Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe – A Family Favorite

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Snickerdoodle cookies are soft, buttery, slightly chewy cookies that are covered in cinnamon sugar. But, the secret to perfect snickerdoodles is using chilled dough.

I’ve shared several times now that Snickerdoodle Cookies are some of my family’s favorite cookies. They’re actually our son Owen’s favorite cookies.  In fact, we just recently took a little road trip up to Baldwin Wallace University to visit him and, of course, we took along a batch of homemade Snickerdoodles.

Everyone seems to be sharing recipes for the “best” snickerdoodles or the secret to the “best ever” snickerdoodles. I don’t know that this recipe is the best, but I know it’s my favorite and my family’s favorites. Even when the cookies don’t turn out quite as fluffy as I’d like, they still taste amazing. But, because I like for my baked goods and the food I prepare my family to turn out darn near perfect every time, I like to understand what to do to get the results I want.

Tips for the Best Snickerdoodle Cookies

With Snickerdoodles, I want them to be slightly fluffy in the middle, with a slight crispness to the edges and a chewy (but not tough) texture. There are a few things I know to do to get these kinds of results every time. Here are a few tips so you can get perfect or “best ever” results every time, too.

Tip #1: Measure Flour Properly

Measure your flour properly. Sift it or use a whisk to stir it around a little bit and then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife. Also, never use a measuring cup that is over 1 or 2 cups in size for flour. The larger the cup, the more it will compact your flour and throw your measurements off.

Tip #2: Room Temperature Butter

Use room temperature butter. Set the butter out 3-4 hours before you plan to bake the cookies. You do not want to use cold butter, melted butter or frozen butter.

Tip #3: Chill the Dough

Chill the dough adequately before baking. These are a buttery cookie and unless you want your cookies spread out thin, it’s imperative that you chill the dough before baking.

Tip #4: Use 1″ Dough Balls

Use 1” to 1-1/4” balls  or 1 tablespoon of dough instead of 2”.  It’s been my experience that larger balls of dough simply don’t bake up with that little pillow in the middle that I like.

Tip #5: Use Room Temperature Eggs

Use room temperature eggs. Simply take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Or place them in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Room temperature eggs disperse more evenly into the batter, giving these cookies a lighter texture.

Tip #6: Try Bread Flour

Try using a low protein flour, like bread flour. If your cookies are spreading out too thin and you’ve followed all the other suggestions and tips, try using bread flour instead of all purpose flour.

Tip #7: Don’t Flatten Dough

Don’t flatten the dough before baking. Some recipes call for flattening the dough slightly before baking. I’ve found I get better (aka fluffier) results if I don’t flatten them.

Tip #8: Use Parchment Paper

Don’t bake your snickerdoodles directly on your cookie sheet. For best results, use parchment paper lined cookie sheets or a Silpat. You may also want to experiment with different pans, such as light colored pans, dark colored pans, non-stick pans, etc. and see what works best for you.

Supplies Used in this Recipe

In addition to the ingredients, there are a few supplies you’ll want to gather up before making these snickerdoodles. Where applicable, I have provided links to the exact tools I use.

• Blender or food processor
• Liquid measuring cup (I love this little measuring cup!)
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Silicone spatula
• Muffin pan
• Cupcake liners

Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe

So, since I shared some of my best tips for creating perfect snickerdoodle cookies every time, it’s time to put those tips to the test and bake some snickerdoodles!

Step 1: Cream Butter & Sugars

In the bowl of your stand mixer or using a large bowl and hand mixer, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. You’re gonna want to beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until well blended. About 3 minutes, I would guess.

Step 2: Add Eggs & Vanilla

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between until well combined. Then add the vanilla extract and again beat to combine and until light and fluffy – another 3 minutes or so.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients: flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. You can simply add the dry ingredients to your batter, or blend them together first in a smaller bowl and then add to the batter.

This is my mixer. Her name is Misty Blue. Isn’t she beautiful?! Did you hear about how I won her?

Step 4: Make Dough Balls

Using a 1 tablespoon scoop or your hands, roll dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place balls of dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking. They can even be left over night.

Step 5: Roll Dough Balls in Sugar

Using a fork, mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small wide bowl. Then roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the dough balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet 2″ apart.

Step 6: Bake

Bake the cookies in a pre-heated oven for 6-8 minutes. Carefully remove the cookies immediately from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.

Snickerdoodles are easy to make, they freeze well, especially if you freeze them before baking, and they don’t take long to bake. They’re perfect at Christmas or special occasions because of all the cinnamon goodness. And they’re perfect in the summertime because they don’t melt.

More Cookie Recipes

If you liked this Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe, you might also like these other cookie recipes from The Birch Cottage:

• Dad’s Road Trip Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Perfect No Bake Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pudding Cookies

And if you’re looking for healthier cookie recipe ideas, you might like these Keto Eggnog Cookies.

And, brand new is my 2019 Christmas Cookies Cookbook. This cookbook is available as a FREE download exclusively to subscribers of The Birch Cottage newsletter.

Buttery, cinnamon sugar covered, soft mounds with a slightly chewy exterior are what Snickerdoodle Cookies are all about. If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it. Just leave a comment below or share a picture on social media and tag #thebirchcottage so I’ll be sure to see!

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Til next time…

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