Snickerdoodles are one of my husband’s favorite cookies. They are soft, chewy and taste like cinnamon sugar. There is no real consensus on why these are called Snickerdoodle cookies and not Cinnamon Sugar cookies. I’ve read the cookie may have German origins but I’ve also read it may have Pennsylvania Dutch origins while others suggest it’s just nonsensical as if Dr. Seuss named them.
While snickerdoodle cookies are popular at my house for whatever reason I often find I don’t have cream of tartar in my spice drawer. While this is a common ingredient in classic snickerdooles the recipe below is without it.
Related: If you love these flavors try our Snickerdoodle Martini recipe.
The snickerdoodle recipe below will make one dozen cookies, but feel free to double, especially if you plan to freeze the dough in balls so you only have to bake a few at a time. This is usually what we do at my house. 
Snickerdoodle Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated white sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
How to Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Cream together the softened butter and sugars. Then stir in the egg and vanilla extract. In another bowl shift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, until a dough forms.
Mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Form balls from the dough and roll these in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake according to the recipe card below.
If you bake the dough chilled, they will spread some (as you can probably tell from the photo above and the final cookie photos), but when I bake straight from the freezer, they usually don’t spread as much.
This makes the centers of these snickerdoodle cookies slightly more doughy, which I love. Happy baking, friends!
More Cookie Recipes
- Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Espresso Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Ricotta Cookies
- Simple Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles (without cream of tartar)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar granulated
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cup flour all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, cream together the softened butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar until well combined. Then, stir in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the 1 teaspoon cinnamon, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough ball forms. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Divide the chilled dough into 12 balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on a cooling rack just after baking.