A few months ago, I was really craving a Snickerdoodle Cookie and tried to find one in my family cookbook. I was surprised and a little annoyed that I couldn’t find one. I knew I had to have made Snickerdoodles in the last 14 years (since I got married), but for the life of me could not remember what recipe I had used.
This started a mission to find The Best Classic Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe. I looked at probably every recipe that the internet has to offer. There are A LOT. Most of them are the same or very similar. I knew that I didn’t want to go rogue and try and re-invent the wheel, but I remembered my mom always used half butter, half shortening, and most recipes I found called for all butter.
I was also torn about how much cream of tartar would be best. Most recipes I found called for 2 teaspoons, but the one that was most like what I remembered my mom’s being like only called for one.
Needless to say, I have made no less than 15 batches of Snickerdoodles over the last few months, tweaking it here and there until it was what I was looking for and then remaking it. Then I had my assistant make it to make sure they were as perfect and delicious as they were the first time.
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- Amazing Meltway Cookies
- Homemade Cake Mix Oreo Cookies
- The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Shanna’s Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
- Better than the Bakery Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
I don’t think I’ve ever put so much time into one recipe before.
I think everyone has a different idea of what a classic and perfect Snickerdoodle should look/taste like. Some people think they should be puffy. Some people think they should be more flat and chewy. I’m in the middle. I think they get a little too dry if they are really puffy, and they break too easy if they are too flat and chewy.
This recipe is right in between! Just a titch of puffiness and still chewy with just a slight crispness around the outer edges.
how to make the best classic snickerdoodle cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Next, add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
- In a small, separate bowl, combine 3 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
- Use a cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scoop out approx. 2-tbsp-size balls of dough. If not using a cookie scoop, roll dough in hands to make a nice ball of dough. Roll each scoop or ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Once cookie sheet is full, bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just slightly browned. Cookies will be shiny and still look a little doughy. Allow them to sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- If you like your cookies more crisp than chewy, bake them for an additional 2 minutes.
- Enjoy!
You would think with how often I have made these cookies that my kids would be sick of them by now. Quite the opposite. Just today my 4-year-old had a meltdown because there were only chocolate chip cookies and not any “white ones”–that’s what he calls them–in the freezer.
I hope you love these Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies as much as we do!
Tips for making The Best Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
- If you don’t have shortening on hand, you can use all butter and the cookies will still taste good.
- For snickerdoodles without cream of tartar, check out the Just Right Snickerdoodle Cookies on my blog. They will taste more like chewy sugar cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop to shape the dough into balls.
- Store in an airtight container. Cookies stay fresh for a week on the counter. Also, you can freeze the baked cookies, and they will last up to three months in the freezer.
baker’s tools:
Recipes for Non-Chocolate Lovers
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening (butter flavored or regular)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Next, add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
- In a small, separate bowl, combine 3 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
- Use a cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scoop out approx. 2-tbsp-size balls of dough. If not using a cookie scoop, roll dough in hands to make a nice ball of dough. Roll each scoop or ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Once cookie sheet is full, bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just slightly browned. Cookies will be shiny and still look a little doughy. Allow them to sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- If you like your cookies more crisp than chewy, bake them for an additional 2 minutes.
- Enjoy!
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You said ‘rouge’ when I believe you meant to say ‘rogue’.
Thank you for pointing that out.