My family is completely obsessed with this recipe. This is such a simple cookie, but it provides such a unique taste. Along with that you get a slightly crisp exterior and a buttery soft center. This really is the best snickerdoodle recipe.
What is a Snickerdoodle?
A snickerdoodle is a cookie similar to a sugar cookie, that is rolled in cinnamon and sugar before baking. The soft, chewy delight contains cream of tartar, which helps give the cookie its irresistible texture and tangy flavor.
Using Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles
Cream of tartar is a key ingredient in this recipe for snickerdoodles, adding a slightly tangy flavor that is an essential part of the cookies. Combined with the baking soda, it also helps the cookies rise which keeps them fluffy and soft. You can find cream of tartar at your local grocery store by the spices.
Make the cinnamon sugar mix. Combine some of the sugar along with the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Mix the wet ingredients. Cream together your sugar, shortening, and room-temperature butter using a stand mixer or hand mixer until they are well mixed and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients all at once, starting at a low speed and then increasing until it is all mixed. Give the batter a final stir with a spatula to make sure it is combined. Form the dough into balls. See my note below on your option to chill the dough. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough, roll the dough into balls, and then roll them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a parchment-lined cookie tray, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between them. Bake the cookies. Rotate the tray halfway through. Remove the cookies when the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Snickerdoodle Cookies Tips and Tricks
Make sure your butter is room temperature. You want it to be soft enough that you can dent it with your finger, but not push all the way through. To soften your butter quickly for this easy snickerdoodle recipe, cut it into one-inch pieces and set it on the counter for about 30 minutes. Do not put it in the microwave. Use a cookie scoop. For your cookies to cook evenly, it is important that they are the same size. The easiest and best way to do this is to use a cookie scoop! I share my favorite one above. Use good baking sheets. Baking sheets can really change the outcome of a baking recipe. I have my favorite linked above. They work perfectly every time. Bake one tray at a time. Only bake one tray of cookies at a time, putting the baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan. We purposefully slightly underbake the cookies in the oven, and they finish baking on the pan which keeps the cookies soft and chewy- just how we like them!
While your best bet to get the most accurate amount is to weigh it with a kitchen scale, not everyone has one on hand. Following the below steps will also result in perfect cookies.
Start by whisking the flour in the container or bag it’s stored in. Use a spoon to scoop the flour from its container into a dry measuring cup. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop it directly from the container. Level off the measuring cup using the flat edge of a spatula or butter knife.
You can prepare the dough and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you are ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough and continue with step #8 on the recipe card. To make them even further in advance, see my tips for freezing snickerdoodle cookies below. When you are ready to bake the cookies, allow the dough balls to thaw on the counter. Then roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake according to the recipe card.
Freezing as Baked Cookies
To freeze your baked cookies, bake them according to the recipe. When they are completely cool, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Allow to thaw on the counter before eating.
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