Snickerdoodle Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

This is the only Snickerdoodle recipe you’ll ever need!

(Unless you’re in the mood for something festive, then you may want my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle recipe instead.)

I adore the classic Snickerdoodle cinnamon sugar flavor, but the true magic of these cookies is the texture. 

I already have a Snickerdoodle cookie recipe in my Ultimate Cookie Handbook that’s perfectly moist and chewy, but I wanted to create a thicker, softer alternative. Let’s just say there were dozens of snickerdoodles made to get the final recipe perfected.

The result? These Snickerdoodle cookies are ultra thick, beautifully soft, perfectly chewy, with slightly crispy edges, for the most texturally perfect, satisfying cookie of all time.

The best part is that they’re super easy to make! They require a couple of ingredients you might not have on hand, but I’ve included some alternatives below to avoid an extra grocery store trip.

Who doesn’t love a simple, easy, classic cookie that everyone goes crazy for? 

You’ll be making these crowd-pleasing cookies again and again, promise. If you ever find yourself out of cinnamon, try my beloved Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookie recipe!

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies

Can I Make Snickerdoodle Cookies Without Cream of Tartar?

Traditionally, Snickerdoodle cookie recipes always contain cream of tartar, which is said to bring a slightly tangy flavor and create that pretty crinkly top. We experimented with and without cream of tartar when creating this recipe, and we found some interesting results:

• Using cream of tartar created cookies that were chewier.
• The batch without cream of tartar didn’t crinkle as much on top as the batch containing cream of tartar. 
• We also didn’t notice any flavor differences, as the cinnamon sugar flavor overshadows the tanginess.

So, while I still recommend using cream of tartar for the best texture possible, if you don’t have it on hand, simply omit it! Your cookies will still taste great.

Be sure to use fresh cream of tartar, which helps to create those crinkly tops. Since it’s an ingredient I don’t use often, I prefer to buy small containers so they don’t sit around in my pantry for so long that they expire.

How to Make Crinkly Top Snickerdoodles

• If you skip adding the cream of tartar, you can still achieve crinkly tops just by swirling a cookie cutter around the outside of the cookies immediately after baking, as shown in this Instagram reel.
• You can also ‘pan bang’ the cookie. Immediately upon removing the tray of cookies from the oven, drop it against a heat-safe solid surface from about three to four inches high. Repeat this a couple of times.
• Avoid using an all-purpose flour with a high protein content. More on this just below.

Important: Use Bleached All-Purpose Flour For This Recipe

While testing this recipe, my team and I used our go-to Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour with perfect results. However, when I went to photograph this recipe, my photographer only had King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour on hand. The dough made using the King Arthur unbleached flour was drier and harder to shape, and the cookies cracked at the edges with no crinkling on top. Check out the side-by-side comparison below:

We experienced similar results when photographing my Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies with King Arthur vs. Gold Medal flours. This is likely because King Arthur all-purpose flour has a higher protein content. Additionally, bleached flour is softer and more absorbent than unbleached, creating a softer, moister dough and baked cookie. King Arthur can be great for applications like bread baking, but not so great for softer textures like snickerdodles or cakes. My recommendation is to stick with Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour here, or a similar bleached AP flour, for best results.

Why is There Coconut Oil in This Snickerdoodle Recipe? Can I Use All Butter? 

• This “secret” ingredient helps achieve a beautifully soft, thick, chewy Snickerdoodle cookie with slightly crisp edges, for an incredible texture that melts in your mouth. I haven’t found another Snickerdoodle recipe whose texture compares!  
• I like to combine coconut oil with butter, which gives you the delicious flavor of butter with the textural benefits of coconut oil.
• Both refined and unrefined coconut oil will work just fine in these Snickerdoodles. Please note that refined coconut oil won’t add any flavor, whereas unrefined coconut will add a hint of coconut flavor.
• Use coconut oil that’s at room temperature. It should be solid or very slightly creamy in consistency but not melted.
• It’s easiest to measure the coconut oil by weight (a kitchen scale makes baking SO much more foolproof).
• You can use all butter in this recipe, but your cookies will be less soft and chewy. They’ll be crunchier at the edges, and the cookies will become crunchier the longer they sit.

How to Make Perfectly Soft, Chewy Snickerdoodles

1. Measure your flour correctly. Be sure to measure your flour correctly by weighing with a digital scale or with the spoon and level method to avoid cakey, dense, or tough Snickerdoodle cookies that don’t spread. Learn more about how to measure flour correctly here.
2. Don’t overbake. Take these cookies out of the oven when the cookies are just set and beginning to brown. Overbaking will make these Snickerdoodles hard and dry.
3. Use a large cookie scoop. Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop for easy portioning. This creates larger cookies that spread out perfectly with ultra-soft centers.
4. Use the best baking pans. Use light-colored aluminum half sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Avoid dark nonstick pans as they brown too much and may burn the bottoms of your cookies. Learn more about the best (and worst!) baking pans here.
5. Don’t reduce the sugar. Reducing the sugar will ruin the texture of these Snickerdoodles. Sugar does so much more in baking beyond sweetening. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.

Why Did My Snickerdoodle Cookies Spread?

We want these cookies to spread just a bit, which is why we press the dough down a little before baking – but if your cookies are spreading into flat cookie puddles, it could be due to warm butter. It’s important to make sure your butter is at a COOL room temperature and your coconut oil is solid. Your stick of butter should give slightly when pressed with your finger but still hold their shape. To be precise, your butter should be 67°F. Learn more about why butter temperature in baking is important here.

Can I Make This Easy Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe With a Hand Mixer?

Yes! A hand mixer will work just as well as a stand mixer – just be sure to use a deep enough bowl to prevent splatter.

How to Make Ultra-THICK Snickerdoodle Cookies

Freeze your Snickerdoodle cookie dough balls while your oven preheats! Thanks to coconut oil‘s ability to firm quickly, this brief freezing period is enough to yield ultra-thick snickerdoodle cookies. Please note that this may prevent the cookie’s edges from crisping up quite as much. 

Bake this Snickerdoodle Recipe at 375°F?

Yes – these Snickerdoodle cookies bake at 375°F. In testing, we found that this slightly higher temperature gave the cookies less time to spread in the oven, yielding thicker cookies with the perfect desired texture. 

Do I Have to Chill This Cookie Dough?

No – these cookies will bake up perfectly thick and delicious without a chill period. If you wish to chill the cookie dough for 24-72 hours like I typically recommend, go for it – your cookies will be even thicker and chewier after that chill period! You have two options for chilling:

• If scooping the dough before chilling, roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and lightly flatten them before placing in a single layer in an airtight container and chilling. This makes it easier to bake straight from the fridge, but takes up more space in your fridge.
• If chilling as a mass of dough, let come to room temperature before scooping, rolling in sugar mixture, and lightly flattening. Bake at 350°F for about 13 minutes. This slightly lower temperature results in better crinkly tops for chilled dough.

How to Store Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodle cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store cookies with a tortilla to keep them soft for longer.

Can You Freeze Snickerdoodles?

Yes – Snickerdoodle cookie dough freezes for up to six weeks. Roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar and lightly flatten them before placing in a freezer-safe container or in a Ziptop bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 13 minutes, or until the cookies are set and begin to brown. Learn more about how to freeze cookie dough, and bake from frozen, here.

Can You Freeze Baked Snickerdoodles?

I recommend baking from frozen dough for the best texture. If you freeze these cookies already baked, they’ll still be deliciously soft but may lose their crisp edges and chewy texture and the cinnamon sugar might absorb more into the cookie.

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

• Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Caramel Peach Snickerdoodle Bars
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

Become a Baking Genius!

Sign up for our free email newsletter for NEW recipes & baking science secrets.

YES, SIGN ME UP

How to Make

Snickerdoodle Recipe

By: Tessa Arias

5 from 3 votes

Yield: 18 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 11 minutes mins

Total Time: 26 minutes mins

Review Print SaveSaved!

This Snickerdoodle recipe produces thick, soft, chewy cookies with perfectly crisp edges and the most wonderful classic cinnamon sugar flavor. You need less than 30 minutes to make these melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons (331 grams) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cream of tartar*
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup (105 grams) refined coconut oil**, solid yet creamy
• ▢ 1¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup (50 grams) for rolling
• ▢ 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at cool room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed to cream the butter, coconut oil, and 1 1⁄4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture.
• Combine the remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow dish.
• Using a large 3-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, divide the dough into balls then roll in sugar to coat evenly. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart, and lightly flatten with the bottom of a measuring cup. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar, if desired.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies set and begin to brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*In testing this recipe, cream of tartar created cookies that were chewier and more crinkly on top. I still recommend using cream of tartar for the best texture possible, but if you don’t have it on hand, simply omit it. Otherwise, make sure it is fresh and not expired.

**Coconut oil should not be melted. Both refined and unrefined coconut oil will work in these Snickerdoodles, but refined coconut oil won’t add any flavor, whereas unrefined coconut will add a hint of coconut flavor.

Photos by Joanie Simon.