Snickerdoodles are such a classic and delicious cookie. A buttery, chewy cookie covered in a light coating of cinnamon sugar…what’s not to love? This recipe has cream of tartar. If you don’t have cream of tartar in your cupboards, I’ve got you covered. Try the Just Right Snickerdoodle Cookies on my blog.
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.
Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- 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:
- 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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Sarah
You said ‘rouge’ when I believe you meant to say ‘rogue’.
Maria
Thank you for pointing that out.