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
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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
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I originally shared this recipe in August 2016. Updated December 2019 and February 2025.
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.
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This is the Betty Crocker version to the T, except 375 temp versus her 400
Holy Christmas cookie! These are AMAZING! Followed recipe exactly, and came out with THE BEST SNICKERDOODLE cookies I’ve ever eaten. Well done ma’am.
This was my first time making these and I have to say that I totally have my Mom beat on this cookie. They came out perfect, slightly crunchy on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside. I made 3 batches and with my cookie scoop it made 10 dozen cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
Is there any way to make these if you don’t have the cream of tarter? I’ve looked up substitutions online and they say to use lemon juice or white vinegar. Or to use baking POWDER in place of the cream of tarter and baking soda. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, I wouldn’t recommend substituting the cream of tarter….it’s really a must in snickerdoodles for the flavor. Hope you get a chance to try them! 🙂
Hi I’m going to make these for Christmas but I wanted to know if I can freeze them after I bake them so they taste fresh?
Thanks!
Hi Tara, Absolutely! That should work great. 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Just made these and they are perfect!!! So easy and so delicious! It was a cold snowy day here which always puts me in a baking mood, I was glad I came across this recipe! My kids love them too!
Thanks so much for sharing Brianna! Hope you get to try some of my other cookie recipes–especially during the cold season 😉
You wrote the 1.5 cups was the granulated sugar and the 4 tablespoons was the white sugar and then in the directions you switched the sugars around with the other measurements, which is right?
Hi Flo, I am sorry if the recipe seemed confusing, I have updated it to be more clear. The 4 tablespoons sugar is combined with the cinnamon and is used to roll the dough balls in! I hope they turned out well for you!
These are so good and easy to make. This is the first time I have made cookies that were not a Pinterest fail! ☺
Thank you!
Salted or unsalted butter??
I’m wondering why all snickerdoodle recipes have cream of tarter in them. Every time I’ve ever made snickerdoodles, they get very hard after they cool. I always thought it must be because of the cream of tarter. I would love to make these for an upcoming birthday party. Will these cookies STAY soft and chewy?
Hi Janie, the cream of tarter is traditional in snickerdoodles to give the cookies that unique “tang” taste and to keep them soft and pillowy. Snickerdoodles will harden after they bake, that’s why it’s very important not to overbake them, as I’ve stated in the directions–over-baking is how you end up with hard cookies. They may not look “done” when you pull them out of the oven at 8 minutes, but after they cool they will be perfect!