Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

Soft, chewy, and coated in cinnamon sugar, Snickerdoodle Cookies are an easy cookie recipe made in one bowl in under 30 minutes!

Snickerdoodle Cookies are the cookie that takes me right back to my childhood. I remember many days walking in after school to find freshly baked Snickerdoodles cooling on the counter.

While my mom was known to make cut-out sugar cookies, Neiman Marcus cookies, and Candy Cane Cookies for our Christmas Cookie Tray each year, she baked Snickerdoodle Cookies year-round. In fact, they were the only cookie recipe that my mom baked outside the holidays, probably because this recipe for Snickerdoodles is so easy to make and loved by everyone!

Notes on Ingredients

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour for light and fluffy cookies.
• Egg: A room-temperature egg is best, as it will be incorporated into the batter more easily.
• Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter so that you can control the level of salt in the cookies. You also want to be sure your butter is at room temperature, which means if you push on it, your finger will leave an indentation.
• Cream of Tartar + Baking Soda: The reaction between the cream of tartar and baking soda will give the snickerdoodle cookie its distinctive chewy texture and a slight tang to the batter.
• Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter so that you can control the level of salt in the cookies.
• Vanilla Extract + Salt: Both salt and vanilla help to enhance the flavor of the cookies.
• Sugar: Use granulated sugar in the cookie dough and for coating the cookies before baking.
• Cinnamon: Before baking, the Snickerdoodle cookie dough is rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture, which gives this cookie a warming, sweet finish.

Tips for Making The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Have patience when creaming the butter and sugar together. To produce a Snickerdoodle cookie that is both soft and chewy, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale in color and smooth and fluffy.
• Don't overmix the batter. After adding the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt to the cookie dough, mix or stir the dough just until the flour is fully moistened and incorporated. Mixing on high speed or with vigor will result in tough cookies.
• Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to scoop out the dough. To ensure each cookie is even in size and bakes evenly, measure out 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie.
• Roll the cookie dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture twice! Roll the cookie dough ball in the sugar mixture until coated. Lightly tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess cinnamon sugar and then repeat. This will ensure a perfectly flavored Snickerdoodle Cookie.
• Don't overbake. Bake the Snickerdoodle Cookies until they are golden around the edges, this will ensure they retain their soft texture.

Fluffy or Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies?

If you are desiring a chewier or crispier Snickerdoodle cookie, you will want to gently flatten your balls of cookie dough before baking. To do this, use the bottom of a glass to gently flatten each cookie until it is about ½-inch thick. Don't flatten any more than that, or your cookies won't have a soft, tender inside.

For softer, fluffier Snickerdoodle cookies, as pictured, bake without flattening the cookie dough.

How to Store Snickerdoodles

• Store Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled fully, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freeze Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies: Allow the baked cookies to cool fully. Once fully cooked, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage bag or an air-tight container and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let them thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
• Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough: After rolling the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture, place the prepared cookie dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, bake the Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough from frozen at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

• $250 Neiman Marcus Cookies
• Shortbread Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Snowball Cookies

If you enjoyed this simple, classic recipe for Snickerdoodle Cookies, I would love for you to leave a review and a comment below.