The best soft, chewy, and thick Snickerdoodle Recipe, with tender centers and perfectly crisp edges!
author’s note
Soft, Chewy, Perfect Snickerdoodles Every Single Time!
Snickerdoodles have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. They were one of the first recipes I ever shared here because I’ve truly been making them my whole life.
After years of making them for every event and family get-together, I can honestly say I’ve never had a Snickerdoodle better than this version. They’re thick and chewy with the softest center and those crisp cinnamon edges that make them irresistible.
My brother-in-law is a Snickerdoodle superfan, and this is his all-time favorite cookie. He requests a batch every time he visits, and he swears these are the best he’s ever had. I have to agree. This is the recipe I’m proudest to share.
Snickerdoodle Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Butter | Opt for unsalted for better salt control. |
| Sugar | A mix of white and brown sugar gives the best sweetness. |
| Egg + Egg Yolk | Adds richness and keeps the cookies soft. |
| Vanilla Extract | Boosts overall flavor. |
| Flour | Measure carefully for the right consistency. |
| Cream of Tartar | Gives the classic tang and helps the dough set. |
| Baking Soda | Helps the cookies rise. |
| Cinnamon | Adds warm flavor in both the dough and the coating. |
Quick Tip
My favorite way to bake? Simply use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams. It eliminates guesswork that can come with less precise measuring using cups.
Featured Comment
I rarely review/leave comments, but I felt compelled to with this recipe.
I have searched high and low for THE snickerdoodle recipe. The recipe that creates soft, but slightly crisp and moist, but not underbaked snickerdoodles. This is that recipe. I will never make any other snickerdoodle recipe again!
Thank you for sharing!
– Kate
How To Make This Snickerdoodle Recipe (Tips)
- Butter: Hot butter leads to greasy cookies. Melt it fully, then let it cool to room temp.
- Chill the dough: This keeps the cookies thick with chewy centers.
- Roll tall cookie dough balls: Taller shapes spread into the perfect thickness.
- Generously coat in cinnamon sugar: More coating means better caramelized edges.
- Slightly underbake: Bake on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. The centers should look soft when you pull them out; they finish cooking on the tray.
- Shape while warm: Press the edges inward with a spatula for perfectly round cookies.
Storage
- Store Snickerdoodle recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freeze dough balls, place them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag. Bake straight from the freezer as needed, adding extra a few extra minutes to the baking process.
Variations
Love this Snickerdoodle Recipe? Try my Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or Caramel Snickerdoodles!
More Delicious Cookies:
Snickerdoodle Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Food scale optional, but recommended!
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cups flour see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then let cool to room temperature. Ensure it’s not hot to avoid greasy cookies.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mix melted and cooled butter with granulated and brown sugar until well emulsified. Add whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, ensuring there are no streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing. Cover dough tightly and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir together cinnamon sugar coating ingredients in a small bowl.
- Portion dough into 45-gram balls (2 packed tablespoons) and shape them into tall balls. Roll dough balls generously in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Return shaped dough balls to the fridge for 15–20 minutes or until they firm up.
- Place dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat with ample spacing (about 6 at a time); bake 9–12 minutes. Avoid overbaking; slight under-baking is ideal! After baking, if any cookies have uneven edges, gently press them inward with a metal spatula. Remove tray from oven and let cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Snickerdoodle Recipe FAQs
Yes, up to 72 hours. Keep covered in the fridge and bake as needed.
No, not for this recipe. The cookies spread too much without it.
Yes. Everything doubles cleanly.
Too much flour or overbaking. Use a scale and watch the bake time closely.
I want to make these but I don’t have unsalted butter. Can I use salted butter and then omit the salt?
That should be fine 🙂 Depending on how salty (or not salty) the butter is, you might want to still add an extra pinch to the cookies!
I just made them w/o checking my pantry first. Ended up using 1 stick unsalted butter and 1 stick salted – just reduced the added salt in the dry ingredients a bit. I didn’t have light brown sugar, so I used dark brown. I didn’t have enough flour, so 3/4 cup of the 2 3/4 cups was gluten free flour. I wanted smaller cookies, so used .8 oz dough balls and baked for 7 minutes. They came out great!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And way to work with what you got! That’s awesome! Thanks Alyssia 🙂
I made these as one of the desserts at my parents’ 65th anniversary celebration dinner. My brother’s eyes rolled as he savored the cookie, and then he declared it the best snickerdoodle cookie he’s ever had in his entire life! Thank you for the wonderful contribution to our celebration.
YAYYYYY!!! This makes me sooo happy to hear!! Thanks Vanessa! And congrats to your parents, that’s soooo awesome! 🙂
Just started making them but don’t have cream of tartar! Can I still make them? Use substitutes??
I haven’t ever tried a substitute for cream of tartar in these cookies, but maybe this article could help! https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/substitute-for-cream-of-tartar
I had to use lemon juice tonight in place of the cream of tartar (1:1 ratio). The cookies turned out great and I don’t even taste a hint of lemon! (Side note though the only time I tried this I also used coconut oil in place of butter to avoid lactose. I’m not sure if that changes things anything but I did also read online that you can substitute lemon juice for cream of tartar if necessary for any recipe.)
Would it be best to use an ‘airflow’ type of pan or regular sheet pan to bake on?
I use a regular sheet pan!
Amazing cookies!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!! 🙂
Can i half the recipe
Absolutely!!
I baked these for 20 minutes and they still were just dough in the middle. What did I do wrong?
I’m not sure; was your oven properly heated? (Is it calibrated so you know it was the right temperature?)
I made an account just so I could rate these cookies. I’ve been baking since I was about 8yrs old. These hands down are the best cookies I’ve made! And I can make some pretty darn good cookies! I followed all of her tips (from rolling them oblong to fridging them), and the cookies turned out so chewy! Yet not raw tasting. This will be a recipe that will likely get passed down in the family. Thank you!!!!
This is the sweetest comment ever! Thanks Autumn. I’m so glad you liked them. 🙂
I just made these and they turned out absolutely fantastic! My husband loves snickerdoodles and I wanted to surprise him with some really good homemade cookies. I don’t bake often, so I’m a bit of a novice. I accidentally melted the butter to probably about 95% but they still turned out absolutely perfect. The edges are crisp/chewy and the inside is soft and delectable. Mine were perfectly baked at about 10 and a half minutes. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll definitely be using it in the future. 🙂
Ahh i’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed!! Thanks Alissah! 🙂