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A Soft Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe with incredible crisp, golden edges and buttery centres makes these cinnamon sugar cookies THE BEST!
If you’re looking for a memorable Snickerdoodle cookie recipe that truly melts in your mouth, this is it. The softest Snickerdoodles you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating 2 or 6, dunking in a glass of slow cooker hot chocolate and craving more because they are so unbelievably addicting.
Forget flat or hard cookies with our snickerdoodle cookie recipe!
THE PERFECT SNICKERDOODLES
Our snickerdoodle cookie recipe ticks all the right boxes:
- full of butter and holiday joy.
- soft, melt-in-your-mouth centres.
- a classic tang from the cream of tartar.
- slightly crisp outer edges to give you a little crispy crunch.
- each cookie is a soft pillow coated in cinnamon sugar love.
Making sure your snickerdoodles are slightly under-baked guarantees soft, buttery cookies. We found the perfect baking time in our oven at 10 minutes.
For crispier cookie fans, bake them for slightly longer (about 2-3 minutes more).
WHY IS A SNICKERDOODLE CALLED A SNICKERDOODLE?
Snickerdoodles have been around years and are believed to be of Dutch/German origin. According to food historians, snickerdoodle cookies from the German term Schnecke Knödel which translates as ‘snail dumpling.’
Interesting, eh?
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE:
- Use all butter without any shortening: cream your butter and sugar together for 5 minutes to work air into the cookie dough and create a smooth texture.
- Fold in dry ingredients: don’t over beat your dough at this point. Fold until just combined.
- Cream of Tartar: creates the signature tang and soft/chewy centres snickerdoodles are known for.
- Brown sugar: makes that chewy centre that much softer.
- Sprinkle with extra cinnamon/sugar: because, well, why not?
- Arrange cookies at least 3-inches apart: they tend to spread and you don’t want three cookies merging into one. Wait.
- For thick cookies: spoon dough onto your baking sheets straight from the spoon (I use a cookie dough scoop). Don’t roll them into perfect round balls. You’ll want higher rather than wider cookie dough balls so that they bake thick.
- For flatter cookies: Make a small indent in the centre of each cookie ball by lightly pressing down before baking to flatten them out a little.
- Let the cool down for at least 15 minutes before transferring them: Why? Because they are super soft and may fall apart if you try to move them while they’re piping hot/warm.
WHAT DOES CREAM OF TARTAR TASTE LIKE?
Cream of tartar is what makes Snickerdoodles unique and stand out from regular cinnamon-coated sugar cookies. The acid in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their distinctive flavour, while preventing the sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing.
Having said that, you can replace it with baking soda if you need too. Just add 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice to get that slight tang.
MORE EASY COOKIE RECIPES:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snowball Cookies
M&M Cookies (Christmas Cookies)
Best Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthy 2-Ingredient Breakfast Cookies
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Soft Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cup flour all purpose or plain
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
CINNAMON SUGAR:
- 5 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar(s) until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla for a further 2 minutes until well incorporated.
- Fold in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt until just combined.
- In a separate small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
- Cover dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (if time allows).
- Roll cookie dough into balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and evenly coat.
- Arrange cookies at least 3-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon/sugar to ensure cookies are completely covered.
- For thick cookies: spoon dough onto your baking sheets straight from the spoon (use a cookie dough scoop). Don't roll them into perfect round balls. You'll want higher rather than wider cookie dough balls so that they bake thick.For thin cookies: Make a small indent in the centre of each cookie ball by lightly pressing down before baking to flatten them out a little.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden.
- Let cool for about 10-15 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These cookies are the best!, Followed the recipe exactly. After 11 minutes cookies were done So glad I found your recipe
Best snickerdoodle recipe i have come across. They look just like the picture, i would have posted a picture but we ate them all!! yummy
These are amazing ! I’ve made other snickerdoodle cookies with not as much success but these are classic, delicious, chewy, and easy. Thank you!!!!!
Every time I made Snickerdoodles they were soft when they were warm but then hardened after a couple hours. I threw that recipe out and replaced it with this one! OMG these are the BEST! They are soft and delicious even after a couple days. The key is definitely in the butter versus the shortening. Also the brown sugar added makes them taste so good!
My husband loves snickerdoodles, but I was never a big fan (my family just never made them). I made these and have put on about five pounds since! Absolutely delicious, and the husband approves too 🙂
Wonderful! The perfect recipe & I am 67 yrs old so I have experience! Thanks for the recipe AND the all important tips!!!