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The Best Snickerdoodles
4.5 from 561 votes

The Best Snickerdoodles

The Best Snickerdoodles are soft, flavorful cookies made from a well-balanced dough of butter, sugars, eggs, and a blend of flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon sugar for rolling. The dough chills before baking, which helps cookies maintain shape and develop texture. After baking, the cookies emerge with a light cinnamon-sugar crust and tender centers.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
9 mins
Chill Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 19 mins
Servings: 14
Calories: 172 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Dough
  • ½ cup butter softened, unsalted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt optional and to taste
For Rolling
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.
  2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough (2 heaping tablespoons each), roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
  5. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
  6. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray.
  7. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and stir to combine.
  8. Dredge each mound of dough through cinnamon-sugar.
  9. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake for soft, pillowy cookies. For firmer cookies, bake a minute or two longer. Cookies firm up as they cool.
  10. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.

Notes

  • Store baked cookies airtight at room temperature up to one week or freeze for up to six months.
  • Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for up to four months to bake fresh cookies on demand.
  • Chilling the dough before baking is crucial to get the signature texture and avoid spreading.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 172kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 90mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 15g (30%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 14 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 172

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 172kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 15g 30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.