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.
This post contains affiliate links.
Hub I baked these for the first time. I used all butter and they were the BOMB! My husband loved them and my friend said they’re wonderful. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I was wondering if I can use all butter instead of the shortening?
Hi Vanessa, you could but it will change the texture of the cookies–it’s what helps to make them tender and tall.
My husband said, “whatever recipe you’re using, keep baking them because these are delicious!” 🙂 Everyone loved them! Thank you!!!
Do these freeze well after baking? Just wondering if i can make them ahead for my Christmas party
Yes, they freeze great! Enjoy!
Snickerdoodles are my boyfriends favorite cookies. I surprised him one day and brought these to him. He told me they are the best Snickerdoodle cookies he has ever had. I will continue to use this recipe! They were simple to make and taste amazing!
Thanks you Faith! I’m so happy they got his stamp of approval 🙂
I love this recipe, and even though I’m just twelve, I make it at least once a month! I actually make it without cream of tarter, and instead of rolling it in sugar and cinnamon, I roll it in powdered sugar. Either way, they are delicious! ?!
Well done Lily! How fun that you love to bake, and I love your idea of rolling them in powdered sugar 🙂
I had binge watched hours of the Great British Bake Off and really wanted to bake something! Found this recipe! These cookies were the first thing I EVER baked from scratch! I shared them with lots of friends and coworkers and they all said they thought they were store bought!!
I love this recipe! I didn’t have any shortening so I used another half cup of butter and ran short of flour and had to use half a cup of almond flour but they turned out great. I don’t know if it was my substitutions or a lower oven power but I had better results leaving my cookies in an extra three minutes. I like my snickerdoodles to be a bit crispier than most other types of cookies. After the first batch, the one that I baked for 8 minutes, had sat a while on the hot cookie sheet they were fine. I highly recommend this recipe! I’ve never made snickerdoodle cookies before and now I can’t wait to make this again!!
My friends and sister loved the cookies. They stayed fresh for a long time. I thought the cookies were too sweet, but everyone else loved them. Thanks for the recipe.
When I was little, my Mom bought me a cookie recipe book. The page with these on it was well worn. I decided to make them to day and looked up the recipe on line. There were many but none like these. I remember the cream of tartar. This recipe is the exact same one I lived as a kid. They were perfect. Best ever Snickerdoodles.