Snickerdoodles get their crackly top from a simple trick: cream of tartar plus baking soda. Skip either one and you get a flat, plain sugar cookie. With both, you get that soft center and the slight tang people look for.
This batch makes 24 cookies and takes about 12 minutes in a 375°F oven. The dough needs a chill first, so plan for that. You can mix everything in one bowl, and the cinnamon sugar coating takes a minute to stir together.
One thing to know up front: this dough doesn't spread much on its own. Press each ball down a little before it goes in the oven, or you'll end up with domed cookies instead of flat, chewy ones.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix the coating
Stir the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together in a small bowl until the color is even. Set it aside.
2. Beat butter and vanilla
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the vanilla until it looks light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
3. Add the sugars
Beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until no dry sugar is left and the mixture looks creamy.
4. Beat in the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one disappears into the dough. Scrape the bowl down once.
5. Sift in the dry ingredients
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into the bowl. Mix on low just until the flour is gone. Stop there, or the cookies turn tough.
6. Chill the dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm and easy to scoop, at least 30 minutes.
7. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll and coat the balls
Roll the dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball, roughly 1 1/4 inches across. Roll each one in the cinnamon sugar until fully covered.
9. Flatten and bake
Set the balls on the lined sheet a couple of inches apart and press each one down slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set.
10. Cool on the pan
Leave the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Tricks
- Chill the dough before rolling. It's sticky straight from the bowl and much easier to handle cold.
- Press each coated ball flat with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass. They barely spread in the oven.
- Pull the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look a touch underdone. They firm up as they cool.
- Sift the dry ingredients if your flour or cream of tartar is clumpy. Lumps turn into dry pockets in the cookie.
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough for crunch.
- Swap half the cinnamon in the coating for pumpkin pie spice for a warmer flavor.
- For bigger bakery-style cookies, roll the dough into 2-inch balls and add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
How to Store Best Soft And Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Refrigerator
Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Raw dough keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days.
Freezer
Freeze raw coated dough balls on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F, adding about 2 minutes. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
Reheating
A baked cookie warms up in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Ten seconds in the microwave also softens a stale one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my snickerdoodles turn out flat?
Most often it's warm dough or old baking soda. Chill the dough until firm and check that your baking soda is still active. Also make sure you measured the flour by spooning it into the cup rather than scooping, since too little flour lets the cookies spread.
Q: Can I skip the cream of tartar?
You can replace the cream of tartar and baking soda with 4 teaspoons of baking powder. The cookies come out a little different in texture, but they still taste good.
Q: How do I know when they're done?
Look for set, slightly golden edges and a center that still looks soft. They'll look underbaked in the middle at 10 minutes, and that's what you want. They firm up as they cool on the pan.
Q: Do I really need to chill the dough?
Yes, if you want easy rolling. Cold dough holds its shape, doesn't stick to your hands, and bakes up thicker. Thirty minutes in the fridge is enough.
Q: Why didn't my cookies spread?
This dough is on the stiff side and doesn't spread much. Press each ball flat before baking, about halfway down, and you'll get a normal cookie shape.
Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
Soft, chewy snickerdoodle cookies with cream of tartar and a cinnamon sugar coating. One bowl, a chill, and 12 minutes in the oven for 24 cookies.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Mix the coating — Stir the 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together in a small bowl until the color is even. Set it aside.
- 2Beat butter and vanilla — In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the vanilla until it looks light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
- 3Add the sugars — Beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until no dry sugar is left and the mixture looks creamy.
- 4Beat in the eggs — Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one disappears into the dough. Scrape the bowl down once.
- 5Sift in the dry ingredients — Sift the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into the bowl. Mix on low just until the flour is gone. Stop there, or the cookies turn tough.
- 6Chill the dough — Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm and easy to scoop, at least 30 minutes.
- 7Heat the oven — Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 8Roll and coat the balls — Roll the dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball, roughly 1 1/4 inches across. Roll each one in the cinnamon sugar until fully covered.
- 9Flatten and bake — Set the balls on the lined sheet a couple of inches apart and press each one down slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set.
- 10Cool on the pan — Leave the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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