Soft Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are soft, pillowy cookies with a crackly cinnamon sugar coating and a gentle tang. They are sweet, buttery and perfect with milk.
- 31 minTotal time
- 24Servings
- 160kcal / serving
- 2 gProtein
The tang comes from cream of tartar, which also keeps them soft and chewy. The recipe makes 24 cookies and takes about 30 minutes of work.
The science: why this works
- Cream of tartar is an acid that reacts with baking soda, which lifts the cookies and gives them their tang.
- The acid also stops sugar from crystallizing, so the centers stay soft and chewy.
- Rolling the dough in cinnamon sugar forms a crackly crust as the cookies bake and spread.
- Baking just until the centers look puffy and slightly underdone gives that soft, pillowy middle.
What cream of tartar does
Cream of tartar is tartaric acid, a mild acid left over from winemaking. Paired with baking soda, it creates carbon dioxide for lift, and its tang is the signature snickerdoodle flavor. It also helps keep sugar from forming big crystals.
Learn: Baking soda vs baking powder →Why the cookies crinkle
The cookies puff up in the oven from steam and gas, then settle as they cool. The cinnamon sugar crust sets first and cracks when the dough puffs and falls, which makes the wrinkled surface.
Learn: Why cookies spread →Why chewy, not crisp
A high ratio of sugar and fat and a short bake keeps the centers moist. Pulling the cookies while the middle still looks slightly underdone lets residual heat finish the job and leaves a soft chew.
Learn: Chewy or crisp cookies →Soft Snickerdoodles
31 min · 24 servings · American · Baking
Ingredients
Makes 24 servings
- 280 gall-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 2 tspcream of tartar
- 1 tspbaking soda
- ½ tspfine salt
- 230 gunsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
- 300 ggranulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
- 2large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tspvanilla extract
- 50 ggranulated sugar (1/4 cup), for rolling
- 1 tbspground cinnamon, for rolling
Method
Tips for the best result
- Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar twice for a thick, crackly crust.
- Chill the dough if it is sticky, which also makes thicker cookies.
- Use a scoop or scale for matching sizes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving out the cream of tartar gives a flat, sweet cookie without the signature tang, so do not skip it.
- Overbaking makes them crisp and dry, so pull them while the centers look puffy.
- Using too little cinnamon sugar gives a pale, plain surface, so coat them generously.
Variations and swaps
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the dough.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar mixed with a pinch of cardamom.
- Drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze after cooling.
- Swap cream of tartar and baking soda for 2 tsp baking powder, though the tang will be milder.
- Swap 1/4 of the butter for shortening for extra soft cookies.
- Swap light brown sugar for 1/4 of the white sugar for a chewier cookie.
Storing and reheating
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. Freeze baked cookies or coated dough balls for up to 3 months.
Soft Snickerdoodles: questions
What makes a snickerdoodle different from a sugar cookie?
Snickerdoodles are rolled in cinnamon sugar and use cream of tartar, which gives them a slightly tangy flavor and a chewy, crinkled texture. Sugar cookies are usually plain and cut into shapes.
Can I make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar?
Yes. Use 2 tsp baking powder in place of the cream of tartar and baking soda. The cookies will be softer and less tangy.
Why did my snickerdoodles go flat?
The butter may have been too warm or melted, or the dough was too soft. Chill the dough for 30 minutes and use a cool baking sheet.
How do I make soft snickerdoodles?
Do not overbake them. Pull the cookies when the centers look puffy and slightly underdone. They will finish setting on the hot sheet.
How many snickerdoodles does this recipe make?
It makes 24 cookies using 40 g of dough each. Smaller cookies need 8 to 9 minutes in the oven.
