Sweet Iconic Snickerdoodle Recipe
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Snickerdoodle Cookie is a sweet, iconic classic that every cookie baker should have in their recipe files. Nostalgic, utterly delicious… and simple to make with a secret ingredient that makes them perfect.
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Some cookies are so indelibly imprinted in our memory, and so incredibly delicious, they earn the title, “iconic.” The Snickerdoodle is one of those cookies. Sweet and chewy, pillowy fluffy, and addictively wonderful with their cinnamon-sugar coating.
Speaking of iconic cookies, “Anne Byrn’s new cookbook, American Cookie, beautifully details the histories of 100 iconic cookies from the United States. If you’ve ever wondered what Girl Scouts sold in their early days, or what Thomas Jefferson liked to bake in his spare time, this is the book for you.”
Snickerdoodle Origins
The snickerdoodle cookie we know “was likely brought to America by Dutch-German immigrants. While they were always popular in Mennonite and Amish baking communities, their popularity skyrocketed in 1891.”
Byrn writes in American Cookie, “a New York City cooking teacher, and newspaper columnist shared her recipe for the cookies in a local newspaper. Cornelia “Nellie” Campbell Bedford’s recipe—sugar cookie dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar–quickly went viral, so to speak.”
And the rest, as they say, is history… iconic history.
A deliciously wonderful history we can make at home. Easily.
Snickerdoodle Secret Ingredient
Are there any secret ingredients in snickerdoodles? Not really. Well, perhaps one.
It’s a spice you probably have sitting rather unused in your spice rack– cream of tartar.
While there are substitutions for its use, like fresh lemon juice or white vinegar… or even baking powder, it’s an ingredient I never skip with this cookie.
Cream of tartar adds its own unique tangy flavor and contributes to the snickerdoodle chewy, pillowy texture.
Can you Freeze Snickerdoodles?
Can you make snickerdoodles ahead and freeze them? Most definitely. Store them in a freezer bag or airtight container and they will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to serve them, thaw the cookies in their container on the counter. They are so yummy!
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A Sweet Iconic Snickerdoodle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream together the granulated sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until completely combined.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt; mix into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Using a cookie scoop (affiliate link) or two spoons, scoop and shape the dough into 1 to 2 inch balls; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Be careful not to overbake. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely... if you can wait that long. Smile -- they're that good!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.