If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect Snickerdoodle, your search ends here. These soft and chewy cookies are everything a Snickerdoodle should be—pillowy centers, crisp edges, and that signature tangy cinnamon-sugar coating that makes them absolutely irresistible. They’re easy to whip up and perfect for everything from holiday cookie plates to everyday sweet cravings. This classic recipe delivers bakery-style results with minimal effort, making it a must-save for your collection.
Want to make one giant Snickerdoodle? You’ve got to try this.
Ingredients & Equipment Needed
- sugar
- ground cinnamon
- all-purpose flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt – if you’re using salted butter, you can omit this!
- butter
- vegetable shortening
- eggs
- beater blade – if you have a Kitchen Aid, one of these is a must!
How to Make Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Preheat oven to 375°F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon in a shallow dish and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1½ cups sugar until light and fluffy (3–6 mins).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping bowl as needed.
- On low speed, mix in dry ingredients until just combined; stir to ensure no flour remains. The dough is very soft; but whatever you do, don’t add more flour!
- Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls, coat in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 mins, until edges are set but centers look slightly underdone.
- Cool on pan for 10 mins, then transfer to wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.
Storage & Other Tips
- The dough is very soft; it’s supposed to be that way, don’t add more flour.
- These cookies spread quite a lot, so give them space.
- Cooking time here is pivotal; if you overcook these Snickerdoodles they will be “thin and crispy” instead of “soft and chewy”. The trick is to watch the edges first; they should be just set, but the centers should still look raw between all of those cinnamon cracks. The cookies will be pillowy and puffy looking while in the hot oven, and when they come out they’ll start to fall, which is what they’re supposed to do! That’s how they get those beautiful crackly tops. After they’ve cooled, they’ll flatten out even more and those slightly under-cooked centers become perfectly cooked and yield a soft, chewy, buttery, interior.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 – 5 days at room temperature, or freeze for 1 – 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Shortening plays a key role in this cookie. Combined with the butter it gives optimal texture while allowing the flavor of the butter to come through. If you leave the shortening out, cookies will spread more, have a crispier texture, and lack chewiness.
Yes! Cream of tartar gives Snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. Substituting it will change the flavor and consistency. If you don’t like cream of tartar, then guess what? You don’t like Snickerdoodles! Make a sugar cookie instead.
That’s actually what you want! Pull them from the oven when the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone—they’ll finish setting as they cool.
Technically yes. Scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add an extra minute or two. However, I always recommend cookie dough be baked fresh.
Yes, this recipe doubles well—just be sure not to overcrowd your mixing bowl and baking sheets.
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt omit if using salted butter
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick, softened to room temperature
- 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 eggs large
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish and set aside. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
- Beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1 ½ cups sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed of mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain.
- Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls. Working in batches, roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time until edges of cookies are set and just barely beginning to brown, but centers are still soft and puffy, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies should look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Questions & Reviews
I’ve used vinegar instead of cream of tartar in ‘my’ snickerdoodle recipe before with great success. 🙂
Really? I might try that 🙂
Snickerdoodles were one of the first things we made in cooking class in 7th grade- thanks for the trip down memory lane! I noticed the paddle on your mixer is not the standard issue kitchen aid paddle. I think it’s just what I need. Mine never seems to reach the edges of the bowl and I am forever using a spatula to blend the ingredients. Would you mind sharing where you found it? I’ve seen them on amazon but do not know which brand would be best.
PS. Why doens’t kitchen aid include it as their standard? Seems like it would be a big help!
Most cooking supply stores carry those beaters.
In Australia the beaters are sold as Kitchenaid but when I asked why they weren’t included I was told that while they are endorsed by Kitchenaid they aren’t made by the company but rather a subsidiary. I think that is right. Also check before you use them as non-genuine ones can void your warranty – if there is any left on it!!!
Love Snickerdoodles! I have to share this recipe I found. I made it for my dad’s birthday and the frosting is TO DIE FOR!!!! I love food, but don’t get super excited about it very often. Allow me to repeat: the frosting is TO DIE FOR!!!! http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/08/26/snickerdoodle-cake-with-brown-sugar-cinnamon-buttercream/
Even though I already knew the story about the man helping you with the cart, it still made me cry. I like nice people. I don’t like mean people, and it seems that if you watch any amount of news, you only hear about the mean people. So thanks for putting your story on the blog.
My Snickerdoodle recipe is very similar to yours (it uses both butter and shortening, and cream of tartar). Maybe I’ll have to bake up a batch of each recipe and do a taste test! Wow, can you imagine how many cookies will be lying around here if I do that? Probably not many because Snickerdoodles are so yummy! I only bake mine for 8 minutes. Over-baking is the worst!
I noticed in the photos that you used rimmed pans to bake the cookies. I might have missed this somewhere but I always thought cookies had to be baked on rim-less cookie sheets. Or is this this like putting a baby in a crib – on tummy or or depends on how you were taught and current wisdom at the time?
Thanks for the story and the recipe!
It really makes no difference in terms of baking. Rimless sheets are simply easier to maneuver a spatula through, and have slightly different dimensions. But in terms of baking surface, there’s not much difference.
(Then again, all my babies are tummy sleepers, so maybe I’m just a rebel? 😉
I purchase all my spices from a little Amish community less than 30 minutes from my home. The last time I went to buy cream of tartar, they told me about angel cream which is what they use. I can’t tell a difference between the two and the angel cream was a lot less expensive than the cream of tartar.
Just a little FYI: Did you know that you can make a paste out of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar to get rust stains out of fabric? I know. Weird.
Huh, good to know!
My husband recently informed me that he LOVES snickerdoodles (after being together for 10 years, he finally shares this) so I’ll have to get me some cream of tartar & get baking! Love the Q&A by the way–made my morning!
Don’t you love when husbands do that?! Especially since we ask those type of questions all the time! Lol 🙂
These look fantastic. I love all your FAQ at the end of your post! I would have substituted butter (without asking, mind you – I just routinely do that in any recipe that calls for shortening) but since you posted about the need for shortening I guess I’ll buy a tiny bit and use it! Snickerdoodles are one of those treats that has lots of girlhood memories for me. I’m excited to make these for my boys. Thanks for posting!
I remember these from when I was young too. We always used the cream of tartar and I know I love the cookie, but I didn’t think the cream of tartar tasted like anything. will have to buy some fresh and make a batch, just to be sure!
ps- made the tin can treats for Valentines’ Day and it was a huge success! I have “grown” kids and the starbucks card fit in there perfectly- funny though, my 18 year old daughter couldn’t figure how to pop open the top!
I actually experimented and tried baking with all-butter and half-butter/half-shortening, and I actually found that the half-shortening cookies were slightly cakey. Both are delicious though!!! (Thanks Sara!) 🙂 However, I liked the all-butter ones more – because they had a better chew. If you’re worried about them spreading, just chill the dough for a bit before baking!
http://thekitchenkook.blogspot.com/2013/01/classic-snickerdoodle-cookies.html
So, I’m pretty much an OBB groupie. I seriously love you two. I use recipes from the website several times EVERY week! Just curious if there will ever be an OBB iphone app? Not that it’s such a big deal to type it in to my web browser, but just curious 🙂 Thanks for what you’ve done for this girl’s “casserole and spahetti upbringing”!
Yes! That’s all I’m saying for now 🙂
can I make a special request for a Windows phone app also, not all of us are on the iphone!
I literally just squealed!
I’m so excited!! I found your website 3 days ago, and love it! Humor, excellent recipes, loads of pictures… Only taking it mobile could make it better. Oh, and I rarely buy cookbooks, but yours is going on my Christmas list. (If nobody buys it for me, well, then Merry Christmas to me, from me!)
Sara, you are an awesome baker and a GREAT writer, too! Thanks for helping my day start out well!