The Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

An easy cookie that can’t be beat

When it comes to snickerdoodle recipes, I confess: I have tried them all. And we finally have a winning recipe, this one! They are delicious right out of the oven, and maybe even better days later.

What Are Snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles are drop-and-bake cookies (meaning that the cookie dough is not rolled, there is also no cookie cutter or spritzer used). They are distinguished by the complete coverage of a butter cookie with sugar and cinnamon. It is fairly well-agreed that they originated in Germany and derived from “schneckennudeln”.

Although they seem similar to sugar cookies, the major difference is that Snickerdoodles are made with cream of tartar and sugar cookies are not. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their magnificent chewiness.

The Best Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

1 cup soft butter
1-½ cups granulated sugar
2 jumbo eggs
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2-¾ cups sifted, all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, use whisk attachment to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything gets mixed in well.
Switch your mixer attachment to a paddle or dough hook. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until everything is mixed in well.
Pinch off 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll into a ball and gently roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat until all dough is rolled into balls and coated in cinnamon-sugar.
Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 2 - 3 minutes on the pan before carefully removing to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.