Sweet Iconic Snickerdoodle Recipe
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Snickerdoodle Cookies are a sweet, iconic classic that every cookie baker should have in their recipe files. They are 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 its cinnamon-sugar coating.
Ingredients
These cookies are made with common baking ingredients, with one key ingredient. The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter, either salted or unsalted, and softened
- Sugars, both granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Egg plus an egg yolk
- Vanilla Extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda for leavening
- Cinnamon for that iconic Snickerdoodle flavor
- Cream of tartar is the key ingredient for the fluffy and chewy texture they are known for.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
These cookies are as easy to bake as your favorite chocolate chip cookies or molasses cookies. Here is a brief overview:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then beat in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until completely combined.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt; mix the wet ingredients until combined.
- 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.
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, 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!
More Cookie Recipes You May Also Enjoy
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A Sweet Iconic Snickerdoodle Recipe
Equipment
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
