Snickerdoodle Recipe: Soft, Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies with Crinkly Tops

By Aquarium Guides Editorial Team · Updated November 9, 2026

Last Updated: November 9, 2026

A snickerdoodle is a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a gentle tang and a crackled surface. That tang comes from cream of tartar, an acid that reacts with baking soda to puff the cookie and gives it its characteristic flavor and chew. Most disappointments with snickerdoodles, such as flat spreading cookies or dry, cakey ones, trace back to butter temperature, measuring, and baking time.

This recipe yields about 28 cookies, each about 2 1/2 inches across, with soft centers and lightly crisp edges. The dough needs a 30-minute chill, so plan about an hour from start to finish.

Ingredients

Cookie dough

• 2 3/4 cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon-sugar coating

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then add the vanilla.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until the dough just comes together. It will be soft.
5. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling firms the butter so the cookies hold their shape and bake thicker.
6. Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
7. Prepare the coating. In a small shallow bowl, mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
8. Shape. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon portions and roll each between your palms into a smooth ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated. Place 2 inches apart on the sheets.
9. Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes. The edges should be set and the centers puffy and slightly soft. They will look underdone, and that is correct.
10. Cool. Rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, during which the tops fall and crinkle, then move to a wire rack.

What Cream of Tartar Does

Cream of tartar is a powdery acid. Paired with baking soda, it produces a leavening reaction similar to baking powder, but it also stabilizes the structure and contributes the sharp, tangy edge that defines this cookie. Without it, you get a plain cinnamon sugar cookie. If you run out, you can replace 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. The flavor will be slightly milder and the texture a little softer.

Tips

• Soften the butter correctly. It should dent when pressed but not look shiny or greasy. Warm butter causes spreading.
• Measure flour carefully. Spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it. Extra flour gives dry, cakey cookies.
• Roll the balls round and tall. Taller dough balls bake thicker. Do not flatten them.
• Underbake slightly. The cookies finish baking on the hot pan. Pull them when the centers still look soft.
• Use a light-colored sheet. Dark pans brown the bottoms before the tops set.
• Cool the sheet between batches. A hot pan melts the butter in the dough and flattens the next batch.

Troubleshooting

Variations

• Brown butter snickerdoodles: Brown the butter, chill it until soft but solid, then proceed as written.
• Chai snickerdoodles: Add 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and a pinch of black pepper to the coating.
• Stuffed: Press a small piece of cream cheese into the center of each ball before baking.
• Pumpkin spice: Swap the cinnamon in the coating for pumpkin pie spice.
• Giant bakery-style: Use 1/4 cup dough per cookie and bake 13 to 15 minutes.
• Vegan: Use plant-based butter and a flax egg for each egg, though the texture will be a bit more tender.

Storage

Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft, but replace it every day to avoid sogginess. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a bag. For fresh cookies later, roll the dough in cinnamon sugar and freeze the balls on a tray. Bake straight from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. Raw dough can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Serving Ideas

Snickerdoodles are best with something to drink, such as cold milk, coffee, or hot tea. They work for cookie exchanges because they travel well, and the cinnamon sugar coating hides small imperfections. For a dessert plate, crumble one over vanilla ice cream or sandwich two cookies around a spoonful of cream cheese frosting or dulce de leche. Because the recipe uses ordinary pantry ingredients, it is an easy one to bake with children, who tend to enjoy rolling the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar.

Bake a test cookie first if you are unsure about your oven. One cookie on a small tray shows you how much the dough spreads and gives you a chance to adjust the time before committing the whole batch.

Rolling and Shaping Tips

Cool, firm dough is easiest to roll. If it becomes sticky as you work, return it to the refrigerator for ten minutes. Use a cookie scoop to keep each ball the same size, then roll quickly so the heat of your hands does not soften the butter. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar twice for a thicker crust, and press lightly with the palm of your hand if you prefer a flatter, crisper cookie.

FAQ

Why are they called snickerdoodles?

The origin of the name is debated, and there is no single confirmed explanation, so it is best treated as a quirky name for a classic cookie.

Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?

Yes. Use baking powder instead, at 2 1/2 teaspoons total with no baking soda. The cookie will lack the traditional tang.

Do I have to chill the dough?

It is strongly advised. Without chilling, the cookies spread thinner and lose their chew.

How do I get them extra soft?

Replace 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and pull them from the oven as soon as the edges set.

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