Snickerdoodles are sugar cookies coated in cinnamon sugar, with the perfect balance of chewy and crisp. How long it takes: 15 minutes to stir up the dough, and 10 minutes to bake each batch Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl, mixer, baking sheets Servings: 3 dozen cookies Along with my whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, these snickerdoodle cookies are a go-to of mine and I’m pretty sure they’ll become a requested cookie in your family, too. And if you’re looking for more cookies, Christmas or otherwise, check out my list of kitchen tested, family approved cookie and bar recipes.
About this recipe
Easy to Make: These cookies are very easy to make; it’s a simple sugar cookie dough that doesn’t even need to be chilled. I tested them both ways and the cookies were equally as chewy and delicious with or without extra refrigeration time. I really don’t like chilling dough because a) it takes longer, and b) it gives me more time to eat all the dough. All Butter: I didn’t invent the wheel when it comes to snickerdoodles, but it’s probably no surprise that the Rachel Cooks version involves ALL butter (no shortening) and extra cinnamon. Great Snack: A snickerdoodle goes really well with a cup of tea or coffee, or a tall glass of cold milk. Kids love them in lunchboxes. They are nut-free which is a bonus for my household. One Bowl Recipe! Whenever possible, we’ll leave you with the fewest dirty dishes possible!
What You’ll Need
How To Make This Cookie Recipe
Roll up your sleeves and let’s get baking! Preheat your oven and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat for easy cleanup. Scroll down for the full printable recipe! The cookies can be made with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. You can use arm power instead but you’ll need to use some muscles. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, blend together the sugar and butter, beating for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, blending them into the sugar/butter mixture. Add Dry Ingredients: Now, most cookie recipes will tell you to measure out the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mix them, and then add them to the butter mixture. I question why you need an additional bowl to do that, just one more bowl to wash! Measure out the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, adding them right to the original bowl. Mix just the dry ingredients with your fingertips or a spoon, right on top of the butter mixture. Now stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Don’t overstir! Tough cookies will be the result. Mix the two together until just blended. Perfect! To chill the dough or not to chill the dough, that is the question. The cookies turn out just fine either way. If you don’t have time right now to bake them, go ahead and chill the dough. If you would like to get them in the oven pronto, go ahead and bake them. It’s your choice! Roll: To bake the cookies, scoop out the dough (about one and a half tablespoons), and form it into balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the cookie sheet. They’ll spread so allow some room in between. Bake: Bake the cookies until they are just done, about 10 minutes. They’ll be set (firm) but not brown. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make It Your Own
Add Nutmeg: Want to make your snickerdoodles a little unique and have people wondering what’s just a little different about these? Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg to the dough. People will flip over them! Other Snickerdoodle Treats: If you’re in a hurry, try easy-to-make snickerdoodle bars which have all the flavor of the cookies in one easy pan of bars. Snickerdoodle fans also really love snickerdoodle bread, a quick bread with triple layers of cinnamon sugar goodness. Traditionalist? Looking for a more traditional sugar cookie? Try sugar cookie cutouts. More Easy Cookies: Try lemon sugar cookies, peppermint chocolate sugar cookies (with flavor options), or slice and bake sand tart cookies.
Storage Tips
Cool First: Cool baked cookies completely before storing. Any residual heat will turn to steam once you put the cookies in an airtight container, and steam will make the cookies soggy or even moldy eventually. Storing Baked Cookies: Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week or in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Snickerdoodles freeze well, too. They can be frozen for two to three months. Storing Unbaked Dough: The dough can be refrigerated for two to four days, wrapped securely, or it can be frozen for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Freezing Unbaked Dough: You can also freeze individual dough balls. Wait to roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture until you’re ready to bake them. Freeze the balls individually on a tray or baking sheet for an hour or so, then pop them into a freezer bag. You can take out as many as you need to bake them. There’s no need to thaw the dough balls but add a minute or two to the baking time.
More Cinnamon Love
Be sure to check out:
Double Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues Cinnamon Ice Cream (no churn!) Maple Cinnamon Chia Pudding Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars Cinnamon Roasted Almonds – sugar free!
Quick-Start Guide!
