When it comes to cookies, snickerdoodles hold a special place in my heart and are the first cookie I make each holiday season. Their soft, buttery centers paired with the slight tang of cream of tartar and a cinnamon-sugar coating make them undeniably nostalgic and delicious. If you've never made snickerdoodles or are looking to perfect your recipe, this guide is for you!
A snickerdoodle is not just a sugar cookie with cinnamon—what sets it apart is the cream of tartar. This ingredient gives snickerdoodles their signature tangy flavor and helps create that pillowy texture we all know and love. Combined with a generous cinnamon-sugar coating, it’s the kind of cookie that feels like a warm hug in every bite.
1. Use Cream of Tartar: This is the key ingredient that defines a snickerdoodle. It reacts with baking soda, giving the cookies their soft texture and subtle tang. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with lemon juice or white vinegar, but the flavor might not be as authentic.
2. Chill the Dough: Snickerdoodles spread a lot during baking, so chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling ensures thicker, chewier cookies. If you like thinner cookies, you can skip this step—but who doesn’t love a soft, chewy center?
3: Roll Generously in Cinnamon-Sugar: The cinnamon-sugar coating is what makes snickerdoodles irresistible. Roll the dough balls generously to ensure each bite has that perfect balance of sweet and spice. Don’t skimp!
4. Don’t Overbake: Snickerdoodles continue to cook on the baking sheet after being removed from the oven. Take them out when the edges are set, but the centers still look soft—this will give you that ideal chewy texture once they cool.
5. Room Temperature Ingredients Are Key: Using room temperature butter and eggs helps the dough come together more smoothly and evenly, creating a better texture in the final cookies.
Flat cookies?
Your butter might have been too warm, or you didn’t chill the dough. Next time, refrigerate the dough longer or make sure your butter is softened, not melted.
Dry cookies?
You might have overbaked them. Keep a close eye on the cookies as they bake, and remove them when the edges are just starting to set.
Not tangy enough?
Check that you used cream of tartar. Without it, the cookie loses its signature flavor.
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yield: 22 cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Inactive time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
1 cup room temperature butter
1.5 cups sugar*
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2. Remove 3 tablespoons of the sugar from the 1.5 cups, mix with one tablespoon cinnamon and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and mix until that mixture is creamy.
4. Add the cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Mix.
5. Slowly add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixed well.
6. Chill the dough for 30 minutes,
7. Using a melon baller, scoop cookie dough and using your hands, roll into a ball.
9. Place on baking sheet that's been sprayed with avocado oil spray. Using a glass or mason jar, gently press down the dough ball.
11. Let cool 10 minutes before removing.
Do you have someone in your family that is gluten-free? Check out our Hands-On Gluten-Free Baking and Pastry class on Saturday, December 7 at 11am at Lincoln Square so that they don't miss out on holiday treats.
Then check out the rest of our fun holiday baking classes coming up this month: