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
Yep, these are good! They have that nice depth of flavor that a real snickerdoodle has…I’m sorry, but recipes without the cream of tartar are just sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon. Yes, those are good, too, but they just don’t taste the same, curled on the couch with a big cup of coffee (or cocoa, for those of you who stay away from coffee around here) and your favorite book. These definitely hit the spot for me! They for sure spread out a LOT in the oven, just like you said, so I was glad I ignored the temptation to crowd them on the baking sheet or it would have been one huge doodle. Thanks for this one!
These are awesome! My dh says this is a keeper recipe. I agree. I love the story too.
Hello!
Thanks for posting! My late grandpa and I made snickerdoodles all the time when I was a kid and these hit the spot! Mine didn’t turn out as fluffy as yours and I’m not sure why? However I made a gluten free version for my husband and did 145 g of millet flour and 145g of potato starch & 2 tsp xanthan gum. Turned out fantastic! Amazing texture for any cookie Gf or not! Thanks for having a passion for snickerdoodles! I’ve converted other recipes and they have not turned out! Yours was fantastic!
I seriously love Snickerdoodles and have created my very own “lemon blueberry” snickerdoodles that are to die for! Thank you for your inspirational story of kindness in a grocery parking lot. There is much all can do once we lift our eyes to look around and see beyond ourselves.
These cookies are amazing!! Thank you for the tutorial. I always use cream of tarter, but usually not this much. LOVED IT!
oh my word. this is the perfect recipe. i’m in love. your pictures helped so much – really great post! thanks 🙂
Oh Dear! I never should have tried this recipe! These are my new favorite cookies! So delicious, and perfectly chewy.
Sandra, I had that same thing happen to me on 2 different tried-and-true cookie recipes and was so frustrated until I discovered that my box of baking soda needed to be replaced with a fresh one. (Who knew…and who keeps track??) If you put about a 1/4 tsp. of soda into some water/vinegar mixture (around 1/2 cup of very hot water with a splash of vinegar mixed in) and you don’t get a nice fizzing action, the soda has lost it’s potency…careful with the comments! 🙂 My mom shared this little tidbit with me – hope it helps!
I really can’t tell ya Sandra, but perhaps you made a mistake and didn’t realize it? Maybe try again!
I LOVED your Q & A at the end. HILARIOUS! I noticed it didn’t necessarily “save” you though. hee hee