Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe | Classic Cookie Recipe In 30 Mins! (2024)

This soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie recipe are ready in less than 30 minutes! These soft baked cinnamon-sugar cookies are always a crowd favorite and disappear in seconds. So good – you may want to make a double batch!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe
• What are Snickerdoodle Cookies?
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• How to Make Snickerdoodles
• How to Store Cookies or Freeze Dough
• More Cinnamon Filled Desserts
• Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Snickerdoodle Recipe

Trust me when I say this is about to become one of your all-time favorite cookie recipes!

• Warm Spices: The perfect balance of warm cinnamon and sweet sugar flavors with a slight tang you expect from a classic snickerdoodle.
• Quick and Easy: You do not have to chill the dough! Just beat to combine the batter, scoop the dough, roll in cinnamon-sugar and bake. Bonus: These cookies are ready in 30 minutes!
• Perfect Texture: Most important, these snickerdoodle cookies have an incredibly soft and chewy texture.
• Cookies Anytime: This cookie dough freezes great for freshly baked cookies anytime the craving strikes!

Looking for more classic cookie favorites? Try these decadent white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, chewy peanut butter cookies or these soft chocolate chip cookies!

What are Snickerdoodle Cookies?

Snickerdoodles are “cousins” to classic sugar cookies (the soft, chewy round ones – not cut out sugar cookies). While traditional sugar cookies are often sprinkled with white sugar or nonpareils, snickerdoodles are rolled and coated in cinnamon sugar – twice as nice!

The main difference lies in a key ingredient: cream of tartar. This, combined with baking soda, gives these cookies an unbelievably chewy, soft texture with a hint of tangy flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Made with pantry staple ingredients, they’re the perfect cookie to whip up anytime. Absolutely no need to wait for a special occasion! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.

• Flour: For the most consistent results, use all-purpose flour.
• Cream of Tartar: This gives the snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy taste.
• Baking Soda: Do not use baking soda.
• Butter: For even softer bakery-style cookies, swap half of the butter with shortening.
• Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for the best flavor and texture.
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt
• Cinnamon

How to Make Snickerdoodles

This classic snickerdoodle cookie comes together quickly, so have your ingredients ready to go. Using a hand mixer, or stand mixer, will make the dough come together easily! Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.

• Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Topping: Mix cinnamon and sugar for rolling dough in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Dry Ingredients: Whisk to combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Set aside.
• Wet Ingredients: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat to combine, until just incorporated.
• Scoop and Roll: Scoop into golf ball-sized dough balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar coating. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving room for spreading.
• Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, taking care not to overbake. The cookies will firm up as they cool. Rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes and serve warm, or cool and store for later.

Tips & Variations

Truthfully, this snickerdoodle cookie recipe is so easy, it’s almost impossible to mess up!

• Don’t Over Bake: Take the cookies out just as they begin to turn golden. If they look a touch under baked in the center, they’re perfect! They will set up more as they cool.
• Properly Measure Flour: Fluff flour in it’s bag or container with a fork and spoon it into a dry measuring cup. Level with the back of a knife.
• Frost ‘Em: Add a sweet swirl of cream cheese frosting or drizzle with an easy vanilla glaze of powdered sugar and milk. You can also sandwich two cookies together with frosting in the center!
• Extra Soft: Want your cookies extra soft like from the grocery store bakery? Swap butter for shortening! For the best of both worlds, use half butter and half shortening.
• Picture-Perfect:If looks matter to you, immediately after baking, use alarge biscuit cutterto swirl around the cookies edges. This will make them perfectly round with even edges.

How to Store Cookies or Freeze Dough

Bake them fresh or freeze them for later, here are all your options for this snickerdoodle recipe:

• Storage:Cool completely, then store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Store with a slice of bread to keep soft, replacing the slice as it becomes stale.
• FreezeCookies:For extra protection, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Freeze Dough:Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on prepared baking sheets. Bake as directed, but add about 2 extra minutes to the bake time.

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