Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Last Updated on January 28, 2026 by Kiersten James
Soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies with thick centers, crisp edges, and classic cinnamon sugar flavor. An easy bakery-style snickerdoodle recipe.
Snickerdoodles are one of those cookies people think they understand until they bite into one that’s actually done right.
A real snickerdoodle should be thick, soft in the center, lightly crisp on the edges, and coated in cinnamon sugar that cracks across the top. Not dry. Not cakey. And definitely not flat.
This recipe makes the kind of snickerdoodles you’d expect from a New York bakery: chewy, tender, and just barely set when they come out of the oven.
No chilling or annoying steps, just a dough that bakes exactly the way a snickerdoodle should.
If you’ve only had mediocre snickerdoodles before, these will ruin you for the rest.
Why You’ll Love These Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Thick, soft centers with lightly crisp edges
- No chilling required – mix and bake right away
- Classic snickerdoodle tang from cream of tartar
- Bakery-style crackled tops
- Stay soft for days without turning dry
- Easy to freeze and bake straight from the freezer
Quick Allergy Check!
These snickerdoodle cookies contain:
- gluten (flour)
- eggs
- dairy (butter)
They are naturally nut-free.
Ingredients You’ll Be Using:
Cream of tartar + baking soda: This combination gives snickerdoodles their signature tang and helps create the classic cracked tops. Without it, you’re just making cinnamon sugar cookies.
Butter + margarine: Butter adds flavor. Shortening keeps the cookies soft and thick. Using both creates a cookie that tastes rich yet stays chewy rather than dry.
White sugar: Snickerdoodles traditionally use white sugar. Brown sugar would make them too soft and change the texture.
Egg: Provides structure while keeping the cookies tender, not cakey.
Flour: We will use just enough to keep the cookies thick and chewy instead of flat.
Cinnamon sugar: Not just for looks. The cinnamon sugar bakes into the surface of the cookie and adds flavor in every bite.
Tips for the Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Ever
How do I know when they’re done baking?
The edges should look set, but the centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked. They will look raw in between the cracks and still be puffy. Don’t worry!! They’ll finish cooking as they cool on the pan. If you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they’ll end up dry.
Can I skip the cream of tartar?
You can, but they won’t really be snickerdoodles. Cream of tartar is what gives these cookies their slight tang and those classic cracks on top. Without it, you’re basically making cinnamon sugar cookies instead.
Why use both butter and margarine?
Butter gives you flavor, but margarine helps keep the cookies soft and prevents them from drying out. Using both gives you a cookie that tastes rich but stays tender instead of crumbly.
Why did my snickerdoodles turn out flat?
This usually happens if the butter or margarine was too warm, or if the dough didn’t have enough flour. Snickerdoodle dough should be soft but scoopable, not loose or greasy. Chilling the dough for 20 to 30 minutes also helps if your kitchen is relatively warm.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes!! Keep the dough wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes so it’s easy to scoop and roll in the cinnamon sugar before baking.
To freeze:
Place a cookie sheet or plate with the rolled dough balls into the freezer. When they are very hard, store them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To bake frozen dough:
Do not thaw. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Supplies That Help:
- Stand Mixer
- Paddle Attachment
- LIFE CHANGING flour funnel my husband got for me
- Cookie Scoop (medium 2 tablespoon size)
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons Crisco (vegetable shortening)
- 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Overview:
Set up your oven: Move the racks to the middle and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
Cream the sugar and fats: Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream together the butter, Crisco, and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy – about 4 minutes.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
Combine ingredients in the mixer: Turn the mixer off, add the egg, and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the bowl here and there, as needed.
Next, add the dry flour mixture a little at a time, also on low speed, until no clumps of white flour remain. Do not overmix; turn the mixer off as soon as the flour is no longer white.
Cinnamon Sugar + Roll Dough: In a small bowl (you can use the same one the flour was in, just wipe clean with a rag first), combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
A 2-tablespoon medium-sized cookie scoop makes the next step less messy and produces uniform cookies that are nearly exact in size. If you don’t have one, no sweat, your hands are the next best tool!
Form the dough into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) and roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place the dough balls about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread evenly.
Bake & Rest: Bake the cookies at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes, maybe a minute or two longer. They will look underbaked, puffy, and still glistening in between the cracks when you take them out. This is what you want.
The cookies will finish baking on the cookie sheet after they are removed from the oven.
Allow the cookies to rest undisturbed on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack after that time and allow to cool completely.
Storage: Store baked cookies in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Placing a piece of sandwich bread in the bag with the cookies will preserve texture and freshness. To freeze, place baked cookies in a freezer storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter when ready to eat or serve.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons Crisco (vegetable shortening)
- 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Set up your oven: Move the racks to the middle and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the sugar and fats: Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream together the butter, Crisco, and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy - about 4 minutes.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine ingredients in the mixer: Turn the mixer off, add the egg, and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the bowl here and there, as needed. Next, add the dry flour mixture a little at a time, also on low speed, until no clumps of white flour remain. Do not overmix; turn the mixer off as soon as the flour is no longer white.
- Cinnamon Sugar + Roll Dough: In a small bowl (you can use the same one the flour was in, just wipe clean with a rag first), combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
- Form the dough into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) and roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place the dough balls about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread evenly.
- Bake & Rest: Bake the cookies at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes, maybe a minute or two longer. They will look underbaked, puffy, and still glistening in between the cracks when you take them out. This is what you want. The cookies will finish baking on the cookie sheet after they are removed from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to rest undisturbed on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack after that time and allow to cool completely.
- Storage: Store baked cookies in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Placing a piece of sandwich bread in the bag with the cookies will preserve texture and freshness.
- To freeze: Place baked cookies in a freezer storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter when ready to eat or serve.
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