The best Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft, chewy, and moist! Ditch the crumbly store-bought ones and make them homemade in less than 30 minutes.
I have too many favorite cookie recipes, like classic Soft Sugar Cookies, Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, S'mores Cookies, Biscoff Cookies, and Oatmeal Creme Pies.
The only good Snickerdoodle cookies are homemade!
The only good Snickerdoodle cookies are homemade!Does anyone challenge that statement? In my experience, store bought snickerdoodle cookies are usually dry, crumbly, and tasteless (because they rarely use real butter!) Not here, friends. We use a butter/shortening combo, so you get the buttery undertones we want and the soft and tender texture from the shortening. (You could use all butter if you prefer). And the cream of tartar gives snickerdoodle's their distinct taste and chewy texture. These are one cookie that 100% tastes better from scratch.
If you want an even easier snickerdoodle variation, my snickerdoodle bars just spread in the pan and bake. And for ultra cinnamon sugar enthusiasts, you MUST try my snickerdoodle muffins and pumpkin snickerdoodles!
How to make Snickerdoodles:
Make Cookie Dough: Cream together butter, shortening and 1 ½ cups sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla then add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined.
Roll and Bake: Spoon cookie dough into balls. In a small bowl mix 4 tablespoons granulated sugar with the cinnamon. Roll each cookie dough ball in mixture then arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes being careful not to over bake. Use a good spatula to remove the cookies from the baking sheet immediately to cool on a cooling rack.
- Pro Tips: Spray your hands lightly with cooking spray before shaping into balls since the dough is sticky. After you are done forming a tray into balls, place in the refrigerator while you shape the dough for the other tray so it's easier to roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Let these easy snickerdoodle cookies cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe bag and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Desserts to Try:
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- Snickerdoodle Muffins
- Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Candied Pecans
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Snickerdoodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter , softened
- 1/2 cup shortening* (or use all butter)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for rolling the dough balls)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (for rolling the dough balls)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Dough: Cream together butter, shortening, and 1 ½ cups sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and stir until combined.
- Chill dough for at least 30 minutes, if possible (or up to 3 days).
- Shape dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into balls, to make about 24 cookies.
- Cinnamon sugar: In a separate bowl, mix the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place dough about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes (don't over bake!). Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe in August 2016. Updated December 2019 and February 2025.
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.
This post contains affiliate links.
Thanks for the recipe. I didn’t have shortening so i used butter, they came out great. They made 3 1/2 dozen for me using a one inch scoop.
How many does this recipe yield?
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Exceptional cookies! aAchieve the soft inside and crisp outside perfectly!
Thank you!
I am looking forward to these snicker doodles, mine always go hard! Thanks.
Unsalted butter?
Did this ever get amswered? I would like to know as well.
Unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just leave the salt out in the recipe.
Do you think I could make the dough and the chill overnight?
Hi Taylor, yes you can definitely do that! Just make sure that you let the dough come to room temperature before rolling and baking the cookies.
These are INCREDIBLE. I just double the ingredients and made over 50 cookies for Christmas gifts. They cook perfectly. Thank you so much for this recipe!
What a fun Christmas gift! I’m so happy you liked them!
Can this recipe be doubled and if so are there other adjustments that need to be made?
Hi Renee, it should work great to double it and bake as directed.
These are so good! My husband took them hunting with his friends and they asked for another batch!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing Jessica 🙂
What has happened with your website that you can not print the recipes without an ad coming up in the middle of the recipe? Then it takes 2 pages to print rather than 1? Crazy!
Hi Karla, I am so sorry about that! I am working with my ad company to remove that asap. It should be fixed TODAY! Thanks for bringing this to my attention!