If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect Snickerdoodle, your search ends here. These soft and chewy cookies are everything a Snickerdoodle should be—pillowy centers, crisp edges, and that signature tangy cinnamon-sugar coating that makes them absolutely irresistible. They’re easy to whip up and perfect for everything from holiday cookie plates to everyday sweet cravings. This classic recipe delivers bakery-style results with minimal effort, making it a must-save for your collection.
Want to make one giant Snickerdoodle? You’ve got to try this.
Ingredients & Equipment Needed
- sugar
- ground cinnamon
- all-purpose flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt – if you’re using salted butter, you can omit this!
- butter
- vegetable shortening
- eggs
- beater blade – if you have a Kitchen Aid, one of these is a must!
How to Make Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Preheat oven to 375°F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon in a shallow dish and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1½ cups sugar until light and fluffy (3–6 mins).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping bowl as needed.
- On low speed, mix in dry ingredients until just combined; stir to ensure no flour remains. The dough is very soft; but whatever you do, don’t add more flour!
- Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls, coat in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 mins, until edges are set but centers look slightly underdone.
- Cool on pan for 10 mins, then transfer to wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.
Storage & Other Tips
- The dough is very soft; it’s supposed to be that way, don’t add more flour.
- These cookies spread quite a lot, so give them space.
- Cooking time here is pivotal; if you overcook these Snickerdoodles they will be “thin and crispy” instead of “soft and chewy”. The trick is to watch the edges first; they should be just set, but the centers should still look raw between all of those cinnamon cracks. The cookies will be pillowy and puffy looking while in the hot oven, and when they come out they’ll start to fall, which is what they’re supposed to do! That’s how they get those beautiful crackly tops. After they’ve cooled, they’ll flatten out even more and those slightly under-cooked centers become perfectly cooked and yield a soft, chewy, buttery, interior.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 – 5 days at room temperature, or freeze for 1 – 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Shortening plays a key role in this cookie. Combined with the butter it gives optimal texture while allowing the flavor of the butter to come through. If you leave the shortening out, cookies will spread more, have a crispier texture, and lack chewiness.
Yes! Cream of tartar gives Snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor and chewy texture. Substituting it will change the flavor and consistency. If you don’t like cream of tartar, then guess what? You don’t like Snickerdoodles! Make a sugar cookie instead.
That’s actually what you want! Pull them from the oven when the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone—they’ll finish setting as they cool.
Technically yes. Scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add an extra minute or two. However, I always recommend cookie dough be baked fresh.
Yes, this recipe doubles well—just be sure not to overcrowd your mixing bowl and baking sheets.
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt omit if using salted butter
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick, softened to room temperature
- 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 eggs large
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish and set aside. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
- Beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1 ½ cups sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed of mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain.
- Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls. Working in batches, roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time until edges of cookies are set and just barely beginning to brown, but centers are still soft and puffy, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies should look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Questions & Reviews
These cookies are AMAZING! Made them for my family today, they’re nearly half gone 😋
Hey Sara,
I’m about to make these and noticed it says “vegetable shortening” I only have butter flavored shortening. Do you think I can use what I have or will the cookies come out too buttery?
Thanks!
That’s perfect!
Lol, love your sense of humor. Gonna try these out- EVERY time I see a snickerdoodle lately I really want it but I don’t like to buy in the package with all the weird ingredients.
Can I ado vanilla extract to this recipe?
just made these – by far…the best snickerdoodle recipe I’ve come across. Just shared some with my sick neighbor. Spreading a little joy with your recipe.
Thanks
Mine didn’t become as thin as yours did. Would it be because I substituted the shortening with butter?
This turned out beautifully, and I followed the recipe to the T, but added a single mini Rollo to the inside of each one, and, well, need I say more? Wonderful story, great comments, love the FAQ. This is an awesome recipe.
Silly question, but I know you said to use a cookie scoop for these if possible. I’ve got three sizes – a tiny one, a medium size one (I’m guessing a “standard” size . . . whatever standard means) and a pretty big one (that I think is 1/4 cup). Which would I want to use here? Any idea? I know you said each cookie should have 2 tablespoons of dough. Thanks for your help!
You tickle me!
Sara, so these are the most amazing cookies ever and I was wondering if you could make them into snickerdoodle bars like Kate did with your sugar cookie recipe?
Kylee, I think this recipe would be too chewy for that. You’d want to use a softer, more cake-like cookie recipe for a bar. Or simply a blondie recipe.