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, peanut butter snickerdoodles, chocolate snickerdoodles, and snickerdoodle blondies. And are you craving cake? Here’s my snickerdoodle cake & swirled snickerdoodle cupcakes recipes.
This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
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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 (16 Tbsp; 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can provide adjustments for high altitude please?
Not all cookies work with sea level recipes..
Thank u
Hi Ann Marie, I 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
I followed the recipe exactly (but dipped the tops in cinnamon sugar after they cooled for the initial 10 minutes), and they are spectacular!
I was looking for a soft snickerdoodle and this recipe delivered! My kids wanted to make large Crumbl-style cookies, so we did a few large ones as well, flattened slightly before baking, and baked for 12 minutes. They were very Crumbl-esque, much to their satisfaction. We will definitely go back to this recipe!
I made these cookies for the first time ever and this recipe was an absolute hit. People were saying it was the best snickerdoodle they have ever tasted.
super great and delicious! My son Tyler and his best friend Jeremy loved these at the end of their soccer practice. Definitely going to make these again. Maybe we will have them before dinner. Lol
Hi! Mine came out chewy but very flat and spread out. What may I have done wrong?
Hi Ariel, are you starting with proper room temperature butter? It’s cooler than many bakers think and the most common culprit behind cookies that spread too much. Here’s more tips to prevent cookies from spreading!
Sally I’ve recently tried your Chewy Chocolate Cookies and it was superb! I was just curious as to the need to flatten out the cookies? Thank you for and looking forward to trying this recipe out.
Hi Ariel! It just helps them not be so round, but still thick and soft.
OMG. OMG. OMG.
I have just baked (and tasted) Snickerdoodles for the very first time ever, and I am in love.
These are incredible.
I had slight reservations about baking these as I am not too struck on cinnamon – only in small doses – but, Oh, boy, are these delicious.
I (almost) stuck to the recipe ingredients, meticulously.
The only two small things I changed was to halve the amount of cinnamon in the sugar-coating and replace half the amount with ground nutmeg instead, in case I had a cinnamon-overload.
The only other thing I changed was more of an ‘addition’. I put half a packet of ground pistachio nuts into the batter, and, oh, my, days, I’m glad I did.
I can’t wait to bake these again.
Thank you SO much for converting me to Snickerdoodles. My life is much better with them in it.
I’m not sure my waistline will agree though 🙂
Just wondering “what a package of ground pistachios” would be in ounces or grams?
Hi! I wanted to make these snickerdoodle cookies, the reviews look promising and I always trust your recipes anyways. I did want to make these a bit flatter, but don’t know how that would affect the texture of the cookie or if would get too cooked in the middle. Any advice on making them flatter would be appreciated!
Hi Sasha, in addition to flattening them out a bit after they come out of the oven, you can gently press the dough balls down a bit before placing them in the oven, too. This will help initiate spread and should give you flatter cookies. Hope you enjoy them!
Fantastic recipe!! Thank you,Thank you!!!!! Appreciate all the time and effort you put in to every step of your recipes. I love recipes that are very specific in the instructions and include weights of ingredients. It makes such a difference in consistent results every time.
A friend gave me some Snickerdoodles she had made. I liked them and asked for her recipe. After several trial batches, that didn’t come out anything like the ones my friend made, I gave up very frustrated!! I feel like if you give me a recipe, I should be able to recreate what you made with no issues. Poorly written recipe. I looked online for an alternative and found yours. Success the first time and they were DEEElicious. (Angel music playing here). Yours is now my go to for perfect Snickerdoodles.
Hi Sally, I have tried a couple of recipes for snickerdoodle cookies and they always come out flat. After making the cookie dough, I always refrigerate before baking, but they still come out flat. I am going to give your recipe a try.
Hi Chris, these cookies come out nice and thick. Let me know how they turn out for you!
Not sure what I did but mine taste good but is very crumbly and a little dry.
Hi Jan, after you mix the wet and dry ingredients together the dough may seem dry and crumbly. But when you roll the cookie dough into balls it should come together and bake up soft and fluffy. Over-baking and using too much flour are the two typical culprits for dry cookies. Make sure you aren’t over-measuring your flour; weigh it with a kitchen scale or use the spoon and level method. And err on the side of under-baking, as the cookies continue to set as they cool. Thanks for giving these a try!
hi, i just wanted to ask, would it be possible to half this recipe? how would i halve the eggs? thank you!
Hi Gina, yes, feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller yield. Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together (or just the yolk for the egg yolk that is called for in this recipe) with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half. Or, it may be easier to simply make the full recipe and freeze some of the leftover dough for a later date. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Sally! It’s my birthday too. Congratulations on the book. I look forward to seeing it myself.
Thank you for this recipe! Perfect! Visiting family wiped them out within 3 hours!
Trying this recipe for the first time. I do have a question. Is there 1 1/3 c sugar in the batter or is the 1/3 c in the ingredients for the topping, thus using just 1 c in the batter? Thank you!
Hi Cathy, There is 1 1/3 cup in the batter and an additional 1/3 cup in the topping.
Thank you for the quick response!
I found this very confusing as well. If you could separate the ingredients for the cookies and the sugar topping it would be so much easier to understand.
enjoy your recipes especially the coconut cake. Made it twice in 1 month. My family can’t get enough of it.
Will make this snicker doodles this afternoon. Thankyou for sharing these excellent recipes.
I do have a question do you sift your flour or not?
Hi Susan, no need to sift in this recipe. Enjoy!
I was planning on making these cookies with my high school students, and at the last minute found that there was a cinnamon allergy in the class. I took the cinnamon out and we rolled them in nonpareils. They were such a hit!
Everyone who has tried these thinks they are the best sugar cookies they have had. The soft and thick cookie was perfect for the crunchy outer coating that the nonpareils left.
Hi Sally! Thank you so much for this recipe. How can I make this sugar free & use sourdough in it as well without ruining the soft cookie recipe? What are your thoughts on monkfruit sweetener? My mom is diabetic so wanting to try to make them sugar free in a healthy way that doesn’t spike insulin levels. Monkfruit was the only thing I could find without ruining the flavor of the cookie that wasn’t also a liquid.
Hi Celena, 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. We haven’t tested sourdough in this recipe either. Let us know if you do decide to do any experimenting!
Hi, can I bake these cookies with gluten free all purpose flour? Thanks!
Hi Isha! We’re sure you could, but results may vary with GF flour. Let us know if you try.
I followed the recipe as written, and added 1 extra tsp of ground cinnamon into the dough. They came out awesome!! I am not used to allowing them to sit on the sheet. Now realizing they will continue to bake and set, it made sense and a difference.
Hi, I want to double this recipe. Do I need two eggs and two egg yolks or would 3 full eggs be okay? Thanks for your advice!
Hi Katie, we recommend doubling each ingredient, so 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks.
hi these were amazing. to make them extra special I added nutmeg,ground cloves, allspice, and lots of extra cinnamon. thanks!
I have made these cookies a half dozen times now and really love them. There were two things I eventually added in because the recipes ratios are off.
1. I added a teaspoon of baking powder – because they are flat otherwise and not thick like the recipe states.
2. I also went to two tablespoons of cinnamon instead of 1.5 teaspoons – which is just not enough. Same for the sugar topping- added an addition tablespoon of cinnamon (at least)
I’ve made these many times after finding them when searching for a recipe that tasted like my grandma’s! I am always unreasonably disappointed by flat or greasy snickerdoodles… the texture is so key! These are PERFECT! Grandma Gladus would be proud. ❤️
The ratio of sugar to cinnamon for rolling the dough balls was off. It needed more cinnamon. We didn’t realize we needed to adjust until we were nearly done. No cookie will go to waste, but I’m a little disappointed. I probably would’ve discovered this in other comments.
These came out perfectly with slightly crunchy edges and soft centers. I’ve made snickerdoodles for years but never put cinnamon in the dough. It definitely adds to the flavor in a good way. I really appreciate that your recipes specify how to measure the flour when so many others don’t say whether to scoop or spoon it.
Made these, they did not flatten. At all. Round puffy balls.
First time making a snickerdoodle and they turned out great. I made a slightly bigger cookie (50g) and baked for 12 minutes. I also chilled the dough even though the recipe said it wasn’t necessary. They were soft pillowy with great flavor.
I do love the taste of this recipe and do indeed stay soft. So yummy!
Wondering how to make them more cakey. These tended to flatten out and didn’t stay fluffy.
Hi Sonya, are you starting with proper room temperature butter? It’s cooler than many bakers think and the most common culprit behind cookies that spread too much. Here’s more tips to prevent cookies from spreading!