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!
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 🙏🏻