Soft, chewy, classic Snickerdoodle Cookies that all but melt in your mouth. This recipe is simple to make, includes a special ingredient for extra soft cookies, and requires absolutely no chilling.
It wasn’t until recently that I fell in love with Snickerdoodle Cookies. My mom would make them (and still makes them) every year for Christmas, mass-producing them in gigantic batches alongside oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and well-sugared cutout cookies. While I was happy to eat my weight in the other cookies, the Snickerdoodle cookies never really impressed me, and they would sit in their tin, largely untouched (by me, anyway), until they turned rock hard and crumbly.
The problem (I believe now) was that the recipe that she followed used shortening as part of its base, which didn’t do much for the cookies in terms of flavor. I like to use butter whenever possible (I used butter instead of shortening to make my all-time favorite peanut butter blossoms), so an obvious substitution was in order.
While the most important flavors that you should look for in a good Snickerdoodle cookie are 1) the subtle tang of cream of tartar and 2) cinnamon sugar, the use of real butter accentuates and gives depth to these flavors and does nothing to diminish them (whereas shortening adds essentially nothing in terms of flavor). A teaspoon of cornstarch helps keep them especially soft and chewy, so don’t leave that out!
I also added a scant dash of vanilla extract for a richer flavor, as well.
These changes resulted in cookies that I had to get out of my house almost immediately in order to stop myself from eating the entire batch. They’re addictively chewy, sparkling with a crinkled cinnamon sugar coating over a buttery-soft interior. The fact that they’re so incredibly easy to make and require absolutely no chilling doesn’t make it easy for me to stop making them, either.
If you’re a fan of crunchy cookies (is anyone?) or puffy, cakey cookies, I’m afraid these might not be for you. I like my Snickerdoodle cookies soft, crinkly and chewy and these are just that, nearly melting in your mouth with each bite.
Enjoy!
Printable recipe is just below the video. I just started my YouTube channel so if you enjoy my recipes and use YouTube, I’d definitely appreciate it if you would consider subscribing.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g) softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar (300g)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (370g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For rolling
- 1/2 cup sugar (50g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper
- In stand mixer or with hand mixer cream butter.
- Add sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 1 minute)
- Add egg and egg yolk, beating until well-combined. Pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and stir again until combined, about 30 seconds. Mixture should be pale yellow and of uniform texture.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and 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.
- Roll dough into 1 1/2 Tablespoon-sized balls and roll in your cinnamon/sugar mixture.
- Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake on 375F (190C) for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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Original Photo:
This recipe was originally published 04/18/2016, photos and recipe updated 11/15/2017
Barb says
June 12, 2019 at 1:43 pmHi Samantha! I just made the snickerdoodles and they turned out beautifully! I had to have one while they were still warm and wow!, so chewy and soft. Thanks for your great detailed directions and video. I made them for my grandkids who will be visiting soon. I also have made your vanilla cake recipe with the buttercream chocolate frosting. First cake from scratch that I have made that turned out perfect all thanks to your great directions and tips. I also have been checking out all your recipes and will be trying more of them in time. Thanks again.
Sam says
June 12, 2019 at 2:50 pmThank you so much, Barb! I am so glad you are enjoying all of the recipes. I can’t say I blame you for testing out a nice warm snickerdoodle. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t done the same. 😉 I hope everything you try is just as successful. Enjoy! 🙂