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
As I am desperately searching for a truly chewy Snickerdoodle, I am excited to try this recipe. I was a little surprised that it does not include brown sugar, which I associate with increased chew generally. Any thoughts on dividing up the sugar between white and brown? And seriously on the cream of tartar – if there’s no cream of tartar, its not a snickerdoodle. We need a PSA…
It’s true brown sugar is associated with increased chew, but it also adds deep flavor, and in a Snickerdoodle, we’re not looking for a molasses flavor. The crisp, clean flavor or white sugar is best.
Thanks! Makes sense that white sugar is best for a classic snickerdoodle, but I might play around a bit on this one since I think the depth of a light brown sugar would match nicely with the cinnamon of a snickerdoodle. I’d never do 100% brown, but maybe a combo… I love the flexibility and tinkering of baking.
I recently made these cookies and they were a huge hit. Thank you so much! I truly loved them! I made several batches as a surprise for my family, husband’s family and a few others. A friend was driving back home and was willing to drop them off at each house. I think sometimes the best gifts are the ones that are totally unexpected!
Anyways, everyone absolutely adored them! The only thing is that several family members asked if I could make them smaller next time. This might be a silly question, and it might just show you how much of a “beginner” I am at baking but I rather just ask. If I were to half the size, do you think the cookies would still have the same wonderful chewy texture?
Not a silly question at all Kristine! You can definitely make them smaller- they should turn out just fine.
And then you can eat twice as many 😉
I loved your kindness story! I am a firm believer in angels! Ironically,I am making these cookies to repay an angel for an act of kindness she did for me this weekend. I asked a friend if she would make me a “few” cinnamon rolls for my son’s baptism. When I went to pick them up, she had made 48 of the most delicious, enormous cinnamon rolls you have ever seen (and I imagine you have seen some beauties!). My son suggested we make snickerdoodles to repay her. Since your blog it my “go to” first and foremost I came here looking for a better snickerdoodle recipe and of course found this one attached with your wonderful story! Thanks for both!
I just finished making these and they came out perfectly!The edges were crisp and the center was so chewy. I’ve tried a few different snickerdoodle recipes and this recipe is definitely the best.
Hi. I’ve made these for the people at my husbands work and they loved them so I want to make them for myself to taste them. The only thing is that I have a problem, you see I’m allergic to lactose so I have a problem with the butter. Why aren’t you supposed to use margarine? (you can buy margarine without lactose/milk, but not butter without lactose/milk).
Thank you.
NVM I re read the post and figured out your like my husband and his family, prefer the taste of butter as it actually tastes something in contrast to a lot of the margarine brands. And I know the only way to really figure it out is to try. ^^
Have a great day/weekend!
Anne, if you have an allergy, feel free to use a high quality margarine 🙂
Hi Sara, Thank you so much for sharing your story. I love hearing moments like those.
I hope I didn’t miss this in comments/other posts, but when you’re measuring your flour do you just scoop and level, or do you spoon the flour into the cup and then level? With your instruction to NOT add more flour I thought this might make a difference.
When you’re measuring flour, always spoon it lightly into measuring cups and then level. If you scoop, you’ll end up getting more flour than the recipe actually calls for.
Wow! These are perfect! Thank you for the excellent directions, especially when to take them out of the oven (I would have never taken them out when I did without your description of the centers still looking raw!). So delicious!
Haha. you make me laugh :)It’s very reassuring to know that there are still good people in this world!
Loved the story- and the q&a and now you have me craving snickerdoodles! I love my recipe but may have to try this one!
Just wanted to tell you how much you brightened my day by reading your Q & A at the end of the recipe. It was hilarious! The parts about Crisco and googling conversions were my favorite. My day is good to end now with a hot yummy cookie and a cup of cold milk!