This Snickerdoodles recipe is foolproof and will give you pillowy soft cookies that are a true American classic! You'll end up with fluffy, puffed-up cookies that are soft and have an almost cake-like texture. The outside is crunchy, tastes like cinnamon, and will leave you wanting more.
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If you've ever had a snickerdoodle and wanted to make your own, this recipe is the one for you! It's easy enough for even beginners to try, and you'll end up with cookies that are even worthy of a special occasion, even Christmas mornings!
This is one of my favorite recipes I've been making for over a decade, so I just had to share it with you! If you try it once, you'll want to keep making it again and again! So make a larger batch, since they stay soft and pillowy for a few days!
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
This cookie recipe is incredibly simple and easy to make from scratch, even for beginners! Fortunately, you'll only need pantry-staple ingredients to make this delicious snack at home.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
All-purpose flour: Basic all-purpose flour is all you need!
Butter: You'll also need some good, unsalted butter for the perfect flavor. Make sure to get the best quality you can get your hands on since it contributes to the overall flavor of your cookies.
Sugar: We'll use basic, white granulated sugar for the cookies and caster sugar when coating these tasty snickerdoodles!
Cinnamon: Here's where our primary, distinct snickerdoodle flavor comes from! We'll use some in the cookie batter (optional) and some with caster sugar to coat the cookies.
Milk: This secret ingredient will give you the softest snickerdoodles ever, but with a crunchy top! We'll need two tablespoons of it.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
Making these little fluffy, yet crispy treats is super simple. Even if you've never baked cookies, you can try this recipe easily!
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Start by sifting the dry ingredients together in a bowl and setting them aside. Then in a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until they turn creamy. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and beat it all together until it's well combined.
Step 2:
Add the dry ingredient mixture into this bowl and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together. Then cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3:
Combine the coating ingredients in a small bowl, roll a tablespoon of the cookie dough into balls and toss it in this cinnamon sugar mixture. Place it on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Step 4:
Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 10-12 minutes. Your delicious Snickerdoodles are ready to be served!
💭 COOKING TIPS
- Get the best quality unsalted butter for an authentic snickerdoodle flavor that'll be better than any store-bought version you've ever had!
- You may be tempted to bake these longer than 10-12 minutes, but trust me, they'll cool down to the absolutely perfect texture that snickerdoodles are known for!
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is heating to the right temperature, ensuring you get the best results.
- Make sure to use softened butter at room temperature since that can make a big difference to the texture of the cookies you end up with.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
This Snickerdoodle cookie recipe is the most classic and perfect one! But here are some ways you can customize the look of them to make them your own:
Chocolate-dipped: If you love chocolate, you can melt your favorite white or dark chocolate and dip them halfway in them. Let them cool before serving.
Festive-versions: Making these for the upcoming holidays? Then coat them in edible glitter shimmer dust in some holiday colors and watch as the kids gobble them up!
Cut-out cookies: You can also cut them out into different shapes and bake them! Experiment with whatever you like, or try some classic holiday shapes!
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Snickerdoodles are cookies that are an American classic! They are primarily known for their delicious, subtle cinnamon flavor, soft, chewy inside, and crispy and crunchy outside.
Snickerdoodles are rolled in cinnamon sugar and have a chewy texture with a crispy and crackly top. On the other hand, sugar cookies are less chewier and are only rolled in sugar, not cinnamon. These cookies also have more baking powder, which contains cream of tartar, giving them their characteristic texture.
Yes, you absolutely can! Fortunately, you have a few options. You can prepare the cookie dough in advance and let it chill in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it in the freezer for up to 3 months! Once you're ready to bake them, just let them come to room temperature before rolling and baking them.
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🌡️ STORING AND FREEZING
Room temperature: These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days! They'll still stay soft and fluffy yet crispy and chewy on the outside.
Freezer: If you freeze baked snickerdoodle cookies, they will change in texture. That's why you're recommended to freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Let them come to room temperature before rolling them in cinnamon sugar and baking them as per the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Snickerdoodles Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 2 tablespoon milk
FOR COATING THE COOKIES
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Keep aside.
- In a different bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, milk, and beat until well combined.
- While on low speed, add the flour mixture. Mix until the dough comes together.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a few trays with parchment paper. Or you can use one baking pan and bake the cookies in batches.
- Combine the coating ingredients (sugar and cinnamon) in a small bowl.
- Roll a tablespoonful of the cookie dough into balls and toss it through the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on baking trays and flatten slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Then place the cookies on a cooling rack to cool completly.
Video
Notes
- Adding cinnamon to the cookie dough is optional.
- Add orange or lemon zest to the cookie dough for more flavor.
- Turn on the oven for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.
- Adapted from Butter Baking (I made a few changes).
Angie (@angiesrecipess)
I too find soft cakey cinnamony cookies irresistible. These look perfect, Muna.
Medeja
These cookies are such beauties.. 🙂 another recipe of yours that I would like to try 😉
dina
my favorite cookies!
Dedy@Dentist Chef
oww, it's been too long sing i had my last snickerdoodles cookies, looks delicios!!!
munatycooking
Hi Dedy, you should try this recipe, it really tastes great 🙂
Cheryl
Mmm, you've got it right. Snickerdoodles should be soft and fluffy, not so crisp and tough! These look awesome.. now I'm hungry. Thanks a lot!! 🙂
munatycooking
🙂 They are amazing, this is the perfect recipe so far, hope you give it a try!
Tash
These look as if they have the perfect fluffiness!! I can't wait to try them 🙂 Anything with cinnamon is great in my book - they remind me of churros.
munatycooking
They taste really good Tash 😉
Laura Dembowski
Love Snickerdoodles and these extra fluffy ones are calling my name!
munatycooking
🙂
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
Love snickerdoodles! And I love how fluffy it is! Should I make these? I can here it calling my name!
munatycooking
Oh Please make them, these cookies were a hit from the first time, I promise you'll love it 🙂