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
Oh Sara! You always make me smile! Thanks for your great story and sarcastic wit with the Q&A. I love it! Love the cookies too. 🙂
Whoa…way to go on this one! I just made them and YUM! Thank you! You converted me to a Snickerdoodle lover.
I made these cookies last night. One word…AMAZING! These were the most perfectly shaped cookies I have ever made. And they were delicious. A hit with my family. Thank you for posting the recipe.
I appreciated your defense of cream of tartar. I agree that it is what makes snickerdoodles amazing. In fact, that tangy flavor it adds is what makes them SO addicting. I had to stop making them because I will eat the entire batch by myself! The recipe that I’ve been using calls for 1 c. shortening. So sometime when I’m feeling in the mood to binge, I’ll have to try your version with butter. 🙂
TRUE STORY!!! Last night I was having a special GNO with my two young daughters watching Once Upon a Time. We decided that we needed a treat so I opened up my Best Bites cookbook to let my girls pick out a goody. They both wanted the Snickerdoodle Icecream. I didn’t have the ingredients for it but thought *SERIOUSLY* “man, I wish those cute girls would give us the recipe to those yummy snickerdoodles in the picture! Those are EXACTLY what I want right now..” We opted for your kettle corn and your lemonade…. YUM! But then you go and give me your recipe?! I’m going to go ahead and just let everyone else tell me Thank You because this recipe was given out today because of me!! 🙂 Really, though, thank you so much! Going out to buy the irreplaceable Cream of Tartar tomorrow 🙂
Haha, it was *totally* for you!
I have never tried Snickerdoodles but the idea of rolling biscuits in cinnamon before cooking makes me want to try them. So I read the recipe and was thinking “I wonder what shortening is – I must google that once I have finished reading this post”. Nearing the end of this post I nearly choked on my coffee when you suggested google for unknown items. I thought that was a given!!!!
Thanks for a great post and hopefully a doable recipe.
I love your website and cookbook! I use your recipes weekly and they always turn out great. I come from a cooking family, my dad owned a restaurant, my sister has her own cookbook and my soon to be brother in law is was a world renowned chef at the waldorf astoria in nyc. We all love to cook and do it daily! We are big believers in butter and not shortening. I always substitute butter for shortening and actually if I see shortening in the recipe I usually move on to a different recipe. I always laugh when the recipe says it has to have shortening and that it won’t work without it. I have never had a problem. I made these cookies today with butter and no shortening and they were perfect, just so you know it can be done. Still chewy on the inside and no flatter than your picture. I am really not trying to be a brat so I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I just think shortening had its place 50 years ago and should not even be sold now. I believe in quality ingredients and I am honestly turned off by recipes that call for shortening or margarine because I feel really good cooks also believe in quality ingredients. I still proudly display your cookbook on my counter and love your blog but I think you are both better than shortening cooks!
Oh, it can always be done- there’s no question there! We just like to communicate that when we call for certain ingredients, it’s for a reason, ya know? No cookie is going to taste bad with butter! These particular ones just have a better texture with some shortening.
Well they are delicious cookies. They are going in the freezer so I don’t eat anymore. I am up nursing my baby right now and they are so tempting. I am going to try to save them for my daughters lunches. Another great recipe! Thanks!! By the way my sister and I make the French dip out of your cookbook way too much!!
YEAH! S.N.I.C.K.E.R.D.O.O.D.L.E.S.!! I don’t care whats in them or how they are made, I JUST want to EAT THEM! Wish they were calorie free, then it would easier to enjoy them. TAKE CARE!
Thanks for the great recipe and directions. I just made these and they are great! I loved your Q&A section too, lol!
After hubby was called to bring home all-purpose flour (we were out) and then made a second trip to the store after supper for the notorious CRISCO!! , we now have a lovely batch of snickerdoodles in the oven, making our home smell scrumptious! Can’t wait to devour them with the family!! Thanks for posting this recipe.