Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking — the coating caramelizes slightly in the oven and gives them their crinkled surface and a faint crunch at the edge. What separates them from a plain sugar cookie is cream of tartar, which adds a mild tang and helps produce that tender, pillowy center. This recipe makes 24 cookies in about 30 minutes of active time, and the dough holds well in the freezer, which makes it genuinely useful when you need cookies on short notice.
Before you start
Two things determine whether these cookies turn out right. First, your butter must be properly softened — not melted, not cold from the fridge. Press a finger into it; it should indent easily but still hold its shape. Butter that’s too warm will make the dough greasy and the cookies will spread flat. Second, don’t skip chilling the dough, and don’t rush it to just 10 minutes in the freezer. A full 30 minutes in the refrigerator firms the fat so the cookies hold their shape and bake up thick rather than thin and crispy. If you’re working ahead, the dough can chill overnight — longer rest actually improves the flavor slightly as the flour fully hydrates.
Troubleshooting
- Cookies spread too thin and flat: The dough wasn’t cold enough when it went into the oven. Return the shaped, coated dough balls to the fridge for 15 minutes before baking, especially if your kitchen is warm. Also check that your baking sheets aren’t still hot from a previous batch — always use a cool pan.
- No crinkled top: This usually means the oven wasn’t fully preheated. Give it an extra 5 minutes after the preheat indicator goes off. A properly hot oven sets the edges fast while the center is still rising, which creates the cracks.
- Cinnamon sugar coating looks pale and doesn’t caramelize: The ratio of cinnamon to sugar matters here — skip the temptation to add extra cinnamon beyond the recipe amount. Too much cinnamon and not enough sugar means the coating won’t caramelize properly and will look dusty rather than golden.
- Cookies are hard the next day: They were overbaked. Pull them out when the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone — they firm up as they cool on the pan. Even 1 extra minute in the oven makes a noticeable difference with these.
- Dough is crumbly and won’t roll into smooth balls: The flour was packed into the measuring cup. Spoon flour into the cup and level it off, or weigh it. Alternatively, let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes after chilling — it softens just enough to roll without cracking.
Storage and freezing
Baked cookies stay soft at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days — add a slice of white bread to the container if you want to keep them especially soft. For longer storage, baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; seal them in a zip bag with the air pressed out and thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. The better make-ahead move, though, is to freeze the unbaked dough balls after rolling them in cinnamon sugar. Freeze them on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F, adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time — no thawing needed. This way you can pull out exactly as many as you need. The coated dough balls keep frozen for up to 2 months before the cinnamon sugar starts to absorb moisture and lose its texture, so label the bag with a date. Skip making a double batch of the cinnamon sugar coating in advance and storing it separately — it clumps badly and isn’t worth the extra jar.
Classic Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer or hand whisk
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 0.25 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup of softened unsalted butter and 1.5 cups of granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes if using an electric mixer.
- Add Eggs: Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together 2.75 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Gradually add this dry mix to the wet mixture, blending until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is crucial for achieving the perfect texture.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, mix together 0.25 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. This will be used for coating the cookies before baking.
- Shape and Coat the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are slightly cracked.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The snickerdoodles can be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For an extra tangy flavor, add a few drops of lemon or vanilla extract to the dough.
- If cream of tartar isn't available, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I make the dough the night before and bake the next day?
Yes — overnight refrigeration works well here. Keep the dough covered tightly in the bowl, then roll and coat the balls just before baking so the cinnamon sugar stays distinct rather than soaking into the dough.
Can I substitute something for cream of tartar?
You can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in place of the 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, but the texture won’t be identical. Cream of tartar produces a specific chew and tang that liquid acids don’t fully replicate — if you bake snickerdoodles often, it’s worth keeping a jar on hand.
How do I know when the cookies are done if the centers still look raw?
Take them out when the edges are set and the tops show cracks, even if the center looks underdone — that’s correct. They continue cooking on the hot pan for several minutes after you pull them from the oven, and a fully set center in the oven means an overbaked cookie once cooled.
Can I double the recipe for a large event?
Doubling works without any adjustments to ingredients or timing. The one practical note is to bake one sheet at a time on the center rack — two sheets in the oven at once leads to uneven browning and the bottom sheet often overbakes before the tops crack properly.
Why are my cookies not chewy — they came out cakey instead?
Too much flour is the most common cause. Measure by spooning into the cup rather than scooping, or use a kitchen scale. Overmixing after the flour goes in is the other culprit — stop as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Can I freeze already-baked cookies and bring them to an event?
Frozen baked snickerdoodles thaw at room temperature in about 30 minutes and taste very close to fresh. Arrange them in a single layer to thaw so the cinnamon sugar coating doesn’t stick and pull off — stacking them while still cold causes that.
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