Bake

Epic Snickerdoodles From Jessie Sheehan

by:
June  7, 2022
4.6
35 Ratings
Epic Snickerdoodles From Jessie Sheehan
Photo by Julia Gartland. Prop Stylist: Molly Fitzsimons. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • makes about 20 cookies
Author Notes

This fancy bakery-style cookie is ready in no time. Because of course the queen of easy-peasy desserts, Jessie Sheehan, knows all the genius tricks for making a truly epic snickerdoodle, without an epic wait.

As Jessie writes in Snackable Bakes about this recipe, which she calls 'Epic Snickerdoodles for Stephanie' in the book, "Snickerdoodles are my recipe tester Steph’s most coveted cookie and maybe now mine, too. These are ’doodles of the slightly puffy variety, and they are soft-middled, crispy-edged, and delish. I do go out on a bit of a limb here and call for adding brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the cookie dough—​none of which is traditional, but all of which you’ll be into, so don’t worry. Please melt your butter only until most of it has melted. A few soft, remaining butter chunks ensure it will cool quickly, and cool butter = cool dough = cookies that don’t spread. Finally, a short bake time at a high temp is the snickerdoodle badge of honor, so don’t be tempted to go long and low. Neither Steph, nor I, will be happy if you do."

Adapted lightly and excerpted with permission from Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy Recipes for Exceptionally Scrumptious Sweets and Treats, (Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton, 2022).

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

Hear more about this recipe from Jessie herself on our podcast The Genius Recipe Tapes. —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Epic Snickerdoodles From Jessie Sheehan
Ingredients
  • For the Cookies
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, almost melted, but with a few soft but solid pieces remaining
  • 3/4 cup packed (150 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, cold
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-​purpose flour
  • For the Cinnamon Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. To make the cookies, whisk the shortening into the warm butter in a large bowl until the shortening melts (if there are still a few little solid bits of shortening, don’t worry). Whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla for 30 seconds, and then the egg. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cream of tartar into the bowl, one at a time, vigorously whisking after each. Gently fold in the flour with a flexible spatula just until the last streak disappears. Don’t overmix.
  3. To make the cinnamon sugar, whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Scoop 1  1/2-tablespoon balls of dough with a portion scoop or measuring spoons and drop them in the cinnamon ​sugar, nudging them with your fingers to coat. (No need to roll them into balls first.) Place 9 or 10 on each prepared baking sheet. The dough is super soft. Don’t worry. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are cracked and slightly domed (they may or may not collapse as they cool—​depends on the temp in your kitchen). Remove from the oven and if too domed/puffy for your liking, immediately press with a spatula to flatten. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Keep the snickerdoodles in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
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22 Reviews

Moroo
Moroo March 13, 2024
So amazing and easyy
 
mealscook
mealscook February 28, 2024
Hi dear
this is very sweaty
 
Piperdog1
Piperdog1 December 23, 2023
This is the only snickerdoodle recipe you’ll ever need, they truly are epic! I made 2T size scoops and baked them 8 mins, perfect. I tripled the recipe and still didn’t make enough, everyone loves them!
 
mary
mary September 12, 2023
These snicker doodles are the best. Soft, tender, and spicy. And that they whip up so easily hit all the bells.
 
Vivian
Vivian June 5, 2023
Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Love your helper, she did a wonderful job assisting you!! ❤️
 
Jennifer R.
Jennifer R. April 17, 2023
Very, very good. This is my new favorite Snickerdoodle recipe.
 
gtraecy
gtraecy March 8, 2023
Sooo so good, this is THE snickerdoodle recipe I will use from now on. I did end up making the cookies a bit too big but they baked/cracked beautifully. Easy one bowl recipe and amazing flavor. Did not have shortening so used only butter and they turned out great.
 
Erika
Erika January 9, 2023
If I don't have vegetable shortening, can I replace with an equal amount of butter? I hate to mess with cookie-alchemy but don't have any on hand! :) Thank you!
 
lndmum
lndmum January 3, 2023
I made these with all butter and they tasted great!
 
jody D.
jody D. March 19, 2023
Using all butter did you melt it or just use it softened? I never have shortening.
 
lndmum
lndmum March 19, 2023
I whisked 3 tablespoons of butter into the 5 tablespoons of melted butter.
 
Teri B.
Teri B. December 26, 2022
This was a super easy and delicious recipe for Snickerdoodles. This will be my go to going forward.
 
sheila
sheila December 21, 2022
Awesome recipe! So so easy. One bowl, minimal clean up, delicious cookie! Five stars!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 15, 2022
These look like perfect candidates to freeze in balls (before rolling in the sugar), to bake in the event of a cookie emergency, or just when the oven is hot for another purpose. I read somewhere recently a tip for baking a batch of cookies right when your oven on Thanksgiving is free (they recommended while clearing the table, but I'd probably put them in earlier, timed to take out while people are serving themselves the big meal, as I'd like these to be able to rest a bit before taking them off the pan). In any event, I'm looking forward to trying these!! ;o)
 
Sarah
Sarah July 15, 2022
These make small cookies as directed, so I agree with other reviewer that 2-3 TB makes for a better result. The batch of dough is small, but ideal for cookies at home. I doubled to bring to a group. My cookies also didn't crack at all, not sure why, so they weren't as visually appealing as these are.
 
abamford
abamford July 11, 2022
Best snickerdoodles ever. I found that 1.5 tbs balls were not enough dough (cookies came out very small, even when flattened with spatula), so I recommend upping to 3 tbs if you like a bigger cookie!
 
Kath1824
Kath1824 June 23, 2022
Made today…best snickerdoodles ever! Followed recipe, baked perfectly in 7 minutes. Hard to hold back and not eat them all immediately! Ps…your daughter was an adorable assistant!
 
jenncc
jenncc June 11, 2022
Loved these! Cooked for 6 minutes (my oven runs a tiny bit hot), allowed to cool on the pan for 40 minutes and texture was perfect - crisp edges, soft centers. Next time I may grind/grate my own cinnamon (as per another recipe) for a little extra flavor, otherwise would not change a thing!
 
Ellen G.
Ellen G. June 11, 2022
Best sous chef ever. And a beautifully cracked egg!
 
Runner G.
Runner G. June 10, 2022
Best! (and easiest!) Cookies! Ever! I needed to come up with a batch of cookies in a flash. The email came through and I thought I'd give them a go. Fantastic! Love it when I can use everyday ingredients. Love it even more when it's something my husband will love. And he did. Wanted to dive in as soon as they came out of the oven. (He waited 5 minutes.)

I ended up placing the tray of unbaked cookies in the fridge for about 20 minutes because my oven was occupied. I baked them at 350°F for 10 minutes straight from the fridge and they turned out perfect! (My oven runs hot.) They spread but were still a bit puffy, so I banged the tray on the counter a couple of times and they collapsed and crinkled up quite nicely. I will definitely make these again...and again.
 
Jimblow17@gmail.com
[email protected] June 9, 2022
Mine came out raw and gummy in the middle. I wonder if you meant to say bake 6-8 minutes, rotate sheets, and bake another 6-8 minutes.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. June 9, 2022
Hi Jim, thanks for your note and I hope you can still stick these back in the oven to firm up a little. The baking time will depend on your oven, pans, etc.—in my oven, 8 minutes was perfect, though at 6 they were still quite soft. (You can gently press them in the center to check.)