How To Make Snickerdoodle Cookies?
If you’re looking for a super quick summary here are the steps of how to make homemade snickerdoodle cookies from scratch:
- Cream ½ cup butter and ¾ cup sugar.
- Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
- Then add 1.5 cups flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Roll dough into 1.5″ balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar (2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon).
- Bake for 12 minutes at 375F. Makes 1.5 dozen cookies.
since we had the cinnamon out for our easy homemade cinnamon rolls, we decided to go ahead and make one of our favorite cookie recipes. snickerdoodles are really easy to make and don’t require any complicated ingredients – in fact, you probably have everything you need to make it in your house right now. and all you need to do is make a simple dough, roll it into balls, and then roll the balls in cinnamon-sugar. every time i make them they turn out just right. and not only will they make your house smell incredible, but if your family is anything like mine, you won’t even need a place to store them…they’ll be gone well before you have need to do that!
so go ahead and grab some flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, vanilla, and one egg. this is going to make a really tasty cookie dough.
once you have the dough made, simply roll it into 1.5-2 inch balls (approximately 1.5-2 tablespoons of the dough) and set aside.
make some cinnamon sugar by mixing together the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
now all you have to do is roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture. my kids love helping with this part!
all you need to do now is place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. your house is going to smell so good!!
i always put 12 on a cookie sheet, but you may be able to fit in a few more depending on how much dough you used to make the balls.
when they’re done, the snickerdoodle cookies will have spread out somewhat but will still be a little bit puffy resulting in an almost cake-like texture in the middle with a little bit of a crunch from the cinnamon-sugar layer on the outside. be forewarned – these things are addictive! i dare you to just eat one. it’s impossible. so you might need to make a double batch. just sayin’.
enjoy these ridiculously easy snickerdoodles – they’re the best thing to bake on any given day!
easy snickerdoodles cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- cinnamon sugar = 2 Tablespoons sugar + 1 Tablespoon cinnamon.
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Then add flour, baking powder, and salt. Roll dough into 1.5″ balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Bake for 12 minutes at 375F.
- Makes approx. 1 1/2 dozen cookies (depending how much dough you use for each ball).
and just in case you’re looking for a bit of chocolate in your cookies today, try these awesome (freezable!) big-batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
My husband’s favorite cookie is snickerdoodles. You’ve reinspired me to make them for him since it’s been a long time! Thanks. They look yummy!
I love the cookies and so does my husband to
I to love the cookies????????. Except I do not have a husband to feed.
I made these yesterday. I followed your recipe. I loved them. I did not want to purchase cream of tarter although J still have a tin that is probably a decade old. These cookies were delicious and baked up beautifully. I did get 2 dozen made out of the recipe.
I’m glad you liked them! It is nice to not have to use cream of tartar – another reason we love this recipe so much. Thanks for commenting!
no cream of tarter? Mind blown!!!!
hahaha 🙂
I don’t have a stand mixer, so I mixed these by hand, and ended up needing almost double the flour to make the dough even workable. They are still delish, but do you think I needed extra flour because I mixed by hand?? I never had that happen before. This is my second sweet dish from you, and I’m looking forward to making some savory ones for dessert.
savory ones for dinner*** loving these cookies for dessert, though. Lol.
I’ve never heard that before! Glad they still worked out. 🙂
What type of butter did you use? I made this recipe twice. The first time I had your same issue I used butter out of a container. The second time around I used stick butter. And they came out perfect this time. Hope this helps(:
Same here! I used another cup of flour! They came out delicious! ☺️
Mine turned out runny too. I added More flour and still (the dough not the cookie) they’re in the fridge setting so i can roll them into balls. I’m sure they’re going to taste fine though!
Also make sure you add your cream of tartar as well to really give it that snickerdoodle flavor
I had to double the flour as well.
This is one of the most delicious cookies I have ever made. My only issue is that I keep running out of butter.
thanks, Shannon! 🙂
How many people does this recipe serve???
It really depends on how uniform the dough balls are – when i do it, it makes anywhere from 1.5-2 dozen.
LOVE LOVE LOVE SNICKERDOODLES !!! And they are now a family fav for sure ! But I to had to use extra flour andbecause I always make a double batch I had to use quiet a bit but I just added some extra van. extract and I also used cream of tarter along with the baking powder just cause that’s what gives a snickerdoodle its chewy center and unique taste. but this is a great starter recipe and I love this web site !!! thank you for all your YUMMY ideas !!!
I followed this step by step and was left with runny gouw. It was impossiable to roll thse at all. Im scared to see how they are going to taste. I hope it wasnt a waste of ingredients and time.
Sorry to hear Terra. Hope they turn out next time!
When you say cream, What kind of cream do you use? I want to make them but I want to have the correct stuff and does it matter if it’s unsalted or salted butter? Thank you, Judy
Hi Judy! There isn’t any cream in this recipe, you just need to “cream” together the butter and sugar – just beat the two together to get a smooth, creamy consistency.
As for the butter, I’ve used both salted and unsalted in this recipe and don’t notice a difference either way, but when in doubt, use unsalted!
Hope that helps! Enjoy your snickerdoodles! 🙂
To cream cold butter for this recipe I put a stick of butter in a bowl along with the required amount of sugar
Then I set the bowl down in a pot of water as the water boil stir until butter is dissolved remove from the heat and add the rest of your ingredients hope this helps
thanks for the suggestion!!
Suggestion: Put cookie dough in fridge or freezer for five to ten minutes
Is it ok if I use wheat flour ?
I’ve never tried wheat flour to be honest. Let us know if it turns out!
Can I use stevia extract as a substitute for sugar?
I’ve also never tried stevia in place of sugar. Too many sugar fiends in my home. 🙂 Let us know if it turns out!
Honestly ppl usually do when they don’t want to use regular sugar.
I don’t have a stick of butter can I use the tub butter instead????
You should be just fine using the tub butter instead! 1 stick = 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
Made these step by step and doubled the recipe. Had to chill dough for 5 mins but they are amazing. Best easy recipe I’ve found!
awesome!! so glad you like them! 🙂
These cookies are fantastic! My family gobbled them up. Fyi… for anyone who has a dairy allergy (my son has multiple food allergies), we used Earth Balance vegan buttery stick and almond milk to substitute the dairy and cookies still came out great!
Thanks for the helpful info, Jen! And I’m glad your family loved them. We do too!
Are there any changes that need to be made if you are making these cookies at high altitude?
i’m at a high altitude and this is exactly how i make them 🙂
I used butter out of a container too and ended up needing double the flour. Looks like they came out okay though. They are still cooking so I’m not sure. The raw dough tasted good.
the dough is my favorite part 🙂 hope they turned out for you!
I made these tonight I used butter from the container and the dough was not rollable at all but I scooped some dough in Cinnamon sugar and then rolled I also put in fridge for a few minutes and they came out pretty good
I’m glad they turned out for you in the end! 🙂
Great recipe! Worked so well the first time, I just made them again! Thanks!
You bet! Glad to hear they turned out great. We love them!
First batch ever and they turned out great used Kerry gold stick butter. Only got to do a tray and had to chill the rest and finish baking the next day second day with chilled dough made them chewier. Thanks for sharing they are wonderful
Also I mixed by hand 🙂
That is awesome, Leila! Thanks so much for sharing your tips!
I got the recipe for snickerdoodles back in 1995 from a friend when I lived in Massachusetts. They came out great! I did use stick butter by the way. 😋
I’m so glad you like them, Connie!
Can I substitute baking powder for baking soda??
There is a whole science between baking soda and baking powder. I can’t say I’m an expert on it! You could google the difference and see if it’s something you’d like to try! I’ve always used what’s listed in the recipe. Good luck!
I looked through the comments and I’ve never had a problem with the dough. I’ve made these so many times and everyone I’ve baked them for has enjoyed the daylights out of em! Excellent, excellent recipe! And convenient for me because I’ve yet to buy cream of tartar. If you have problems with the dough, I’d recommend chilling it like other comments suggest or flouring your hands a bit then rolling them. That often helps me out with mishap cookie dough!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet myself, but plan to in a few minutes… I was reading through the comments and noticed that a couple of people had problems with how their dough turned out. I also noticed that one woman remedied the issue by using real butter sticks rather than a margarine or spread. I love baking and cooking and the satisfaction it brings to have successfully prepared an item that when eaten, brings joy, even if it’s only for a moment. Anyway, in my pursuit of baking perfection, I have found that using butter, real butter and not margerine or some other butter flavored spread makes all the difference in the world for any recipe no matter what it is. I learned that one day when I ran out of butter while making icing. Margarine and other spreads are good for toast, bagels, pancakes and vegetables because they do add a creamy tasty flavor as a topping or flavor enhancer, but can literally destroy a recipe when used in preparing an item from scratch. When I started butter in all of my recipes, it changed everything for the better. Even some of my lifelong favorites became even more outstanding to the point that I no longer do any baking without using real butter. And there is no shortage of people to bring it to me if I run out because they know that if they do, there’s something wonderful in it for them in the very near future. But it really does make a noticible difference in everything; taste,texture, visual appeal, consistency, everything. If you’ve used margarine for everything all your life, you don’t know that you’re missing anything. My father asked me once where I had learned to cook and I was blown away because my mother had taught me and that was not the sort of thing I would have ever imagined him saying because he is normally too much of a gentleman to say such a thing. But using butter instead of margerine or fresh spices and herbs instead of dried ones from a can or bottle will literally transform every recipe you make and change the mealtime attitude in your home. For the better!
Thanks for sharing Deborah. Duly noted!
Holy cow woman, no one said they were this good! I didn’t get to make them the other night when I left my comment as I had planned, and I’ve been sick all week so I didn’t get to make them until tonight. They’re amazing! I cannot share the words that came out of my mouth when I took my first bite here, but they really are out of this world and so easy to make. I may not be perfect, but I can read and I can follow instructions and I think this may be the most perfect cookie I have ever baked. Even better than my own Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, and those are pretty awesome. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome, Deborah. 🙂
I made these cookies today for a reception at my church. I made no changes to this recipe and specifically salted stick butter. I also doubled the recipe.
The cookies turned out perfect and made 3 dozen (1 1/2 dozen per recipe). They are delicious and I definitely will make them again.
One note: I scraped the batter out onto a large piece of parchment paper and wrapped it, then refrigerated it for approximately 10 minutes before using a tablespoon to divide out enough batter for a cookie to be shaped in my hand. I also used another piece of parchment sprayed with original Pam to slightly coat the cookie while forming the ball and then dipped them into the cinnamon and sugar mix.
Glad you loved them Barbara!!
Is it best to use an electric mixer or to stir with a spoon
I always use an electric mixer, but you certainly don’t have to.
I chose this recipe since I didn’t have any cream of tartar on hand and my fiancé asked me to make them. I love snickerdoodle cookies, the fluffy cake like texture and the buttery goodness def places it as one of my faves. This recipe surely did not disappoint and my fiancé raved that they were better than insomnia cookie (a cookie delivery company on Philly). I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out absolutely amazing. Here are my tips/notes:
To soften a stick of butter perfectly right out of the fridge, fill a tall glass cup with water and microwave for 2 minutes. Empty the water out of the glass and flip it over on top of a stick of butter on the counter or table top. This heat from the glass will soften the entrapped butter in 2-3 minutes and will be a perfect for creaming the butter.
The dough wasn’t as dry as I needed it to be to roll it so I gradually added a couple of tablespoons of flour until it was no longer sticky to roll. I would say that I added more than a half cup of flour more but less than a full cup. The wetness is the dough prob depends on how soft the butter is and egg size.
Overall, fantastic recipe with outstanding results! I will surely make again!
Glad you and your fiancé loved them Chrissy. 🙂 Thanks for the great tips!
Deliciois recipie 💟. Doubled up on ingredients. Instead of 1 cup of the usual butter I did half and half canna .butter. Delicious! I am now testing to see if the dough freezes.
The BEST Snickerdoodles hands down! Everyone loves them.,..
Sweet! I love comments like this! So happy you all love them!! 😀
Really yummy next time I would try putting some cinnamon in the batter also 🙂
Good idea! I think I’ll try that too! Yum!
Just made these and these are a good little cookie and so simple!
Thank you!
You bet!
Do these taste the same as the snickerdoodles with cream of tartar ?
I don’t know as I’ve only ever made these ones. But they’re pretty good – you should give them a try!
How much cream of tartar should you say
This snickerdoodles recipe doesn’t use any cream of tartar 🙂
I made these tonight using organic unsalted butter sticks from Trader Joe’s. I noticed no baking soda or cream of tartar. However, the recipe uses all white sugar so baking powder is perfect. The dough was a little sticky but not too hard to work with. I was still able to roll it by hand and roll it around the coating. Next time I do plan on putting the dough in the freezer just to prevent spreading too much. I baked it on a Silpat on top of a copper baking sheet. It took exactly 12 minutes in my oven to get browned edges. I let it cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They came out perfect! They are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. I am saving this recipe because it doesn’t make too many cookies. I know that’s a bad thing for me to say but sometimes I really don’t want that many cookies! LOL! Thank you for this recipe!
You bet. Glad it turned out!
I have now made these cookies twice. I had to add a little flour to be able to handle the dough but both times the cookies were wonderful, like cake. I am wondering if I can add cocoa or mini chocolate chips for the chocolate lovers in my family. Also, the second time I made these I doubled the recipe so I froze the extras. For a month and a half my husband thawed a few at at time and they were still terrific.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback and experimenting with freezing them for all of us Yolanda!
My 10 year old made these tonight all by herself, she even doubled the recipe because we knew they’d end up being so good & instead they came out extraordinary! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re most welcome!!
These are great!
Thanks!
These came out delicious! I softened my butter before mixing it with the sugar. It is a keeper in my book now and will definitely be made again during Christmas time! Thank you! 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad you like these! Thanks for coming back and commenting!
These cookies are awesome they came out great I actually made them about a week ago but I’m making them again tonight. I followed the instructions step by step and it made over 2 dozens. Some of the best cookies I ever made thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re so welcome! Glad you liked them!
I notice you used flour in this recipe. Did you use all purpose or self rising flour?
I used all-purpose flour in this recipe 🙂
This turned out super well! The dough was a little gooey at the end but was manageable once dunked in the sugar-cinnamon mix. They took around 10 minutes to bake at 175 C. Thanks for the recipe without cream of tartar. It was delicious regardless!
That’s great! I’m so glad you like them!