These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with a crisp, cinnamon sugar crackly top. They're so good they should be on every holiday baking list!
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Reasons to Love These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
- The recipe makes roughly 2 dozen cookies.
- They're soft and chewy in the center—thanks to the cream of tartar!
- No dough chilling required! Perfect when so many holiday cookies require this step!
- Crispy, cinnamon sugar coated crackly outsides—SO GOOD!
- They make a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie box!
This snickerdoodle cookies recipe has been on my list of recipes to share for quite some time now! They really are a delicious classic cookie and you can now find them in my recipe box!
What Does a Snickerdoodle Cookie Taste Like?
Snickerdoodles taste very similar to sugar cookies, but instead of being rolled in granulated sugar, they are rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture. The tops give you a nice crispy, crackly finish too.
They have the perfect taste and texture in a cookie!
What Are They Made of?
To make this classic snickerdoodle cookies recipe, you'll need all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, vegetable shortening, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and an egg.
For the cinnamon sugar mixture, you'll need granulated sugar and ground cinnamon—that's it! I love using Vietnamese ground cinnamon which is a little stronger, but sweeter than regular ground cinnamon. Use what you have on hand though!
Here's How to Make Snickerdoodles!
Below is a brief overview of how to make these snickerdoodle cookies. For the full recipe, make your way down to the recipe card.
Make the cinnamon sugar. You need just a small bowl and a whisk (or fork) to mix it together. I usually made a bunch to have on hand for different recipes, like my chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake.
Whisk the dry ingredients. This includes the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
Please note the additional 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour if you're measuring your ingredients.
Mix the wet ingredients. You can use a hand mixer or your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You'll need vegetable shortening, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and 1 large egg.
You can use all unsalted butter or all vegetable shortening (butter flavored or regular) instead of a mixture of both.
Scoop and shape. I used a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop for this part but still rolled them just briefly in my hands to make them smooth.
I recommend scooping and shaping the cookie dough into the 1 inch balls first, then coating them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake then cool. The recommended baking time for these classic snickerdoodle cookies is 8-10 minutes at 350ºF. For a softer, chewier cookie I recommend taking them out at the earlier recommended baking time. They might look slightly underbaked in the center, but they will continue to bake as they cool. For reference, I took mine out at the 8-minute mark.
They'll be puffy once baked, but as they cool will flatten.
The snickerdoodles should be soft and chewy in the center with a crispy, crackly cinnamon sugar-coated outside.
And to get perfectly round snickerdoodles, check out my salted brownie cookies recipe!
The Best Baking Tools
Below are the recommended baking tools needed to make this snickerdoodles recipe.
More Holiday Cookies to Enjoy!
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
Author:Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 1 ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Vegetable Shortening
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Set to the side.2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar, 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd or 3rd level position (just above the center), preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line 2 baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.1 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the vegetable shortening, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and egg on medium-high speed.¼ cup Vegetable Shortening, ¾ cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg, ¼ cup Unsalted Butter
- Add in the whisked dry mixture and mix together until just combined.
- Using a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop or spoon, scoop and shape the dough into 1-inch size balls. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF. The cookies will puff up when baked, but will flatten as they cool. I recommend taking them out on the earlier side for a softer, chewier cookie. They should be golden brown on the edges, but look slightly under baked in the center
- Transfer to a cookie sheet to allow the cookies to cool completely. Keep a slice of bread with the cookies in an airtight container to keep them nice and soft.
Deborah says
Amazing recipe ! Thank you 🙏🏻