How to make Snickerdoodles (2024)

Published: Author: Sabine / This post may contain affiliate links

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Learn how to make snickerdoodles from scratch. It's a simple and straightforward recipe that requires just a few ingredients and little prep time. They are heavenly soft and literally melt in your mouth. It's a great recipe to feed a crowd and they disappear within minutes just like my chocolate cookies!

How to make Snickerdoodles (1)

My step-by-step photo and video instructions help you having success with this snickerdoodles recipe every time. It's also suitable for the beginner baker. If you want to master cookie baking, read my how to make cookies guide first to learn about possible challenges in cookie baking and overcome them.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients notes and substitutions
  • Photo tutorial
  • FAQ's
  • Make ahead and freezing instructions
  • More cookie recipes
  • Recipe

Ingredients notes and substitutions

  • Butter and egg - if you want to make vegan snickerdoodles, follow my vegan cookies recipe for vegan butter and egg substitutions.
  • All-purpose flour - you can use your favorite gluten-free flour instead.

Note: Other than the name may suggest, snickerdoodles don't contain peanuts.

Photo tutorial

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy.

How to make Snickerdoodles (2)

Then, add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

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Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.

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Cover and chill in the fridge.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Then scoop 12 equal-sized balls of cookie dough...

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and roll them into even balls with your hands.

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Roll in the sugar coating mixture to cover them entirely. Then bake.

How to make Snickerdoodles (7)

FAQ's

Do snickerdoodles need cream of tartar?

Short answer, yes. Cream of tartar is an integral ingredient. It gives the cookies its tangy taste and signature texture. I do not recommend any substitutions on this. If you replaced it with baking powder, you would end up with a puffy, more cake-like sugar cookie. Using only baking soda transforms them into chewy chocolate chip kind of cookies.

Why are my snickerdoodles puffy?

Snickerdoodles are flat cookies and shouldn't be puffy at all unless the recipe is specially designed to create a puffy texture and is clearly stated. This recipe is not supposed to result in puffy snickerdoodles but soft ones with a chewy bite. The most common reasons for a puffy texture are

  • Too much flour - spoon and level the flour correctly how I show it in my chocolate chip cookie post.
  • Inaccurate oven temperature (too hot) - I advise using an oven thermometer for accurate baking results.
  • Tweaked recipe - if you alter the recipe or any ingredients, please keep in mind that the texture and taste will change. Using baking powder instead of cream of tartar, for example, leads to a puffy texture. Also, a different kind of flour, like cake flour, changes the outcome. So stick to the recipe and the ingredients list to get the same results as shown in this post.
How to make Snickerdoodles (8)

Why are my snickerdoodles flat?

If you followed the recipe and measured all ingredients correctly but the cookies turned out flatter as shown in the photos, it can be that the chilling time was too short. Give it another hour in the fridge and see if the dough is still sticky. If it's still sticky, add another 1-2 tablespoon (8-17g) flour. It's worth mentioning that all-purpose flour can differ in protein content from brand to brand and country to country and ranges between 10-12 percent.

Higher protein flour absorbs more water than lower protein flour. So, baking with an all-purpose flour with 10 percent protein content will result in a stickier dough than 12 percent protein content. I used all-purpose flour with a protein content of 11 percent. Also, regions with high humidity or a high altitude will increase the amount of flour needed in cookies.

How to make Snickerdoodles (9)

Make ahead and freezing instructions

  • Prepare the dough in advance and chill for up to 2 days in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes until it is a soft and spoonable dough. Then go ahead with the recipe as directed.
  • Prepare and chill the dough as described. Then roll into balls and freeze in freezer bags. Before baking, let them thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Then roll in sugar and bake.
  • Wrap baked cookies in plastic wrap and store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

More cookie recipes

Can't get enough cookies? You are in good company! Try some of my favorite recipes. By the way, have you seen my handy list of cookie recipes with chocolate chips?

  • Air Fryer Cookies
  • Brownie Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Pistachio Cookies
  • White Chocolate Cookies
  • Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe

How to make Snickerdoodles (10)

Snickerdoodle Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Author Sabine

Calories: 188kcal

Servings: 12 cookies

Prep 25 minutes minutes

Cook 9 minutes minutes

Chill 2 hours hours

Total 2 hours hours 34 minutes minutes

Print Pin Rate

Learn how to make snickerdoodles from scratch. It's a simple and straightforward recipe that requires just a few ingredients and little prep time. They are heavenly soft and literally melt in your mouth. It's a great recipe to feed a crowd. My step-by-step photo and video instructions help you having success with this recipe every time. It's also suitable for the beginner baker.

Ingredients

Cookies

Sugar coating

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, about 30-60 seconds. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Then scoop 12 equal-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons [40g] each) of cookie dough, roll into even balls with your hands, and roll in the sugar coating mixture to cover them entirely.

  • Place the cookies about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly browned and the centers look puffy, dry, pale, and underbaked. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes (they will continue baking) or until firm enough to move. Then, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh and soft in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 259IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Did you make this recipe?Leave a feedback and rate this recipe!

About Sabine

Sabine is a professional baker, cookbook author, and award-winning food photographer.

Reader Interactions

5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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How to make Snickerdoodles (2024)

FAQs

Why do my snickerdoodles come out hard? ›

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake – when the edges are set but the centers are still soft and puffy, they are done. Also, make sure you're not adding too much flour.

How do I know if my snickerdoodles are done? ›

How do you know when the cookies are baked? The snickerdoodle cookies will only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them! It's best to rotate the cookies after about 6 minutes so that the cook evenly. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centres are soft and cracked.

Why didn't my snickerdoodles crack? ›

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

For soft cookies, use: Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier). Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter.

How do you soften hard Snickerdoodle cookies? ›

Simply lay the bread at the bottom of the container and pile your cookies on top of it, seal the lid, and wait a few hours. The cookies will soak up all the moisture from the bread and by the next morning, they will taste as good as the day they came out of the oven gooey.

Why didn't my snickerdoodles spread out? ›

The most common culprit behind non-spreading cookies is too much flour. This may seem counterintuitive—after all, isn't flour a key ingredient in baking? Yes, but if you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as they bake.

Why are my snickerdoodles flat and crispy? ›

Why are my snickerdoodles flat? Snickerdoodles can come out flat if 1) the leaveners you used (for this recipe, it's both the baking soda and the cream of tartar) are on the old side and no longer work, and 2) if you baked them at a lower temperature.

Why do my snickerdoodle cookies taste like flour? ›

Roll Your Dough Out With Powdered Sugar

I repeat: this method can VERY easily result in cookies that taste like flour. While my cookie recipe doesn't have TOO much flour, I will say that it is on the higher end of flour content.

Are my snickerdoodles underbaked? ›

Here are some signs to look out for: Colour: Raw or undercooked cookies tend to have a pale appearance, lacking that golden or slightly browned hue that indicates they're fully baked. Watch for cookies that still have a doughy or unbaked look. Texture: Touch the surface of the cookies gently.

Why does snickerdoodle dough need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerating snickerdoodle dough lets the butter resolidify and prevents the cookies from flattening out in the oven. I recommend giving the dough at least 45-60 minutes of chilling time in the fridge before baking.

Why is my snickerdoodle dough too dry? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Why do my snickerdoodles get hard? ›

They go from soft to hard because they start to dry out, and it begins as soon as you pull them from the oven. (Yikes.) Whatever moisture is left in the cookies is always in a state of evaporation. At the same time, the sugars and starches are solidifying.

How do you thicken snickerdoodle dough? ›

If you're feeling extra hopeless, try adding the flour and then placing the dough in the fridge to harden up.

Why do my snickerdoodles taste bitter? ›

Your snickerdoodles may taste bitter if you are sensitive to the taste of cream of tartar. This snickerdoodle cookie recipe without cream of tartar is an excellent option if you fall into that category.

How can I keep cookies from getting hard? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

Why do my cookies turn out hard? ›

Why do Cookies Become Hard? Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly. The lack of moisture makes the cookies hard and dry, which makes them difficult to enjoy.

Why aren't my snickerdoodles flat? ›

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

Why do my cookies always come out crunchy? ›

According to The Kitchn, this occurs when you over-mix the dough. Mixing the dough naturally causes gluten to develop in the flour, and while you do need a good amount of gluten to give your cookies structure, too much of it will result in hard cookies.

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