Classic Snickerdoodles

These Classic Snickerdoodles are super buttery, super chewy, and full of cinnamon flavor. These easy homemade snickerdoodles are one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes of all time! 

Snickerdoodle cookies are one of my greatest weaknesses, and this classic snickerdoodle recipe is by far the best, in my opinion.  

It’s my mom’s snickerdoodle recipe, and as we all know, mom knows best. 

If there was one thing I was known for while I was in college, it was for my snickerdoodles. 

I’d love to say I’m joking or exaggerating, but I had multiple moments where I was referred to as the “cookie lady.” 

I mean, there are worse things to be known by, ya know? 😜

And, really, one bite of these buttery, chewy snickerdoodles and you’d know why they were so memorable. So the real question is…are you ready to be hounded for your snickerdoodles? Because you make these once, and I can *almost* guarantee you’ll be asked to make these again and again. 

(And if you’re not, we need to sit down and chat about the kinds of friends you have in your life.)

When I was younger, my mom attended a cookie exchange every season. It was, next to Christmas Day, one of my favorite evenings of the entire season. 

She would leave with 8 dozen snickerdoodles or so (making sure to leave some for her kids who all obsessed over these cookies), and she’d come back with all sorts of other cookies. 

I mean, that is a party I can get behind. Anytime you get to bring home a pile of other cookies and desserts in exchange for just bringing a tupperware and one type of cookie, you can bet I’ll be the first one at the party. 

My favorite was when she’d come home with some sort of chewy sugar cookies, sometime topped with frosting (like this easy sugar cookie frosting), or even something like these molasses sugar cookies that are absolutely killer.

All right, so while I think this is a pretty easy snickerdoodle cookie recipe, I do want to give some pointers if you’ve never made snickerdoodles before. 

What kind of a texture can I expect from these snickerdoodles?

Right off the bat, these are chewy snickerdoodles. If you’re looking for something really thick or soft, this is not the snickerdoodle for you. This is a classic, buttery, chewy snickerdoodle cookie.

Do I have to chill the dough?

Yes. This is one thing you can’t get around. The dough needs to chill in order for you to be able to roll it into small balls. It also needs to chill so the cookies bake properly. 

Do I have to use cream of tartar? 

Absolutely. Cream of tartar actually helps distinguish snickerdoodles from sugar cookies. It gives the cookie extra chew, as well as a bit of tang that gives them their classic flavor.

How do I bake snickerdoodles perfectly?

While they are not a complicated cookie, snickerdoodles can be a bit tricky to bake perfectly. 

Snickerdoodles bake quickly, within 7-8 minutes. You don’t want to leave them in too long, otherwise they will be crunchy instead of perfectly chewy. 

While the snickerdoodles are baking, around the 6-7 minute mark, I like to keep a close eye on them.

• You want the cookies to puff up and crack, but you do not want them to deflate in the oven. 
• Once the cookies have puffed and cracked, and look just slightly underdone, take them out of the oven.
• As the cookies cool, they will begin to deflate—that is completely normal! This will create the perfect snickerdoodle texture: slightly crisp edges, but chewy centers. 

Tips and Tricks for this Classic Snickerdoodle recipe:

• As mentioned above, make sure you chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
• Do not omit the cream of tartar. As mentioned above, it’s important to the overall flavor and texture. I haven’t found a good substitute for this, if you do not have any cream of tartar.
• These cookies will bake quickly. It takes about 7-8 minutes for these to bake entirely. (Read above for more details.)
• The cookies will spread slightly, so don’t roll the dough balls too big. I like to keep them around 1 inch or 1 1/2 inches.
• Don’t forget to roll them in cinnamon sugar. It’s the best part!

Who’s ready to be a ‘doodle prodigy’ and make the best classic snickerdoodles?? (Name that movie!)

Classic Snickerdoodles

Yield: 3 dozen

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

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Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Coating

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a bowl with a hand mixer (or standing mixer), cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Once combined, chill the dough at least 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 400.
6. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
7. Roll the dough into 1 Tbsp sized balls. Then, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture until the whole ball is coated.
8. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 7-9 minutes, or until lightly browned but still soft.
9. *The key is to let them puff up and crinkle in the oven (getting lightly brown) and then taking them out before they flatten. They will flatten as they cool, giving them that perfectly chewy texture (if they flatten in the oven, they will be crunchy instead of chewy).
10. Enjoy!

Some of my other cookie recipes you might love:

Maple Snickerdoodles

Chewy Maple Sugar Cookies