These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft and chewy inside with a crisp, cinnamon-sugar crackly top. They’re a holiday baking must-have and simple to make.
Table of Contents
- Reasons to Love These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
- What Does a Snickerdoodle Cookie Taste Like?
- What Are They Made Of?
- Here’s How to Make Snickerdoodles
- The Best Baking Tools
- More Holiday Cookies to Enjoy
- Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
Reasons to Love These Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Makes about two dozen cookies.
- Soft and chewy centers thanks to cream of tartar.
- No dough chilling required—great when time is short.
- Crisp, crackly cinnamon-sugar exterior.
- Perfect addition to a holiday cookie box.
This snickerdoodle recipe is a timeless favorite and fits easily into any recipe collection.
What Does a Snickerdoodle Cookie Taste Like?
Snickerdoodles are similar to sugar cookies but are rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mix instead of plain granulated sugar. That cinnamon coating gives them a warm, slightly spicy sweetness and a delightfully crackly finish on top.
The result is a balanced cookie with a tender interior and a crisp, flavorful exterior.
What Are They Made Of?
This classic recipe uses all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, vegetable shortening, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and an egg. The cinnamon-sugar coating is simply granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Vietnamese cinnamon (if available) adds a slightly stronger, sweeter note, but regular cinnamon works perfectly.
Here’s How to Make Snickerdoodles
Below is a clear overview of the steps. Refer to the recipe card for exact measurements and timing.
Make the cinnamon sugar. Whisk granulated sugar with ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. Beat vegetable shortening, softened unsalted butter, and granulated sugar together, then add the egg and mix until combined. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. If preferred, you may use all butter or all shortening (including butter-flavored shortening) instead of a 50/50 mix.
Scoop and shape. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to form 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on prepared baking sheets. Rolling briefly by hand smooths the dough for a neater shape.
Bake and cool. Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes. For softer, chewier cookies, remove them at the earlier end of the range; they may appear slightly underbaked in the center but will finish as they cool. The cookies will puff in the oven and flatten as they cool, leaving a chewy center and crackly cinnamon-sugar outside.
To keep cookies soft, store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread.
The Best Baking Tools
Recommended tools: mixing bowls, whisk, stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle attachment, cookie scoop (1 tablespoon), baking sheets, parchment paper or silicone mats, and a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar.
More Holiday Cookies to Enjoy
Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker Cookies
Homemade Butter Cookies
Homemade Oreo Snowflake Cookies
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
Jennifer
15 mins
10 mins
25 mins
24 cookies
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
Cinnamon Sugar
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Adjust oven rack to the 2nd or 3rd position above center and preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat shortening, softened butter, and granulated sugar together, then add the egg and mix until combined.
- Add the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
- Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 8–10 minutes at 350ºF. For softer, chewier cookies, remove at the earlier time; edges should be golden while centers may look slightly underbaked. Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to maintain softness.
Notes
You can substitute 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (butter-flavored or regular) for the 1/4 cup of each used in this recipe.
For a softer, chewier cookie: remove from the oven at the earlier baking time; they will continue to set as they cool. The recipe is adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 18 g
| Protein: 2 g
| Fat: 4 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.