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
I love Snickerdoodles but like them much better with Cinnamon Chips! Truly wonderful!!!
You have awesome timing! My husband’s birthday was yesterday and as soon as I saw this post on Monday I knew I needed to get to the store to buy cream of tartar! My hubs is the cookie monster and loves snickerdoodles, so this was the perfect birthday treat for him. This recipe turned out great. I can’t wait to bake up more tonight with the leftover dough!
These cookies looked so great and your commentary was so fantastic that I ended up making and eating these cookies, twice, in one day!!! I made one batch with a friend and fellow follower of your blog in the afternoon and ended up coming home and making them for dessert for company that evening for dinner!!! They were perfect in flavor, texture and presentation. We devoured them,so I might have to make another batch tonight and actually put some in the cookie jar! 🙂
The cookies are cooling now … they just might be the most beautiful cookies I’ve ever made! Exactly the kind you want to give away 🙂
So weird that you did this post on Monday. Sunday I was watching something on TV and in the show a person made a reference to being a stay at home mom and wanting to do things like make snickerdoodle cookies. It then occured to me that I don’t even know how to make them. I then started to feel guilty because I don’t know how to make them and feel like my kids are missing out on life and what a horrible mom I am. Monday morning I went to your blog to do a search and the first post was this recipe. I did not even have to do a recipe search. So thank you for making me feel like a good mom because know I can make snickerdoodle’s for my kids.
Oh it’s like you guys KNOW me or something. I’ve been looking for the “perfect” snickerdoodle recipe for a while and I was blown away at how many I found without cream of tartar! How dare they! This is really similar to my mom’s that I always use but your step by step directions helped the process a lot. These are the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever made and I’ve made a lot! Thank you!
My biggest complaint about snickerdoodles has been the “eggy” taste and, sometimes, smell of them. I haven’t made snickerdoodles for years because of this. Please tell me this is not a problem for this particular recipe!!
Laura, that taste/smell is actually the cream of tartar taste Sara was talking about (and the reason why I don’t like snickerdoodles, haha!)
Oh wow, those are good. I just finished making them. Mmmm.
Just made these snickerdoodles and they came out great. Just the right amount of chew. They are now packaged and on their way to my son who is out in his first week in the mission field. Hope he and his comp like them too. I was thinking the shortening would keep them chewier longer than an all butter cookie.
Loved the story and the recipe! I’ve never gone crazy over snickerdoodles like some people, and I think it’s because they always have a cakey texture. But chewy is definitely going to be better.
Speaking of cookies, my friend introduced me to something I think you two will love: Speculoos, a.k.a. Cookie Butter. Have you tried it?? Words aren’t sufficient. I’ve only had Trader Joe’s brand, but I’m sure it’s available online. It’s good enough to just eat with a spoon, but I bet you two could think of some even tastier ways to devour it.