Snickerdoodle cookies
Soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with crackly tops and the classic tang from cream of tartar. About 36 cookies.
29% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Serves
- 36
- Calories
- 120
- Protein
- 1 g
- Per serving
- $0.14
Why this recipe works
Snickerdoodles are the simplest of classic American cookies: a buttery sugar dough rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a soft middle and a crackly top. They're a holiday cookie-tray favorite and need only pantry ingredients.
- Cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their signature tang and chewy texture, and stops the sugar from crystallizing.
- A short 30-minute chill firms the dough so the cookies spread less and stay thick and soft in the middle.
- Taking them out when the centers still look slightly underbaked keeps them soft after cooling.
Ingredients
For the coating
You will need
- Stand or hand mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar
Beat the butter and 1½ cups sugar on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Make the dough and chill
Mix in the flour mixture on low just until no dry streaks remain. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shape
Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Stir the ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon together. Scoop 1½-tablespoon balls of dough, roll them in the cinnamon sugar and set them 2 inches apart.
Bake
Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look puffy and slightly underdone. They'll crackle and sink a little as they cool.
Cool
Leave on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cook's notes
- Don't overbake: once the centers look dry in the oven, the cookies will be crisp, not chewy, when they cool.
- If your cookies spread flat, the butter was too soft or the dough wasn't chilled. Chill it a little longer between batches.
- Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Dough balls (without the coating) freeze for 3 months; roll them in cinnamon sugar and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
120 calories
$0.14 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 3% of calories | 1 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 58% of calories | 17 g |
| Fat | 38% of calories | 5 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 100 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?
Yes. Replace the cream of tartar and baking soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder. The cookies will be soft but lose some of the classic tang and chew.
Why do snickerdoodles need cream of tartar?
It's an acid that reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cookies, gives them their slight tang, and keeps the texture soft and chewy.
Why are my snickerdoodles flat?
Usually the butter was too warm or melted, or the dough wasn't chilled. Use butter that's soft but still cool, and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
