• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Cookies

    Snickerdoodle Recipe

    November 29, 2022 By Sam 207 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of snickerdoodle cookies, top image of cookies in basket stacked neatly, bottom image of cookie dough ball rolled in cinnamon sugar mixture

    My Snickerdoodle recipe makes SOFT and chewy cookies in less than 30 minutes. It’s super easy to make, includes plenty of tips for success, and there’s NO chilling required. Recipe includes a how-to video!

    Crackly topped snickerdoodle cookies laying on top of each other.

    The BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe

    Christmas cookie season was always serious business when I was growing up (a tradition I’m happy to carry on in my own home). Every year, my mom would mass-produce the classics: Snickerdoodles, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies and (of course) sugar cookies.

    My mom is a fantastic baker and we devoured her cookies, but I always had a bone to pick with her snickerdoodle recipe. It would start off decent enough, but as soon as the cookies cooled they quickly became dry and crumbly. They always lingered longer than the other cookies (don’t worry, they still got eaten, my family hardly discriminates with sweets), but if you know how I feel about cookies, you’ll know this just didn’t sit right with me, and something had to change.

    It took a lot of tweaking and taste-testing, but I’m so excited to share my tested and perfected (Mom-approved) snickerdoodle recipe. This one is made with butter instead of shortening (my mom’s used shortening, but if you recall from my peanut butter blossoms I’m a butter kind of person!) and a few key tweaks that make the snickerdoodle cookies extra soft. I can’t wait for you to try this one.

    Why use my recipe:

    • No chilling.
    • Ready in less than half an hour!
    • Perfected ingredients and technique for soft and chewy cookies.
    • Can be made in advance (and frozen!).
    • Yields soft, buttery, crinkly, cinnamon sugar-infused cookies that all but melt in your mouth and stay soft for days!

    What You Need

    Ingredients including flour, sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon.

    My snickerdoodle recipe uses classic ingredients for that classic, subtly tangy flavor. Make sure yours are at room temperature before starting:

    • Butter. I use unsalted butter and add salt separately so that I have better control over the flavor of the cookies.
    • Egg + egg yolk. An extra yolk makes these snickerdoodles particularly soft and tender. Using two whole eggs would make them a bit too puffy and cakey.
    • Corn starch. This is my favorite secret ingredient for super soft cookies! It helps make the them tender while at the same time keeping them from spreading too much.
    • Cream of tartar. If you read my cream of tartar post, then you know this is a critical ingredient in any snickerdoodle recipe! Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor–don’t skip it, and unfortunately I can’t recommend a suitable substitute, either.

    SAM’S TIP: When making cookies, I’m not as worried about over-beating as I am with cakes; however, I still recommend you avoid beating your ingredients too much or for too long as it can make for puffy, cakey, dry cookies.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Snickerdoodles

    Cookie dough balls that have been rolled in cinnamon sugar.
    1. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
    2. Stir together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually stir them into the wet ingredients.
    3. Roll the dough into balls, then roll through cinnamon sugar before baking for 11-12 minutes.
    4. Allow to cool before enjoying!

    SAM’S TIP: When your cookies are finished baking they should have pretty crackly centers and they may also appear just a touch under-baked–this is good! You want to let your cookies cool completely on the baking sheet (they would be too fragile to move, anyway) and they will finish baking all the way there. If your cookies were to come out of the oven fully baked, they would continue to bake as they cooled, which actually leaves you with over-baked, dry, crumbly cookies. This method of cooling them and letting them finish baking on the cookie tray leaves you with soft, chewy cookies!

    Four cookies topped with cinnamon sugar stacked on top of each other.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How should snickerdoodle cookies be stored?

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature. My snickerdoodle recipe makes cookies that will stay soft and fresh for up to a week this way.

    Why did some of my cookies crack while others didn’t?

    Pretty crackled tops are as signature to snickerdoodles as their tang, so its disappointing when they are missing. Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren’t cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn’t heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn’t applied as thoroughly.

    Can I make these ahead of time?

    This snickerdoodle recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance; just cover and store in the fridge. You can also freeze the dough! Simply roll it into balls, wrap individually (don’t roll through the cinnamon/sugar until before baking), and store in an airtight container.

    Close-up of two cookies with crackly tops and a cinnamon sugar coating.

    If you’re a fan of crunchy cookies or puffy, cakey cookies, I’m afraid these might not be for you. I like my snickerdoodle cookies soft, buttery, crinkly and chewy and these are just that, nearly melting in your mouth with each bite.

    Enjoy!

    And if you love this snickerdoodle recipe, try my snickerdoodle scones!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Crackly topped snickerdoodle cookies laying on top of each other.

    Snickerdoodle Cookies

    You are going to LOVE these soft, chewy, buttery Snickerdoodle Cookies! With NO CHILLING required they are ready in under 30 minutes!
    4.95 from 78 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 194kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour (see my post on how to measure flour properly to avoid cookies that are dry)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    For rolling

    • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Baking sheet
    • Spatula
    • Cookie scoop

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F¹ (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper
    • In stand mixer or with hand mixer cream butter and sugar together on medium-low speed until combined.
      1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
    • Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, stirring again until combined. Pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
      1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
      3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • With mixer on low speed, gradually stir flour mixture into your butter mixture until completely combined (the dough becomes fairly thick, and you will need to scrape the sides/bottom of the bowl several times to ensure it is well combined).
    • In a separate small bowl, stir together cinnamon and sugar for rolling. 
      ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • Roll dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls and roll in your cinnamon/sugar mixture. 
    • Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake on 350F (175C) for 11-12 minutes, the centers may appear slightly under-done still and that is OK! Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet where they will finish baking without drying out or becoming hard or crumbly.

    Notes

    Never place cookie dough on hot cookie sheet, it will melt and you will have extremely thin cookies.

    ¹Recipe Update Note:

    When I originally published this recipe I recommended baking the cookies at 375F (190C) for 10 minutes. That will still work (and work well!), but I’ve found that baking them at 350F (175C) for 11-12 minutes yields even softer, chewier cookies and now recommend that.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    This snickerdoodle recipe was originally published 04/18/2016.

    Related Recipes

    • Two pumpkin snickerdoodles stacked on top of each other with the top cookie missing a bite.
      Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
    • snickerdoodle cupcake with cinnamon stick garnish surrounded by other cupcakes
      Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
    • Chocolate snickerdoodles on a cooling rack after baking.
      Chocolate Snickerdoodles
    • stack of snickerdoodle blondies on marble
      Snickerdoodle Blondies
    « Butter Crunch Cookies
    Spritz Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy

      April 05, 2025 at 8:42 pm

      I will be making your Snickerdoodle cake. I would like to half this recipe for he cookies on top. Can I just do 1 egg and no egg yolk?

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 07, 2025 at 2:41 pm

        Hi Kathy! I think I would probably just use one whole egg. The dough may need to chill a bit longer or it may need a touch more flour in the dough.

        Reply
    2. Melissa

      March 17, 2025 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Sam, Iโ€™m trying this recipe for the first time. I was wondering if you can freeze this recipe, and should I roll them in the cinnamon sugar before I freeze them. And how would you bake them, straight from the freezer or thaw them first? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 18, 2025 at 1:59 pm

        You should be able to freeze these without issue. I would probably roll them in the cinnamon sugar and just bake from frozen. They will likely take a minute or two longer in the oven.

        Reply
    3. Anna

      March 06, 2025 at 9:12 pm

      Hey Sam, Wonderful recipe! My daughter and I made these several times and they always turned out great. It is our go-to recipe for her to hand out cookies to friends at school now. We love the fact that there is no chilling required. However we are wondering if it’s okay to chill the dough if we want to make it ahead and bake a couple days later?

      Reply
      • Casey @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 07, 2025 at 11:42 am

        Hi Anna! Chilling the dough to bake later is fine, so glad you enjoy them!

        Reply
        • Gina

          April 16, 2025 at 1:15 pm

          Hi do I need to let the dough come to room temp before I bake them?

        • Sam

          April 17, 2025 at 11:47 am

          Hi Gina! I am assuming you made these in advance? There is no chill time on these cookies. You can bake them right out of the refrigerator. ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Gina

          April 16, 2025 at 1:19 pm

          Also, should I roll them in the sugar and cinnamon before chilling or right before I pull the dough out of the fridge to bake them? Thanks so much!

        • Sam

          April 17, 2025 at 11:48 am

          Hi Gina! The cinnamon sugar will stick to the dough better if rolled before chilling. ๐Ÿ™‚

    4. Dianna

      February 26, 2025 at 10:49 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing cookies! I tried the flour measuring technique and they came out perfect.

      Reply
    5. Dana

      November 23, 2024 at 10:39 pm

      Made the chai snickerdoodle and they’re wonderful! I did it the easy way and just cut open 3 chai tea bags and added the contents into the dry ingredients (Bigelow vanilla chai) – one could use more or less depending on how much chai flavor they would like. One could also make their own chai masala, but I’m out of cardamom. Delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 24, 2024 at 6:34 am

        Thank you for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed them! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Sophia P

      September 07, 2024 at 6:35 pm

      with these snicker doodles can I add white chocolate chips to them? Would that change the recie structure?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        September 09, 2024 at 11:17 am

        That will work just fine. Enjoy! ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
      • Dana

        November 18, 2024 at 10:50 pm

        Hi Sam – husband loves snickerdoodles and I love chaiโ€ฆany suggestion for a chai snickerdoodle? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 19, 2024 at 6:44 am

          Hi Dana! That sounds like a very interesting combination. I have not tried adding a chai flavor to these so I’m not sure how it would work or how they would go together. If you do try it I would love to know what you do. ๐Ÿ™‚

    7. Sydney

      August 15, 2024 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is the prefect snickerdoodle recipe, especially if you enjoy making cookies with toddlers! Simple and quick. Love the no chilling time, and they turned out wonderful!! So chewy, soft and cracked. Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Susan

      July 03, 2024 at 11:15 pm

      I was on the wrong recipe, thought I was on the blondes, oops!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 08, 2024 at 12:27 pm

        Hi Susan! We’d estimate they’d take about 25 minutes ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
      • Aimee

        November 25, 2024 at 11:52 pm

        I’d love to try making these with brown butter. Any thoughts on how I could do that?

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 26, 2024 at 10:06 am

          Hi Aimee! It does require a bit of alteration, but I already have a brown butter snickerdoodle you can try out. ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Aimee

          November 26, 2024 at 10:17 am

          I’m so excited to try it. Thank you. I’m thinking about making some homemade cinnamon chips to add too ๐Ÿ˜‹

        • Sam

          November 26, 2024 at 12:17 pm

          Yummm. That sounds awesome!

    9. Susan

      July 03, 2024 at 11:12 pm

      If I use a 9×9 pan and halve the recipe what would the baking time be? There are just 2 of us these daysโ€ฆโ€ฆ.
      Thanks!

      Reply
    10. Rebekah Clifton

      June 23, 2024 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      Sooooo good! I would probably add just a touch more salt next time, just out of personal preference, but I certainly wouldn’t turn them away as written. absolutely delicious and just the right softness!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        November 15, 2024 at 2:15 pm

        I’d like to make this into a mason jar as a gift, which would mean putting all the dry ingredients in there. Will it change the texture of the cookies if you don’t cream the butter and sugar together first?

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 15, 2024 at 4:06 pm

          Hi Michelle! I’m not sure it will turn out quite the way it’s supposed to.

    11. Tami

      June 20, 2024 at 3:36 pm

      Can you bake them straight from the fridge and just add additional time or should they come to room temp? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        June 20, 2024 at 3:58 pm

        Hi Tami! You can bake them straight from the fridge. They may need a minute longer in the oven ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
        • Tami

          June 20, 2024 at 4:23 pm

          Thank you so much for the quick response!๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’•

    12. Old mama

      June 05, 2024 at 8:48 am

      Made these cookies and they were gone in a day. Really good! Light and just the right amount of cinnamon. One of my sons said they were the best cookies Iโ€™ve made. And I have made a lot of cookies. Will be making again.

      Reply
    13. Gwen

      April 12, 2024 at 10:03 pm

      5 stars
      Great cookies – wouldnโ€™t change a single thing. They were snickerdoodle perfection!

      Reply
    14. Tam

      March 10, 2024 at 10:58 pm

      Hey Sam,
      I have a question about these. It says to cream butter and sugar on medium low speed. I normally cream on speed 6 (medium high but just barely) on my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Is there a reason these should be creamed on a lower speed? I want them to come out as good as possible!

      Thanks,
      Tam

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 11, 2024 at 9:57 am

        Hi Tam! I typically do it on the medium low speed. I think you’d be fine to do it on medium high, the important part is just to make sure the butter and sugar is creamed together. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Tam

          March 11, 2024 at 11:45 am

          Okay. I was wondering though, do you always cream butter and sugar on medium low when using the stand mixer? Do you sometimes use a higher speed for shortbread cookies or some kinds of cakes?

          I’ve seen instructions from kitchenaid both to do it medium low and medium high ( in a different place). I’m confused about what is ideal. Also how long does it usually take you to get it light and fluffy on that speed?

          Thanks,
          Tam

        • Sam

          March 11, 2024 at 12:03 pm

          I usually note in the recipe if the speed makes a difference or if I always do it a certain way so it will be indicated in the recipe if it’s important, no worries!

        • Tam

          March 11, 2024 at 3:26 pm

          Okay, thanks ๐Ÿ˜Š

    15. Elaine

      February 07, 2024 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful – best snickerdoodles EVER!

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    4.95 from 78 votes (25 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Warm Weather Recipes

    collage of strawberry recipes

    Strawberry Recipes

    Overhead view of a strawberry tart with half of the tart covered in strawberry slices and the other half with strawberry halves.

    Strawberry Tart

    lemon cake on white plate

    Lemon Cake

    Glasses of homemade raspberry lemonade garnished with fresh berries, lemon slices, and striped straws.

    Raspberry Lemonade

    Lemonade in glass pitcher

    Homemade Lemonade Recipe

    Frozen peach bellini in a glass with a strawberry garnish.

    Frozen Peach Bellini

    More Spring Recipes

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    ยฉ 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.