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes.
It’s very important not to over-bake these snickerdoodle cookies.
When they’re done, the snickerdoodles will be puffed, a parts of the cookie will look set. There will be parts that look a little doughy (the crinkles) and that is a good thing.
Every oven is different, but in my oven I cannot bake them more than 10 minutes or they’re overdone. Sometimes I pull them out at 8 minutes. Please do not over-bake! No matter how tempting it might be!
I tested these snickerdoodles on multiple different kids of “surfaces.” Bake them either on an ungreased baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for the best results!
Cool & Serve
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Store
I recommend storing these snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’re adding these to a cookie tray, just be sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap so no air can get to the cookies!
Freeze
You can freeze the baked snickerdoodle cookies or the snickerdoodle dough in an airtight container for up to one month.
If you will be freezing the dough, I recommend scooping it into balls and rolling them until they are smooth. Roll each dough ball in cinnamon sugar and freeze them in an airtight container. To bake, remove from the freezer and wait for the cookie dough to come to room temperature.
Snickerdoodles Recipe FAQs
Snickerdoodles use cream of tartar while sugar cookies use baking powder.Â
Snickerdoodles have cinnamon in the dough and they are rolled in cinnamon sugar
Sugar cookies are made with only butter, while snickerdoodles use a mixture of butter and shortening!
If your snickerdoodles come out flat the most likely cause is that your baking soda or cream of tartar are expired. I recommend checking the expiration date on your leavening agents.
t is an acid called tartaric acid, potassium bitartrate, or potassium hydrogen tartrate, which has a chemical formula of KC4H5O6 Cream of tartar is actually a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine! Although it has many uses, in this recipe it reacts with baking soda to make these snickerdoodles rise.
To make a classic snickerdoodle cookie, the answer is yes. The acidic nature of cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles a very slightly tangy flavor and the perfect chewy texture.Â
In a pinch you could substitute the cream of tartar and baking soda with 1 ½ tsp baking powder. But again, I recommend following the recipe as written for the best results.
When they’re done, the snickerdoodles will be puffed, a parts of the cookie will look set. There will be parts that look a little doughy (the crinkles) and that is a good thing.Â
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Best Snickerdoodles Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup shortening
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 â…“ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- â…› teaspoon sea salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon. Set aside.
Make the Snickerdoodles
- Sift flour into a medium bowl.
- Add the cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt to the sifted flour and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer).
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth.
- Beat in the dry ingredient mixture until just incorporated.
- Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to measure dough, then roll it into balls.
- Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until it’s evenly coated.
- Place the snickerdoodles on a baking sheet, either ungreased or lined with a silicone baking mat.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until puffed and mostly set, but still soft.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Video
Notes
- Salted Butter:Â You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, you may just need to increase the sea salt in the recipe. You also can use all shortening and no butter (that is what my grandma’s recipe called for). However, I really like the flavor of the butter.Â
- Shortening. I don’t recommend substitutions for the shortening.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar, or organic cane sugar.
- Vanilla extract. Please use pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the best results.
- Fine Sea Salt. Sea salt is different than iodized table salt, so if you use iodized salt I recommend using less than the recipe calls for.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These snickerdoodles are a big hit with my friends and family.
Thank you, Brooke!
Delicious! Unfortunately I used a stoneware baking pan and I have a brand new stove so I had to double the time for mine to cook. I took them out at 8 mins but they still were way too raw. If you find yourself in my position add an additional 5 minutes under close observation and remove once you get an allover uniform texture across whole cookie.
I totally understand this! I just got a new oven and I’m struggling getting used to it!
I doubled the recipe because I was making them for my boyfriends christmas party and wanted some extra as well! They turned out so good!! I baked them for only 9 minutes and that is PLENTY, they will look pale and not done but promise once they are set, they are done. I love this so much and I will make them every year from now on. They are light and have plenty of cinnamon (not too much but just right)
Thank you so much Arielle, I’m so glad you love them! This is one of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes of all time, so it makes me so happy when others enjoy it too.
Can I use one jumbo egg ? What size egg do you recommend?
I use 1 large egg!
I made these the other night for my family. SO delicious and an easy recipe to follow. Still chewy and soft the next day (they only last two days before being eaten up!). Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much Dom! This recipe is so special to me, so it means so much when other people love it too!
I printed a couple of your cookies recipes to prepare for my son’s deployment. Do you have any idea how the cookies hold up for shipping to other countries?
Thank you,
Betty
Yum! Delicious recipe. Not too sweet or cinnamony, just perfect. If only I had a better oven, they would have turned out perfect.
Love these! But want to make more in one batch! Can the recipe be doubled easily?
Yes! I often double it.
Hi Laura. Do I sift the flour before or after measuring? On the directions, it says the flour is already sifted, but it says to sift the flour in the instructions. I wanted to double check with you. They look tasty!
Sift after measuring. I’ll clarify that in the card!