Description
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies feature a soft and chewy texture with a perfect cinnamon-sugar coating. These delightful cookies combine a tender dough made with butter, cream of tartar, and a hint of vanilla, rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and baked to golden perfection. Perfect for sharing or enjoying with a glass of milk, they offer a comforting and nostalgic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened
- 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
For Rolling
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking.
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter for a couple of minutes until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add both sugars and beat for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy with no clumps. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and homogenous.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, spoon and level the flour then stir in baking soda, kosher salt, and cream of tartar evenly with a teaspoon. Gradually beat this dry mixture into the butter mixture, first slowly mixing until some flour streaks remain to avoid over mixing. Finish combining with a spatula gently until the dough is uniform.
- Shape Dough Balls: Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, shape the dough into balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Prepare the cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small or medium bowl by stirring together the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll Dough Balls: Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating them evenly, then place on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are barely set and the centers look shiny but the rest of the cookie is matte. Avoid overbaking to maintain softness and chewiness.
- Shape Cookies: Immediately after removing from oven, use a spoon to gently push the edges of each cookie toward the center within 30-60 seconds to create a rounded shape and thicker center. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes to set.
- Second Cinnamon Sugar Coating: While still warm but cool enough to handle, dip each cookie back into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating both sides for an extra cinnamon-sugar edge.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy warm with a glass of milk.
- Freezing Instructions: Shape and roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar and store in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time without thawing.
Notes
- If reusing the cinnamon sugar for coating baked cookies makes you uncomfortable, feel free to prepare a fresh batch of cinnamon sugar for coating after baking.
- Do not overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies; slight flour streaks before final mixing is intentional.
- Underbaking slightly is key to achieving soft and chewy snickerdoodles.
- Use a spoon immediately after baking to shape the cookies and maintain a thicker chewy center.
- Freezing dough balls rolled in cinnamon sugar makes convenient ready-to-bake portions that maintain cookie quality.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 147 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 26 mg
