This classic cinnamon-sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe is taken up a notch with butter and shortening. Soft, chewy, and amazing!
If you love snickerdoodle cookies as much as we do, don’t miss our Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars and Snickerdoodle Muffins!
Snickerdoodles are so popular and like no other amongst the land of cookies. A soft, chewy, sweet, and cinnamon-y easy cookie – they’re our absolute favorite!
What is a Snickerdoodle?
Many people think that Snickerdoodle cookies are simply sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon-sugar. While, yes, they do share a lot of the same basic ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter, Snickerdoodles include cream of tartar, which sets them apart. It gives them that perfect tang, chewiness, and pillow-like texture. Then rolled in cinnamon-sugar, they are so amazing.
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
We’ve yet to eat a homemade snickerdoodle that we didn’t love, but they’re not all created equal. This is the best snickerdoodle recipe – it has something that sets them apart from the usual.
Most snickerdoodle cookie recipes include butter. We use butter and shortening. Shortening is 100% fat, containing no water. This means that during the baking process no steam is created, reducing gluten production, resulting in a softer, more tender cookie.
How To Make Snickerdoodle Cookies
Follow these tips to ensure your cookies come out perfect every time!
(Scroll below for the printable recipe with ingredients and measurements.)
- Cream of tartar is a must – don’t omit the cream of tartar for this recipe; it’s what gives them a chewy, pillow-y texture. You’ll notice that baking powder is not included in our ingredients – that’s not a typo. The cream of tarter not only gives these cookies their signature tangy flavor, but also allows them to rise.
- Use dark cookie sheets – the darker color absorbs heat faster (think about when you wear a black shirt on a hot day!), which also helps the edges set more quickly.
- Don’t flatten the balls of dough – once you transfer those balls of dough to your cookie sheets, don’t flatten them, which will result in a thinner, crunchier cookie.
- Don’t over-bake! These cookies don’t need to cook long. For this recipe, they are done between 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven.)
- How do I get fluffier cookies? Slightly under-baking the cookies will help. You can also refrigerate the cookie dough for about 20-30 minutes before baking. As mentioned above, don’t flatten or over-bake the cookies.
Make-Ahead and Storing
- Make the Dough Ahead: you can prepare the cookie dough up to to 3 days ahead of using it. Make sure it’s stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before rolling and baking the cookies.
- Freeze Raw Dough Balls: Form the dough into balls, place on a baking sheet, then transfer to the freezer until solid (about 1 hour.) Immediately transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove the balls from the freezer, let sit for 30 minutes, pre-heat the oven, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Allow baked cookies to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight bag. They’re keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Easy Snickerdoodle Cookie Video
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- {3 Ingredient} Sugar Cookie Recipe
- {5 Ingredient) Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies (like Mothers™ but better!)
- The Best! No Bake Cookies
- DoubleTree Cookies {their famous recipe!}
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon-Sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend together the sugar, butter, and shortening, until fluffy. Add in the eggs and continue to blend until incorporated and smooth.
- Add in the dry ingredients and blend until the batter is fully incorporated.
- Using a small cookie scoop, form dough into rounded tablespoon sized balls, then gently roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes. Immediately remove from sheets and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Eat and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
This is now the only snickerdoodle recipe I will use. I have been making snickerdoodles for 40 years and will always try a different recipe but No MORE!!!!
Love this snickerdoodle recipe. Was looking for a cookie recipe to use up some of the lard from my pigs and this recipe made the best snickerdoodles ever…and I am a snickerdoodle snob.
Best snickerdoodle recipe I’ve made – the combo of butter and shortening made them so tender and fluffy!
LOVED these! I added a few butterscotch chips.
I followed the recipe to a T. The only thing I changed was added a touch more cinnamon, but that’s a personal preference. These are perfect.
My favorite cookie, too!