Jump to Recipe

 

Year after year, on blog after blog, and in kitchens everywhere, you’ll ALWAYS find a beloved recipe for classic Snickerdoodles on EVERYONE’s favorite cookie list!  Ever so easy to make, these simple and delicious cookies are a cinnamon and sugar lover’s dream come true!  My family enjoys these irresistible, perfectly-sweet, puffy dreams year-round, in addition to baking them for Christmas, when they’re most popular. 

Through the years I’ve always used a standard recipe from an old paperback cookbook (“Cookies By Bess”, 1980).  I posted that recipe on the blog back in 2012 (Snickerdoodle Simplicity).  But I’ve found another recipe and decided to do a comparison.  I have to say that I’ve now found the undeniably BEST soft and chewy snickerdoodles recipe in all the land.  They simply melt in your mouth!

Trust me!   I’m telling you these are the absolute best snickerdoodles!!  You’re going to love these.  Soft and buttery.  Sugary and cinnamony.  Mouthwatering and melt-in-your-mouth delightful.  BUT . . .  

these babies are thick and LOFTY, not flat!

These golden mounds are outrageously addicting straight out of the oven and remain so even days later.  But they won’t last that long if you’ve got lots of guests or family to grab and gobble them up!   Snickerdoodles are included in those recipes where ‘you can’t eat just one”!   And that’s why I  advise you to double the recipe for the extra cookies that will disappear in no time. 

 

The Best Snickerdoodles:

  • Must be SOFT and tender on the inside
  • Must be CHEWY inside
  • Must have a very thin, crispy external texture
  • Must burst with cinnamon and sugar flavors in every bite
  • Should have slight tang flavor from the cream of tartar
  • Should not be very flat.
  • Will have your friends and family begging for the recipe.

 

What Are Snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles are drop and baked cookies (meaning that the cookie dough is not rolled, there is also no cookie cutter or spritzer used).  They are distinguished by the complete coverage of a butter cookie with sugar and cinnamon.  It is fairly well-agreed that they originated in Germany and derived from “schneckennudeln”.   

 

What’s The Difference Between Snickerdoodles and Sugar Cookies?

Although they seem similar, the major difference is that Snickerdoodles are made with cream of tartar and sugar cookies are not.  Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their magnificent chewiness.  The ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ tenderness is another benefit of using it.  Snickerdoodles also gain their unique and very subtle, ‘barely there’ tanginess from the addition of cream of tartar.   Snickerdoodles are never frosted as are sugar cookies, but rather are rolled in cinnamon and sugar prior to baking.  

 

Ingredients You Need to Make Snickerdoodles:

All you need is some basic pantry staples that you probably already have on hand, so you can easily whip up some snickerdoodles when the craving sneaks up on you.  The recipe card below provides you with the exact measurements of each ingredient.

Here is what you ‘ll need:

  • Unsalted Butter:   Bring your butter to a softened, room temperature so that it mixes well with all of the ingredients.
  • Granulated Sugar:   Sugar is a must to make snickerdoodles!
  • Eggs: Eggs bind all of the ingredients together..
  • Vanilla Extract:  The vanilla adds an extra flavor dimension that compliments the sweet taste. 
  • All-Purpose Flour:  Lightly fluff and scoop your flour into a measuring cup with a spoon so it doesn’t pack in.
  • Cream of Tartar:  Cream of tartar gives the cookies an extra soft, chewy texture and adds a subtle tangy flavor snickerdoodles are known for
  • Salt:  Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Baking Soda:   Baking soda helps the cookies rise and prevents them from flattening out too much.
  • Granulated Sugar and Cinnamon:   Coats the cookie dough balls before baking for the unique Snickerdoodle finish.

 

What Does Cream of Tartar Do In Snickerdoodles?

  • Cream of tartar is an absolute MUST-HAVE ingredient in any snickerdoodle recipe.   It’s a by-product from making wine.  It serves several purposes: 
  • Without it, snickerdoodles loose their famous softness and chewiness.  And that would be a truly sad cookie!
  • For a little chemistry lesson, cream of tartar prevents the sugar in the dough from becoming crystals while the cookies bake and therefore stops them from becoming crunchy.  
  • Cream of tartar is also acidic and the reason for their signature, slightly tangy taste that creates the perfect ying-yang balance to the sweetness of the sugar-cinnamon coating.  
  • Lastly, when cream of tartar (acidic) is combined with baking soda (alkaline), it becomes baking powder and leavens baked goods such as bread and cakes to rise. Keep it stored in a dry, cool cabinet for whenever you have a snickerdoodle fit.

 

Can Snickerdoodles Be Made Without Cream of Tartar?

Yes, but . . . the results won’t be exactly the same.  So if you can’t get to the store to pick up some cream of tartar, you can use 2 teaspoons of baking powder in place of the cream of tartar and baking soda.

 

So can you see the difference between the two stacks of cookies?  

  • The one on the left is the new recipe that I tried and the stack of cookies on the right is the older recipe that I’ve always used.

What do you think caused this difference?

  • Again, the left stack is more narrow, but taller and loftier.  And using the SAME amount of cake dough/batter, the stack on the right is wider and flatter.

 

HERE’s The DIFFERENCE:

The stack on the left (my favorite of all time now):

  • adds ONE TEASPOON of BAKING POWDER instead of NONE used (on the right)
  • uses ONE-FOURTH TEASPOON of BAKING SODA  instead of ONE TEASPOON used (on the right)

The inside of these cookies was still perfect (“per-fetto” as we say in Italian).  Soft.  Tender.  Chewy.  They were just more of a good thing.  I just LOVE this!

 

 

The Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

 

Yield: 24 Cookies

The Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

The Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup soft butter
  • 1-½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 jumbo eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2-¾ cups sifted, all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use whisk attachment to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything gets mixed in well.
  3. Switch your mixer attachment to a paddle or dough hook. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until everything is mixed in well.
  4. Pinch off 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll into a ball and gently roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat until all dough is rolled into balls and coated in cinnamon-sugar.
  5. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 2 - 3 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully removing to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  6. Store in an airtight container.
© Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
Cuisine: American

 

 

 

.

Do you enjoy La Bella Vita Cucina?  

We’d love to have you as part of our community!   

Subscribe below to receive a FREE e-Cookbook and all of the latest recipes,

travel tips, and gardening ideas straight into your inbox!  

 

This recipe was originally posted in 2018 and updated and re-posted in 2021