Here is my reader favorite recipe for soft and thick snickerdoodles. These soft-baked snickerdoodle cookies only require about 30 minutes start to finish!
Snickerdoodles are a timeless classic, just like a good batch of chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies. Like drop sugar cookies wrapped in a cinnamon sugar hug, these irresistible cookies never go out of style. My recipe yields the softest and thickest snickerdoodles you’ll ever taste. I like to call them snickerdoodle pillows because they are perfectly fat and puffy! Much too often you’re left with flat, crispy, and thin cookies. The only remedy is to submerge them in a tall glass of milk. But what about starting out with a kitchen tested recipe for soft-baked snickerdoodles? You’ve come to the right place. 🙂
How to Make Soft Snickerdoodles
How do you make snickerdoodles puffy and soft? The secret’s in the ratio of butter to leavener to flour to egg. Don’t use shortening here; you’ll miss the flavor of butter. Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie. Take them out of the oven after about 10-11 minutes. This will keep the interior of the cookie soft and chewy.
Why is Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles?
Instead of baking powder, use cream of tartar and baking soda in snickerdoodles. Sure, you could use 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead of the cream of tartar + baking soda, but then you won’t really have a snickerdoodle. Cream of tartar adds a unique tangy flavor to the cookie, which sets it apart from sugar cookies and makes it a classic snickerdoodle. You also use it for the best flavor in maple pecan snickerdoodles. It’s absolutely delicious!
No Cookie Dough Chilling!
Great news! You can skip the cookie dough chilling step with this snickerdoodle recipe. There’s enough flour in this cookie dough to create a strong and sturdy cookie without the crutch of chilling the dough first. There’s also no fancy-pants ingredients required. These snickerdoodles are EASY. Shortbread cookies are another easy no chill recipe to keep in your back pocket.
A medium cookie scoop is helpful to divide up the dough. Roll each dough ball in cinnamon sugar, and arrange on a lined baking sheet:
These snickerdoodle cookies aced the true “soft test” meaning they remained soft on day 2! In fact, they were still soft on day 4. (And I’m surprised there are any leftover by that point, but I was trying to make a point!) Since they remain so soft, snickerdoodles are the perfect cookie for gift-giving. I know there are many snickerdoodle lovers out there!
If you’re looking for other snickerdoodle favorites, here are my pumpkin snickerdoodles and peanut butter snickerdoodles. And are you craving cake? Here’s my snickerdoodle cake & swirled snickerdoodle cupcakes recipes.
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Soft & Thick Snickerdoodles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 26-28 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here is my reader favorite recipe for soft and thick snickerdoodles. These soft-baked snickerdoodle cookies only require about 30 minutes start to finish! No dough chilling required.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/3 cup (267g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (always recommended for cookies). Set aside.
- Make the topping: Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough will be thick.
- Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of cookie dough each. I recommend this cookie scoop. Roll the dough balls in cinnamon-sugar topping. Sprinkle extra cinnamon-sugar on top if desired. Arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes. The cookies will be very puffy and soft. When they are still very warm, lightly press down on them with the back of a spoon or fork to help flatten them out. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies remain soft & fresh for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are a few options here! First, you can prepare the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure that you let it come to room temperature before rolling and baking the cookies. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into balls then freeze the balls for up to 2-3 months. You can freeze the cookie dough balls with the cinnamon sugar coating or without, but I recommend freezing without the topping. When you are ready to bake, remove the balls from the freezer, let sit for 30 minutes, pre-heat the oven, then roll into topping. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is required for this recipe. Please see the text of the post for more information.
- Extra Egg Yolk: To bring this dough together so it isn’t quite as crumbly use 1 large egg, plus 1 extra large egg yolk. I’ve been doing this recently and the snickerdoodles taste even softer, moister, and richer.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: snickerdoodles
ROUND 2! I’ve now made two perfect batches of snickerdoodles!!! These are delish! And I’m new to baking/cooking! Yep…at 60 yo I figured I should learn to cook…and bake snickerdoodle cookies! Yummy!
★★★★★
This is the best Snickerdoodle recipe!
★★★★★
Great recipe. I work in a small bakery and we needed something new for the fall that felt homey. These turned out great – I made a double batch, then made them larger and made them into a sandwich cookie with a cinnamon buttercream in between. Heaven!
★★★★★
I actually just made the perfect snickerdoodle cookie because of this recipe!! I’m serious! They look and taste amazing! My only suggestion would be to make the directions easier in a step by step sense for those of us who are channeling the late great Julia Child and perhaps having a sip or two of wine while trying to learn to bake/cook. Ok who are we kidding…more like a glass or two+….
★★★★★
I have a question. I just made the Brown Butter Snickerdoodle recipe from the cookbook and they came our completely flat, like a board. I followed the recipe to a tee. Help!
Hi Heather, this post on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be a helpful resource to review. Thank you for giving them a try!
This recipe is the best!
Do you know if I can substitute with gluten free flour and what’s the best to use to still have great texture?
I also want to know if you have ever used monk fruit sugar replacement? If that works out to be the same measurement?
Thanks
★★★★★
Hi Annette, we haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten free flour blend, so we’re unsure of the results, and likewise with monk fruit sugar. We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes like monk fruit. Thank you!
Can I add cinnamon chips to this recipe?
Planning to make the Soft & thick Snickerdoodles tomorrow so I’m reading through the recipe today. In the ingredients list it states to use one large egg and one large egg yolk, but in the notes section it states to use one large egg and one extra large egg yolk. Which is correct for the egg yolk…large or extra large? Thank you!
Hi Deanna! Sorry for any confusion, the extra in that case means “in addition to.” So you’ll need 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk (from a large egg). Hope this helps!
A nice and easy recipe, though the cookies come out way too sweet for me. How much can I cut the sugar without affecting the texture of the cookie?
Hi Kitty, the sugar does play an important role beyond taste, and reducing it will impact the texture and structure of the cookies, too. You can certainly experiment, though. We’d start by reducing a small amount, then adjusting more/less for future batches.
I have a question about the soft and thick snickerdoodle recipe. Are the ingredients for the topping included in the ingredient list or do I do a separate 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon?
Hi Lori! The topping ingredients are listed under the cookie ingredients.
So it would be 1 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for the batter? Correct?
Hi Lori, 1 and 1/3 cups sugar and 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon go in the cookie dough, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon go in the topping. The ingredients are listed separately!
This is the best snickerdoodle recipe ever! No refrigeration required…simple & easy, and absolutely yummy! I thought the 10 min baking time might be too long, but they were perfect. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Hi there, Sally! Being in high altitude I’ve struggled to find a snickerdoodle recipe that didn’t turn into a very flat and super crisp cookie. I gave this a try and while they weren’t as fulffy as yours, they tasted wonderful! I love the bold cinnamon flavor and after chilling in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes before placing in a 375F oven, they cooked perfectly in 10 minutes. 12 minutes made them a bit too crispy but still far better than others I’ve attempted since my move from sea level. Do you think splitting my AP flour to a mixture of AP and Bread flour would help them look more like yours? Shortening vs. butter? I’m going to play around and will be sure to report back!
★★★★★
Hi Sara! We wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html Let us know if you do any experimenting–it’s always helpful for other readers to see what’s worked for fellow bakers at high altitude!
They burned and just tasted like stale bread.
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Thanks for the feedback! It sounds like they were over-baked. Did you leave them in the oven too long?
My cookies turned out dry. I tried taking them out a minute earlier, but they were still dry and crumbly.
Made these eggless for an allergy and they came out perfectly soft and delicious! My new fave!
Do you use 1 1/3 c sugar in the dough? Or just 1c after using 1/3 for the topping?
★★★★★
Hi Paula, it’s 1 and 1/3 cups in the dough. And then you need another 1/3 cup to mix with cinnamon for the topping. See heading “topping” in the recipe.
In the recipe as written, there is a suggestion (optional) to flatten the cookies out a bit after they come out of the oven. I see that being done in the video. But it also looks as if the balls of cookie dough were flattened somewhat prior to baking — prior to adding more cinnamon/sugar mix to them. There is no mention of that in the recipe. Is that first flattening suggested? Also, the cookies that are shown being removed and stacked appear significantly darker than the ones being shown getting flattened fresh-out-of the oven. What accounts for that? Is more cinnamon-sugar added after baking or is this just from stitching together different trays of cookies for the video? Just trying to get a handle on all the details before trying this recipe! Thanks!!
Hi SweetPearls, I’m glad to help. The cookie dough balls in the video do look slightly flattened, and perhaps my crew did that for some reason (I will ask!), but they do NOT need to be flattened prior to baking. I think they look darker because some of the topping baked into the cookies, or perhaps it’s a different baking sheet of cookies. Regardless, follow the written recipe and you’ll be all set. 🙂
I lovvvvvvvvvvvve these cookies! I make them nearly every week. There fairly simple and cinnamon is amazing! Five stars the whole way.
★★★★★
Yummy! Everyone I have given these to so far has loved them, from my mom to my picky daughter. Easy to follow recipe. Will be making again and doubling them next time!
★★★★★
Perfect shape and texture! Only off one star since mine tasted a bit wrong. I’m thinking too much cream of tartar? Plan to make these again with slightly less of this one ingredient.
★★★★
The perfect snickerdoodles! Mine didn’t turn out thick like the recipe, but that could have been because my cookie scoop was larger. Nonetheless the texture and flavor was still divine and exactly what I was hoping for!
Can this recipe be made as a cookie cake? How could I adjust the ingredients to make a 9in cookie cake similar to the funfetti or chocolate chip cookie cakes? My family loves this recipe and I would love to make it as a cake for special occasions.
Hi Francie, you can use this dough and press into a 9 inch round cake pan like we do for chocolate chip cookie cake (same temperature and about the same time, too). Hope you enjoy it!
I made these for the second time this past week and these cookies were so good!! My friends loved them!! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
5 stars! I made this for my boyfriend who loves all things cinnamon. He was delighted and they stayed soft all week in a sealed container on the counter. 🙂
★★★★★
Tried this recipe today and weighed ingredients, but they didn’t come out fluffy. Any trouble shooting recommendations?
Hi Ceecee! These cookies will be soft and thick, but not necessarily fluffy. Were they dry? How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I weighed the flour. Fluffy was the wrong word. They did not come out thick like pictured in this recipe.
I have been using this recipe for years, they are my husband and son in laws favourite. Always work out whether I make that day or freeze in advance (Christmas). I go to Sally’s Baking Addiction for many recipes.
Followed the recipe to a T and they came out perfect. I only baked off four and froze the rest. Just had four more from frozen—followed the instructions for that as well—and they were a dream. I’ve tried so hard to find the perfect recipe and my search is finally over.
★★★★★
Fantastic. I made a double batch and while they didn’t puff up as yours did (my cream of tartar was a bit stale, maybe), they did stay nice and chewy and are delicious.
I’ve made these a million times, they’re fantastic! I was going to try to make one giant cookie cake out of this recipe, do you think it will work or will puff up too much?
★★★★★
Hi Carolyn! That should work. We’re unsure of the best bake time since it will be less dough than the regular chocolate chip cookie cake. Keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
i love this recipe but ive tried it 5 differtent times now and only one has turned out good
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