This soft and chewy Snickerdoodle cookie recipe has been in the family for over 30 years! It’s the simplest and best Snickerdoodle recipe you will find!
Snickerdoodles are one of my top-five favorite cookies of all time! Nothing beats a soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie — especially one that is covered in lots of cinnamon-sugar goodness. And this snickerdoodle cookie recipe is the BEST!
Over the years, I’ve tried lots of sugar cookie recipes. Years ago, I found one that I loved that used no cream of tartar and sour cream. Since then, I’ve lost that recipe, and I’m still trying to find it.
However, in my quest to find that recipe again, my husband has tried many sub-par cookies. Eventually, he told me to just use his mom’s recipe because nothing tastes as good. You know what? He’s right.
This snickerdoodle cookie recipe has been in his family for over 30 years! When his brother was in elementary school, he brought the recipe home on an old mimeograph-printed recipe card. The recipe was so used and loved over the years, the ink started to fade.
In an effort to save the recipe, my husband’s niece transcribed the recipe into a new piece of paper. But even that recipe is somewhat hard to read. So, to preserve this recipe for years to come, I am documenting it on the blog. And now, you’ll have access to one of the best soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie recipes too!
Why Are These Soft and Chewy Snickerdoole Cookies the BEST?
I’ll be honest. Snickerdoodles don’t look as appetizing as other kinds of cookies. As my husband says, “They are the color of bad lighting.” Although, what it lacks in appearance is more than made up for in taste.
As I mentioned, this recipe makes the softest and chewiest cookies. Once they cool, the outsides have a wonderful crust, but the insides stay soft. I love this recipe does not use any shortening. Instead, it uses only butter which gives them such a yummy flavor.
Plus, they are so simple to make. And, they don’t require any weird ingredients–except, maybe, for cream of tartar. But even then, that is easily found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Equipment
Mixing this cookie batter can very tiring because it’s a thick dough. So, for this recipe, I highly recommend using a Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer. I promise, it will make the process so much easier. Plus, the electronic mixers help keep the cookies light and airy.
If you use a hand mixer, you’ll also need a large mixing bowl. I use a 2 1/2 quart glass mixing bowl from this Pyrex Bowl Set. It’s large enough to mix everything together without splattering all over your counters.
Use a Cookie Scoop to easily portion out the perfect size of cookie dough for each cookie. Plus, if you use a cookie scoop, all the cookies will be the same size and will cook evenly. Using a 2 tablespoon capacity cookie scoop will yield about 24 cookies.
You’ll also need a few baking sheets. While it’s optional to use them, I prefer to bake the cookies on a silicone baking mat for even cooking and easy cleanup.
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Tips
Just like many other recipes out there, this recipe starts with making the cookie dough. Then, the dough is portioned into balls and rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. To help you achieve the best cookies every time, here are some pro tips:
How to Prevent Flat Cookies
First, if your cookies are flat, your baking soda or cream of tartar might not be fresh. Cream of tartar should be good until 6 months past its expiration date. So, if either of these ingredients are old, you should replace them.
TIP: To test your baking soda, put a pinch in some water. It should start fizzing immediately. If it does not fizz, the baking soda is no longer active and will need to be replaced.
Also, be sure not to use extra large eggs. They can also cause your cookies to flatten too much.
Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is the main ingredient that gives a snickerdoodle its tanginess and chewy texture. There are even some snickerdoodle purists out there who say it’s not a snickerdoodle cookie if it doesn’t have cream of tartar.
In a pinch, you can substitute the 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar with 4 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar. These ingredients will give you a similar tangy flavor. And they will help the baking soda rise.
If you can, try not to substitute cream of tartar. When comparing cookies make with and without it, I always prefer the flavor and texture of cookies make with cream of tartar.
How to Coat Cookies Quickly
My least favorite part of making these cookies is rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. If you do this process by yourself, it can seem to take forever.
For quick and mess-free coating, add the cinnamon sugar mixture to a resealable plastic baggie. Then, add one cookie ball at a time to the bag and gently shake.
After coating the balls of dough and setting the balls on the baking pan, sprinkle a little bit more of the cinnamon-sugar on the tops of the dough balls. This will provide extra flavor to the cookies before baking them.
Avoid Over-Cooking Cookies
These snickerdoodles can go from soft and chewy to hard and over-cooked very quickly! When baking your cookies, start with 8 minutes.
At this point, the edges of the cookies should just be starting to set. The center of the cookie may look underdone. If it looks too raw, add a minute of cooking time and check the cookies again.
After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes. Then, they can be moved to a cooling rack.
Want More like these Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies?
If you try this recipe, let me know! I’d love to know how these compare to your favorite snickerdoodle cookie!
You should also check out some of my other cookie recipes:
- The BEST Frosted Mint Brownies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Mini)
- Pumpkin Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Or check out all of my dessert recipes, here!
Love what you are seeing, and want more? I typically publish a new recipe once or twice per week. If you want to be the first to know what’s new at Clean Fingers Laynie, SUBSCRIBE here, and never miss another recipe!
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Softened (2 Sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups plus 4 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs Room Temperature
- 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix together sugar, butter, and eggs until creamy and fluffy.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- While mixing, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 4 tbsp sugar and cinnamon.
- Shape dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place each ball 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets or silicone-lined baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just starting to set. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
