Best Snickerdoodles
Posted Jul 14, 2019, Updated Dec 08, 2024
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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 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 to 2 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.
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.
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.
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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 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ 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: 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These came out perfect! I used Spectrum organic shortening vs Crisco.
Great texture, shape and of course the best part- flavor!
I love that this recipe combines both fats.
The recipe made 17 cookies.
Thank you so much Shawna! I tried to keep the traditional texture by using shortening, but adding a buttery flavor using butter as well! I’m so happy you love them!
Hi Laura
Thank you for sharing your recipe. It brought back really nice childhood memories. These are really classic
and taste just like they did as a child. Love the combination of butter and shortening and the batch size.
Happy Holidays. God bless you and yours.
Thank you so much Penny! I’m so glad these brought you so much joy!
I’m about to make these delicious sounding cookies. I thought I would mention that when I clicked the link to see what size cookie scoop you recommend, I was brought to a monster muffin scoop (#10) which I suspect is not at all what you’re recommending (I’m guessing a #40, maybe?). Anyway, from one person who has survived homeschooling to another, many thanks for all your hard, excellent work!
Hello John! I’m so sorry about that! I recommend a 1.5 to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, like this: https://amzn.to/3ZGKBd6
I followed the recipe exactly, and made sure my baking soda and cream of tartar was new. The cookies came out very tasty, but they did not have the little crinkles you described and are seen the photo. Why would my cookies not have the crinkles?
Are you able to send me a photo so I can see the end result? My email is laura@joyfoodsunshine.com
Hi Laura, how are you? And also, I think I have a question for you: Did you, by any chance, finally manage to have the recipe for the Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate posted into your website? Thanks! 🙂 From Stephanie Foraci
Hey Stephanie! I did not – it takes me over a year to develop, shoot, write and post a recipe!
I understand. Thanks a lot. 🙂
Hi Laura, how are you? And also, I think I have a question for you: Could you, by any chance, please have the Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate recipe posted into your website? Thanks! 🙂 From Stephanie Foraci
Hey Stephanie! The recipe should be in this post. Can you clarify what you are asking from me?
Yes, I’m actually talking about the Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate, just like the Starbucks Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate itself. 🙂
Oh!!! I understand now!! I will definitely put that on the list- it sounds delicious! I did some research and it looks like they put 2 pumps of white chocolate mocha sauce and 2 pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup into their snickerdoodle hot chocolate – if this helps! It takes me a while to test recipes but it’s on the list for sure!
Been using so many of your cookie recipes I figured I’d finally leave a comment. So far I’ve made the chocolate chip, the snickerdoodle, and the peanut butter & they’ve all been major hits.
Personally I like a little less tangyness so I add a quarter less cream of tartar and sometimes I mix it up & add orange zest and cardamom extract but the recipe is perfect on its own. Thank you for sharing hit after hit!!
Great recipe! If I decreased the cream of tartar to 3/4 tsp instead of 1 tsp, will the cookie be a little less puffy? Thank you.
Love these! New favorite snickerdoodles
Just like I remembered, as a child! Crisp on outside. Light and fluffy on the inside. Melt in your mouth. And bonus…your home will smell 😋 delicious.