These Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies are tender, chewy, and warmly spiced — they’re the perfect comforting and nostalgic treat! Our easy recipe ensures that you’ll achieve tender, puffy cookies with simple ingredients and minimal prep time, guaranteeing the best results every time you bake them.
Whether you’re looking to settle in and snack solo or you’re serving them up at a party, you can count on these soft baked snickerdoodle cookies to be a hit!
Table of Contents
- The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- Ingredients You Need
- Why Is Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles?
- Mix, Beat, Bake, and Eat: How to Make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- Baking Tips
- Make Ahead and Storage Options
- Common Questions About This Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
- More Cookie Recipes to Try
- Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic, timeless recipe just like peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. And with their sweet spiced flavor, they’re particularly popular around the holidays!
Our soft-baked snickerdoodle cookies recipe uses just a handful of staple ingredients and comes together with minimal prep time and a quick cook time. Soft and puffy, they come out even better than store-bought varieties and are perfect for holiday parties, leaving out for Santa, and gifting!
Ingredients You Need
- All-Purpose Flour – Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour to keep these snickerdoodles gluten-free.
- Cream of Tartar – This creates the unique tangy flavor snickerdoodles are known for.
- Baking Soda – Make sure it’s fresh! Otherwise, your cookies won’t rise and become soft.
- Spices – Salt and cinnamon enhance the sweetness and add a subtle warmth.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best.
- Sugar – A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar helps sweeten the cookie dough while keeping the cookies tender and moist.
- Large Eggs – We use a large egg and an egg yolk to add structure to the cookies and create a rich taste.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon Sugar – Whisk granulated sugar and cinnamon together to coat the snickerdoodles.
Why Is Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles?
Cream of tartar adds a tangy flavor to Snickerdoodles, contributing to their unique taste. They also help make the cookies tender and soft, which is part of why they’re so great!
Mix, Beat, Bake, and Eat: How to Make the Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- Prepare. Preheat your oven, and line baking sheets with
parchment paper or silicone mats. - Whisk the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon) until well combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a second large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Working slowly, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing just until a smooth dough forms.
- Make the cinnamon sugar. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a small, shallow bowl.
- Shape the cookies. Use a cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into equal-sized balls, and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space in between each piece.
- Bake. Transfer the cookies to the preheated oven, and bake just until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool. Allow your soft Snickerdoodle cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Tips
- Measure Carefully. The key to the best Snickerdoodle cookie recipe is to measure all the ingredients accurately. For the best results, we recommend using a food scale. However, if that’s not an option, the scoop and level method is your next best bet!
- Sift the Dry Ingredients. This step isn’t completely necessary, but sifting the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet can prevent the gluten from activating, keeping your cookies soft.
- Avoid Overbaking. Keep a close eye on your cookies, and remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are golden! It’s okay if the centers still look a little gooey, they’ll continue to set and bake as they cool.
Make Ahead and Storage Options
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough, and keep it covered in the fridge for up to three days.
- Store: Once cooled, leftover cookies can be transferred to an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to seven days.
- Freeze: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Or, freeze the cookie dough balls for two to three months instead.
For the best results, arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer until hard. Transfer them to a sealable bag until you’re ready to use! Bake the cookie dough straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes as needed.
Common Questions About This Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
No! There’s enough flour in this easy recipe that there’s no need to chill the dough.
You’ll know your cookies are done baking when the edges are just set and golden and the centers are soft and cracked.
If your cookies turn out flat, it’s likely because your oven is too hot. Super high heat will cause the butter to melt too fast, creating thin crisp cookies.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
We’re unabashedly in love with cookies! If you are too, try some of our other faves!
- Pecan Pie Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sugar for rolling 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In another large mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until well combined.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamonCinnamon sugar for rolling
- Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls, and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
- Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden but the centers are still slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these on a whim so I didn’t have any cream of tartar in my pantry and these still came out so good and cute!
These look incredible! We’re so glad they turned out well for you, Monica. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa