Name: Soft & Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened); 1 1/2 cups Sugar; 2 large Eggs; 2 tsp Vanilla; 2 3/4 cup Flour; 1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar (for less tang, use 1 teaspoon); 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon

Soft & Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles

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Warm from the oven with a sparkly cinnamon-sugar crust, these soft and chewy snickerdoodles are the kind of cookie that makes the whole kitchen smell wonderful. They’re buttery and tender in the middle, warmly spiced on the outside, and have just enough tang from the cream of tartar to give them that unmistakable snickerdoodle flavor.

I especially love how simple these cookies are. The dough is made with familiar baking staples, and there’s no complicated shaping or decorating involved. Roll the dough into little balls, give each one a generous double coating of cinnamon sugar, and they’re ready for the oven.

The best part, though, is the texture. Pull them from the oven while they still look a touch soft, and they’ll settle into wonderfully chewy cookies as they cool. Pour a glass of milk or make something warm to drink, and you have a cozy little treat that’s hard to beat.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s a lot to love about a freshly baked snickerdoodle, but these are especially good if you’re after that classic soft-and-chewy center rather than a hard or crunchy cookie.

They stay wonderfully soft. The cookies finish setting on the baking sheet after they come out of the oven, giving them tender centers and lightly set edges.

The cinnamon sugar is everywhere. Each dough ball gets coated twice, so you get plenty of sweet cinnamon flavor around every cookie.

Cream of tartar gives them their classic character. That little bit of tang balances the sweetness and gives a snickerdoodle its familiar flavor.

They’re simple enough for an everyday baking project. The dough comes together with basic ingredients, and chilling for 20-30 minutes is optional if time allows.

And perhaps best of all, a batch only needs 25 minutes total, making these an easy choice whenever a cinnamon-sugar cookie craving hits.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Ingredients

You only need a handful of familiar baking ingredients to make these soft, cinnamon-sugar cookies.

Unsalted Butter – Softened butter gives the cookies their rich, buttery flavor and helps create a soft, tender texture.
Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the cookie dough and is also used for the cinnamon-sugar coating.
Eggs – Two large eggs add moisture and help bind the dough together.
Vanilla – Adds a warm, sweet flavor that complements the butter and cinnamon.
Flour – Provides the structure for the cookies and creates the base of the dough.
Cream of Tartar – This is an important ingredient in classic snickerdoodles. It adds their signature subtle tang and works with the baking soda to give the cookies their characteristic texture. For less tang, you can use 1 teaspoon as noted in the recipe.
Baking Soda – Works with the cream of tartar to help the cookies rise as they bake.
Salt – A small amount balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors in the cookies.

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

Sugar – Creates the sweet exterior coating that gives snickerdoodles their classic finish.
Cinnamon – Adds warm spice to the sugar coating and gives these cookies their unmistakable cinnamon-sugar flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s bake!

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While it heats, you can start making the cookie dough.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add them to a large mixing bowl and cream for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla, and cream for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt just until combined. There’s no need to keep mixing once the dough has come together.

Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Shape and coat the cookies. If time allows, wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes. Roll the dough into small, smooth balls. Drop each one into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat it well. Then use a spoon to coat it a second time, making sure the entire cookie ball is covered.

If you prefer flatter snickerdoodles, press down in the center of each dough ball before baking. This helps keep the middle from puffing up.

Now, bake. Arrange the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before removing them from the pan.

Expert Tips

The secret to a really good snickerdoodle is paying attention to a few small details.

Start by giving the butter and sugar the full 4-5 minutes of creaming time. You’re looking for a mixture that is noticeably light and fluffy before moving on to the eggs and vanilla.

Once the flour goes in, take the opposite approach: mix only until combined. The dough doesn’t need additional mixing at this stage.

Then there’s the cinnamon sugar. Don’t stop after one quick roll! Coating each dough ball twice gives the cookies a much more complete cinnamon-sugar exterior.

Finally, keep a close eye on the oven. Cookie size, baking-sheet color, and oven accuracy can all affect baking time. I’d start checking around 8-9 minutes. The cookies can look slightly underdone when you pull them out, and that’s okay—they’ll continue setting on the hot baking sheet.

Recipe Variations

If you love the traditional snickerdoodle flavor, make the recipe exactly as written. But the recipe card also gives you a few useful options when you need them.

For a milder tang, use 1 teaspoon cream of tartar instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons.

No cream of tartar in the pantry? Replace both the cream of tartar and baking soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder. Keep everything else the same. The cookies won’t have quite the same tang, but this works as an alternative.

If you’d rather keep that tangy element, replace the cream of tartar with 1½ teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice and leave the baking soda exactly as written.

Storage & Reheating

These cookies are especially lovely fresh, but they’re also easy to keep around for later.

Store the baked snickerdoodles covered at room temperature for 24-48 hours to help maintain their soft texture.

For longer storage, tuck them into freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for one, take the cookies out and let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

There’s no need to reheat them before serving. If you enjoy your cookies warm, though, you can briefly warm an individual cookie just before eating.

Serving Suggestions

I love these snickerdoodles when they’ve cooled for just long enough to set but still have a little warmth left in the center. That’s when their buttery middle and cinnamon-sugar coating are especially inviting.

Serve them simply with a cold glass of milk, or pair them with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate for an easy afternoon treat.

They’re also a natural fit for a holiday cookie platter. Add them alongside chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread, sugar cookies, or other seasonal favorites for a mix of flavors and textures.

Or keep things wonderfully simple: stack a few on a plate, make your favorite warm drink, and enjoy them while the cinnamon-sugar aroma is still lingering in the kitchen.

Recipe FAQs

1. Do I need to chill the snickerdoodle dough?

No, you don’t need to chill the dough. You can roll and bake the cookies right away. If you have a little extra time, you can refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes before rolling. Just make sure to follow the remaining steps as written.

2. Why do I need cream of tartar in snickerdoodles?

Cream of tartar is what helps give these cookies their classic slightly tangy flavor and signature texture. It works together with the baking soda in the recipe, so I recommend using it as written for a traditional snickerdoodle.

3. What can I use instead of cream of tartar?

Yes, you can still make these if you don’t have cream of tartar. Simply replace the cream of tartar and baking soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder. Keep everything else the same. The flavor will be a little different since you won’t get quite as much of that classic snickerdoodle tang.

4. How do I know when the snickerdoodles are done?

I recommend checking the cookies around 8-9 minutes since every oven can bake a little differently. They may look slightly underdone in the center, and that’s okay. The cookies will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet. The full baking time in the recipe is 9-11 minutes.

5. How can I make my snickerdoodles flatter?

For flatter cookies, simply press down gently in the center of each dough ball before baking. This helps prevent the centers from puffing up too much in the oven. Then bake the cookies exactly as directed.

Soft & Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles

Classic snickerdoodle cookies with tender centers, lightly crisp edges, and a generous cinnamon-sugar coating. Cream of tartar provides the familiar subtle tang, while a double coating of cinnamon sugar gives every cookie plenty of warm spice.

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles, Soft & Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie dough

1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 3/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar (for less tang, use 1 teaspoon)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream them together for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla. Continue creaming for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix only until everything is combined.
In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
If time allows, wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes. Shape the dough into small, smooth, round balls. Place each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat it thoroughly. Use a spoon to coat each ball a second time so the entire surface is covered. For flatter snickerdoodles, press down on the center of each dough ball before baking to help prevent the middle from puffing up.
Arrange the coated dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes after baking before transferring them from the pan.