Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies made from scratch. These buttery Snickerdoodle Cookies are rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar and baked until golden. There’s no chilling the dough so they’re ready to eat in under an hour.
The humble Snickerdoodle Cookie 💕
I first heard about Snickerdoodle Cookies from my sister-in-law. Snicker-what? But one bite and I was in sweet cinnamon heaven.
These buttery sugar cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar and then baked to crinkly perfection. An American classic, they’re soft, chewy and oh-so sweet.
They’re the ideal Christmas cookie since they can be made and ready to gift in under an hour. If you’re a cinnamon enthusiast like me, you’ll LOVE these!
Why you will love this recipe
Soft and chewy: You can expect chewy, buttery Snickerdoodle cookies that just about melt-in-your-mouth.
Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of pantry staples to make a batch.
Perfect thickness: While other Snickerdoodle recipes make super thin or super thick cookies, this recipe produces Snickerdoodles that boast the perfect thickness.
No chill time: You don’t have to chill the dough, so these cookies are ready to eat in under an hour.
Make-ahead: You can easily make the cookie dough ahead of time and simply thaw and bake when needed.
What is a Snickerdoodle?
Snickerdoodles are sweet sugar cookies that have been rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.
What makes them unique is their chewy texture, slightly tangy flavour and their crinkly appearance. These three things come from the addition of cream of tartar.
While they’re an American favourite today, it is believed that they have Dutch-German roots. The original name of Schnecke Knödel apparently translates to snail dumpling.
Despite their simplicity (and their quirky name), it’s their buttery taste that will have everyone reaching for just one more cookie.
Recipe testing
The not-so-secret ingredient in these cookies is cream of tartar which helps to give them their signature tang and enviable chew.
The base is a chewy sugar cookie recipe, similar to what you would use for my popular Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.
Other than cream of tartar, these buttery cookies only use regular pantry ingredients.
The magic happens when the cookie dough is rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar – that’s heavy on the cinnamon – and then baked until golden.
While I’ll always love chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and salty Peanut Butter Miso Cookies, these simple snickerdoodle cookies are one of my all-time favourite treats.
I’ll even go as far to say that this is the best Snickerdoodle recipe EVER.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make a batch of chewy Snickerdoodles. Here are some of the key ingredients you will need, including any substitutions you can make:
- Butter: For the best-tasting Snickerdoodles, use full fat butter (not margarine or a butter substitute). Make sure your butter is softened, but not melty, so it easily mixes with the sugar. If your butter is too warm, your cookies will spread too much when baked.
- Caster sugar: Or you can use granulated sugar. Only using caster sugar instead of brown sugar keeps these cookies light in colour and closer in flavour to a traditional sugar cookie.
- Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar is an acidic powder that is often used to stabilise egg whites. You may not have used it in your baking before, but cream of tartar gives these cookies a slightly sour flavour, a signature crinkle and makes the cookies EXTRA chewy. You can usually find cream of tartar in the baking aisle of the supermarket, near the baking soda or baking powder.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon sugar mixture is simply made from ground cinnamon and caster sugar. These cookies are nothing without their cinnamon sugar roll! Don’t skip it.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Snickerdoodle Cookies
These cinnamon sugar cookies are so easy to make. You will need an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Here’s how to make them:
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Mix using an electric mixer on medium speed until combined and creamy – it should take a minute or two.
Step 2: Add vanilla and egg. Mix on medium speed just until combined.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients and then mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms.
Step 4: Scoop using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and roll into balls.
Step 5: Roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden on the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for perfect Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Start with room temperature butter: Don’t use cold butter. Your butter should be nice and soft (but not melty by any means) so it’s easy to combine with the sugar. If your butter is too soft, your cookies may spread too much resulting in flat cookies.
- Use a baking scale to measure: It’s very easy to overmeasure flour when using cup measurements. Too much flour can result in dry, thick or cakey cookies. Measuring your flour using a baking scale will ensure your cookies spread just the right amount when baked.
- Don’t skip the cream of tartar: Just a teaspoon of cream of tartar will give these cookies a slight tang and their incredible chewiness. It can be found in local supermarkets in the baking aisle – often next to the baking powder.
- Try not to over-bake cookies: Cookies firm up as they cool. Just a minute or two longer in the oven will give you a tough cookie – not a soft and chewy one that we love. Watch the bake time!
Frequently asked questions
Cream of tartar is an acidic powder that is often used in baking recipes like cookies and meringues. It can help stablise egg whites and create chewy cookies. It gives these Snickerdoodle Cookies their chewiness and offers a subtle but unique tangy flavour.
You added too much flour. This recipe is designed to make cookies that flatten out naturally in the oven when baked. If your cookies don’t spread, it’s likely that you added too much flour. Be sure to use a baking scale for accuracy.
Keep Snickerdoodle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Keep cookie dough in the fridge covered in plastic wrap until you are ready to bake them. Bring the dough back to room temperature before rolling in cinnamon sugar and baking. Alternatively, you can roll cookie dough into balls and store in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer. To bake, simply bring the cookie dough balls back to room temperature and then bake as per instructions below.
More cookie recipes to love
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe
Snickerdoodle Cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar and then baked to crinkly perfection.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon topping
- 15 grams (1 tablespoon) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays or cookie sheets with baking paper or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy.
- Add vanilla and egg and beat briefly, just until combined. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, and beat briefly until a soft cookie dough forms.
- In a separate bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons each) and roll them smooth using your hands.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon sugar until they are completely covered. Place on prepared trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread naturally in the oven.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies spread out and have a nice crinkly top. They may look slightly under baked. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Butter: For the best-tasting Snickerdoodles, use full fat butter (not margarine or a butter substitute.) Make sure your butter is softened, but not melty, to start so it easily mixes with the sugar. If your butter is too warm, your cookies will spread too much when baked.
Cream of tartar: You can usually find cream of tartar in the baking aisle of the supermarket, often near the baking soda or baking powder.
Storage: Keep Snickerdoodle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make-ahead: Keep cookie dough in the fridge covered in plastic wrap until you are ready to bake. Bring the dough back to room temperature before rolling in cinnamon sugar and baking.
Alternatively, you can roll cookie dough into balls and store in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer. To bake, simply bring back to room temperature and then bake as per instructions above.
Anna says
Hi Jess,
Is baking soda, bicarbonate of soda OR baking powder?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Anna, good question! Baking soda and bicarbonate of soda are the same thing.
Hayley says
These turned out great! I used 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and 1/2 baking powder but didn’t change much else. Really perfect snickerdoodles!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Hayley!
Tracy H says
If I don’t have an electric mixer, is there anything else I can use? A blender? Just manually mix?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Tracy, yes you can mix this by hand. Just make sure your butter is softened and then use a hand whisk to cream the butter and sugar together – it’ll take longer and you’ll need to use a bit of elbow grease!
Iris Hopkins says
this recipe is delicious! Tottaly reccomend it
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Iris!
Chelsy says
Yum – these are so nice! The last recipe I made did not leave a good impression on me but these are definitely better!! 😍 My family aren’t massive cinnamon fans but that leaves more of them to me 🤭
The size of the cookies weren’t consistent but the mixture made 18 for me!
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Chelsy!
Andrea says
Excellent recipie
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Valeria says
Thank you for the recipe. Made it at and my family loved them. Could the recipe be doubled or even tripled?
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Valeria! And yes I think doubling should be fine.
amber balser says
can you use these cookies to cut out shapes? If so, how? Thanks.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Amber, I don’t think these cookies would work as cut-out cookies. But try my Honey Cookies or Gingerbread Cookies for good cut-out alternatives.
Diana says
Loved the conversions and sugar explanations. So thoughtful. Cookies great too.
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks Diana!
Emma L says
I made these today, they were so simple and quick, and they’re so delicious! I baked mine for 13 mins and they were so fluffy. Defo a hit, will be making again 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that Emma!
Khelia Wellings says
These were so quick and simple to whip up! I doubled the batch and made 24 biscuits. I’ve spent the rest of the night fighting off ny partner and two year old. I made them early this afternoon and they are now gone at 9pm 😮 Will definitely be making again and again!
Jessica Holmes says
Wow! Love that!
Sarah Kelly says
I have never liked snickerdoodles but wanted to add a traditional cookie to my Christmas cookie plate that I make for my neighbours every year. I decided to try your recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand and it seemed so easy.. I must admit, you may have converted me to a Snickerdoodle lover! This was so quick and easy, and the cookie is so tender and delicious! I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough recipe because I love cinnamon and wanted that flavour to stand out a little bit more. I rolled them into one inch balls and could fit three across on my cookie sheet. I was able to bake the entire batch of dough in three sheets in my oven at one time. It was perfect! Especially if you’re doing a bake-a-thon like I was.
I almost passed your recipe by when I saw the prep time was listed as 40 minutes! I think that’s way, way off. I whipped this dough up in less than ten and had them all balled, sugar dunked and baking in less than 20. I suggest an edit for that unless there are steps you’re including there that I didn’t see.
Thanks for this recipe. It’s going in my favourites!
Karen says
Excellent cookie! Chewy, flavorful, and easy! Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Holmes says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them Karen!
Sarah says
I wanted to make these just so I could say I’d made a snicker doodle – how fun is that name! They were a great go to as well when I didn’t have a lot of ingredients in the house. Very yummy!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sarah! I felt the same way the first time I heard the name too! Now they’re one of my favourite cookies! So glad you enjoyed them 😊
Josh says
I really loved these!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh!