Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
These classic snickerdoodle cookies are the ones holiday baking is built around. Soft and chewy in the center with crackled cinnamon-sugar tops, buttery and sweet with the signature tang from cream of tartar — the cookie that tastes like Christmas even before the first bite. The dough chills, rolls, and bakes up thick and pillowy, so it’s just as good for a relaxed afternoon of baking as it is for a quick batch of warm cookies with coffee.
The secret is cream of tartar (which gives snickerdoodles their tang and chew — there’s no real substitute), chilling the dough so the cookies stay thick instead of spreading flat, and rolling generously in cinnamon sugar so every bite has that crackled, spiced coating.
Prep time: 15 minutes (+ 30 minutes chilling) Cook time: 10-12 minutes per batch Servings: 30 cookies
What You’ll Need
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Bake on the right equipment: see our best cookie sheets for baking cookies guide and our best cooling racks for cookies guide — a heavy, flat sheet and a good rack are what keep the bottoms from over-browning.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the coating: 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix in the flour. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft.
- Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days). Chilled dough stays thick in the oven instead of spreading flat.
- Preheat and roll. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the coating sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon balls and roll each one generously in the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake. Place the coated balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are crackled. They firm up as they cool.
- Cool on a rack. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Tips for the Best Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cream of tartar is essential — don’t substitute. It’s what gives snickerdoodles their signature tang and soft, chewy texture. Baking powder won’t give you the same flavor or chew.
- Don’t skip the chill. Warm dough spreads thin in the oven. Thirty minutes in the fridge is enough to keep the cookies thick and pillowy.
- Roll generously in cinnamon sugar. A light dusting bakes away — a thick, even coating is what gives snickerdoodles their crackled tops and spiced crust.
Soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon sugar — these classic snickerdoodle cookies are the batch to bake all December long.
