Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic Christmas cookie recipe. Soft, chewy vanilla sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. These cookies get a unique taste and texture from a special ingredient! This snickerdoodle cookie recipe will quickly become a family favorite!
Ingredients for Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the cookies.
- Eggs: Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds great flavor to the snickerdoodles.
- Cream of tartar: Gives the cookies a slight tang and a fluffy texture.
- Baking soda: A leavening agent to help the cookies rise and spread.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor in the cookies.
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour. Be sure to level your measuring cups.
- Granulated sugar & cinnamon: Additional granulated sugar and cinnamon are combined to create a coating for the cookies.
Tools & Supplies for Making Snickerdoodle Cookies
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodle cookies are easy to make! I love using my electric hand mixer and a large bowl, but you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Cream unsalted butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add in the dry ingredients (cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour). Mix on low until dough forms.
- Portion the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop. Chill the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on prepared baking sheet pan. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet pan for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe Tips
Bake perfect cookies
Check out my Baking Tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cookies to learn some simple tips and tricks to baking the best cookies.
Cookie scoop
To make perfectly even and uniform cookies, I highly recommend using a cookie scoop! This allows the cookies to have the same amount of dough and also shapes the cookies, so they bake into a perfectly round shape! For this recipe, I used a medium cookie scoop. You could also use a small cookie scoop if you want smaller cookies – just decrease the baking time by a minute or two!
Don’t skip the chill
I highly recommend chilling your cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling in cinnamon sugar and baking. Chilling the dough allows the flour time to hydrate which makes a better texture. Additionally, chilling the cookie dough helps control the spread of the cookies so they do not flatten out.
Cream of tartar
There are some recipes where an ingredient can be omitted or substituted. This is not one of those recipes. Cream of tartar is an ingredient that gives these snickerdoodle cookies their unique flavor and texture. You can find it at your local grocery store in the baking aisle.
Make the cookie dough ahead of time
Especially during the busy holidays, I love making this cookie dough a week or two ahead of time. Simply chill the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes, as indicated in the recipe, and transfer the cookie dough balls to a resealable storage bag. Keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or freeze for one month. To use, simple remove the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and roll in cinnamon sugar and bake! If baking from the freezer, allow the cookie dough balls to thaw for about 15 minutes before rolling and baking!
Storing the cookies
The baked snickerdoodle cookies can be stored in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days.
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Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together room temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in room temperature eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add in cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are well combined and the cookie dough forms.
- Portion the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop. Place cookie dough balls on a sheet pan and chill for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Combine granulated sugar with cinnamon. Roll the chilled dough balls in cinnamon sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet pan. Space the cookies out to allow room for spreading. They will double in size.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will be slightly golden-brown on the edges and appear underdone in the center.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
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