This Snickerdoodle Recipe makes the most delicious and buttery soft cookies with the perfect hint of warm cinnamon spice. Slightly chewy on the inside with crispy edges, these timeless cookies are so good, you’ll want to make a double batch because once they’ve finished baking, they’ll vanish in no time!
Snickerdoodle Cookies
The holidays will be here before you know it and I honestly can’t imagine holiday baking without a big batch of these warm, inviting and chewy snickerdoodle cookies. These crowd-pleasing sweet treats are easy to make and only require and few pantry staples. In fact, in the same amount of time it would take you to run to the store and buy store-bought cookies, you can have these made and ready to eat.
These crinkly-topped, chewy cookies with the whimsical name, start off with one of easiest cookie doughs you can make. While some snickerdoodle recipes call for cream of tartar, this simple recipe uses baking powder that makes them pillow-soft without the tangy flavor or aftertaste that cream of tartar can sometimes cause. Think of classic sugar cookies with a delicious cinnamon twist.
Snickerdoodles aren’t just great during the holidays. This delicious cookie recipe is perfect for your next cookie swap, wrapped up for a homemade house-warming gift or added to a cookie tray with these Snowball Cookies and these Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies for a holiday party.
💓 Why We Love this Recipe
- This is an easy snickerdoodles recipe that requires simple ingredients and very few steps to make.
- The cinnamon-sugar mixture adds the perfect amount of crispiness to the outside of sweet cookies.
- They are the best cookies for holidays, school parties, gift giving or just for snacking any time of year.
Recommended Tools
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Cookie Sheets
- Hand Mixer (or stand mixer)
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
- Small cookie scoop (optional)
- Wire Rack for cooling
What’s Needed to Make Chewy Snickerdoodles
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Sugar
- Egg
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon for topping
How To Make this Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Heat oven to 350 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner, set aside.
Step One: Combine Dry Ingredients
- In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
Step Two: Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine butter and the 1/4 cup sugar and mix on medium speed until creamy. Add in egg and mix.
Step Three: Combine Wet with Dry Ingredients
- Using low speed, add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, about ½ at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is fully combined.
Step Four: Roll Dough and Bake
- Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. If dough is too warm, chill for 10 minutes in refrigerator.
- Place coated balls on baking sheet about 2 inches apart (they will spread when cooking).
- Flatten the cinnamon cookies with the bottom of a glass.
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes until just golden brown. Depending on your oven, the bake time may vary so keep a close eye not to overbake them.
Remove from oven and let sit on pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
TIP: Use a small cookie scoop to help make even sized cookie dough balls.
How Do I Store Snickerdoodle Cookies?
A great thing about these cookies is they don’t require refrigeration after they have baked. You can just store them right on your countertop in a cookie jar with a tight lid or any other type of airtight container.
They should stay fresh for 4-5 days. But you really won’t have to worry about that because they cookies always disappear quickly!
Add-ins and Variations for Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
This chewy snickerdoodle recipe makes a perfect cookie without a lot of complicated ingredients. But I am all about taking classic cookie recipes and tweaking it them to make a whole new recipe next time. Here are some variations you could try:
- Chocolate chips: Snickerdoodles are a softer cookie than chocolate chip cookies, but you can combine the best of both worlds. Add about 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or mint chocolate chips for a nice change.
- Nuts: If you want to add a little crunch to these cookies, finely chopped roasted pecans or walnuts would work great.
- Extracts: Add any of your favorite extracts that will pair well with cinnamon. Almond extract, vanilla extract even coffee extract would all be a great combination with the other flavors in the snickerdoodle dough.
- Spices: You can add even more warm spices to the dough. Add a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger for a wonderful spice cookie variation.
- Toffee bits: Toffee bits makes a great addition. To add them, just make sure you put them in a plastic bag or a mini chopper to crush them up a little bit. You don’t want big chunks overpowering the delicate cookies.
- Frosting: For a truly decadent treat, you can make a cream cheese or butter cream frosting for these cookies. You could even make sandwich cookies out of them.
Can I Make Snickerdoodle Dough in Advance?
You sure can! This is a great recipe for cookie dough to keep in the fridge for up to several days. That means you can have freshly baked cooked several days in a row! Just make sure it’s kept chilled in an airtight container or in a bowl tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
Can I Freeze Snickerdoodles?
Absolutely! For best results, allow the cookies to completely cool. You can just place them in a freezer bag, letting out as much air as you can, and place them in the freezer for up to a couple of months. To thaw, you just need to place them on the countertop about 30-45 minutes before you’re ready to serve them.
You can even freeze the dough and enjoy freshly baked cookies anytime you get the craving! For best results, shape dough into balls just like you are about the bake them. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for about an hour. Then you just need to drop them down in a freezer bag and transfer them to the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Why Are they Called Snickerdoodles?
For such an uncomplicated cookie the origin of their name isn’t so easy to sort out. Certain food historians claim that the name comes from a German word that means snail noodles because of a cinnamon roll pastry that when it’s rolled up looks like a snail’s tail.
More recent claims say the name snickerdoodle is based on a German pastry much like a flat coffee cake called a “snip doodle.” In the late 1800’s, snip doodles became the inspiration for a new type of cookie, which is were then called snickerdoodles.
More Great Cookie Recipes
- Hidden Kiss Cookies
- Chocolate Haystack Cookies
- Chocolate Ginger Snap Cookies
- Gum Drop Cookies
- Chocolate Chewy Peppermint Cookies
- Pinwheel Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner, set aside
- In medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Add in egg and mix.
- Add the flour in, about ½ at a time, until fully combined.
- If dough is too warm, chill for 10 minutes in refrigerator.
- Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place coated balls on baking sheet about 2 inches apart (they will spread when cooking).
- Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes until just golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let sit on pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Nutrition
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