Milk/Cream

Soft, Puffy Snickerdoodles

December  1, 2016
4.7
7 Ratings
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Makes 3 dozen cookies
Author Notes

These simple cinnamon-sugar dusted butter cookies bake up soft and chewy. Take a bite of one still warm from the oven and you can understand why my son said they are “like hugs in cookie form.” Watch the baking time and make sure to take them out of the oven as soon as they are firm to the touch to ensure a delicate middle. —Marissa Rothkopf Bates

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Ingredients
  • For the cookie:
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • For the topping:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar to combine. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 30 seconds total.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg is added.
  3. Add the flour mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Mix until just blended.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and up to 3 days if you are especially patient) to make it easier to handle.
  5. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350° F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Mix the topping ingredients in a small, shallow bowl until combined.
  6. Shape a tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll in the cinnamon-sugar topping to cover. Place two inches apart on the cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the cookies are lightly colored and just firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet for one minute before transferring to cooling rack. Cookies should stay soft for a few days if kept in a tightly sealed container.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

14 Reviews

Taylor S. March 7, 2023
These are delicious and deliver that classic buttery, cinnamon/sugar-y taste that I associate with snickerdoodles. Mine did not puff up like the photo but rather laid flat however were perfectly chewy.
Loretta B. March 14, 2021
This is my new favorite snickerdoodle recipe! Soft and just exactly right. I had to be careful not to overbake them. Used farm eggs, which were a little larger than standard large eggs.
Jessica H. October 17, 2020
Made these last night and they were delicious but very very flat. From the photos I didn’t expect that.. maybe refrigerating longer would have helped me more? I froze half so I guess I’ll see.
Erin N. June 7, 2020
Great texture. I mix in 50/50 on cinnamon and garam masala for a slightly different flavor in the cookie.
Jenni S. May 16, 2020
These were the first snickerdoodles I’ve made but the texture was great and it was a great mix of butter taste and light spice!
Jennifer R. April 10, 2020
I've made this recipe over and over, with success each time! We love these cookies :)
Maschell C. December 22, 2017
I've never made snickerdoodles before, and they were so easy and turned out SO good! This recipe is a keeper!!
Joanna R. December 27, 2016
I made half the recipe and used a 1 and 1/2 tbs scooper. got 16 cookies so that would be 2 dozen if I had used a tbs
Marissa R. December 17, 2016
I'll re-test the recipe again this week and change if necessary. Thanks.
JenM December 17, 2016
I love this recipe but I followed it exactly and it didn't make 6 dozen!
Marissa R. December 17, 2016
I'm so sorry to hear that! That is frustrating. I would roll the dough balls to be about 1 inch in diameter. Hope that helps for next time.
JenM December 17, 2016
I did... just about a tablespoon... I thought I was crazy, but then I looked at other recipes with the same amount of flour and butter and they had around 48 for a tablespoon of dough...
Marissa R. February 10, 2017
FYI: Better late than never. I amended it!
JenM November 15, 2017
And I just made it again