The BEST Snickerdoodles Recipe — Soft, pillowy puffs that are so irresistible! The closest recipe to Mrs. Fields snickerdoodles that you’ll find!
Easy Snickerdoodle Recipe
A good snickerdoodle is hard to come by, but this recipe is my favorite. Soft, slightly chewy, pillowy little puffs of goodness that I can’t stay away from.
I’ve always loved snickerdoodles, and in high school and college used to work at a mall three stores down from Mrs. Fields. That was dangerous because it fueled my snickerdoodle habit with extreme ease. The snickerdoodles are as close to the Mrs. Fields recipe (my personal gold standard) that I’ve been able to replicate at home.
These homemade snickerdoodle cookies are slightly chewy around the edges with soft, pillowy centers. They’re buttery with a light cinnamon-sugar coating. Not too heavy, just classic snickerdoodle. If you’re a cinnamon fiend, I recommend making my Soft and Chewy Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodles instead.
They’re everything I want in a classic snickerdoodle cookie and my family agreed by eating the whole batch on the afternoon I made them. I sent a dozen cookies with them to the beach for the afternoon somewhat expecting they’d come back with a few left over. That was clearly foolish thinking.
This my new favorite snickerdoodle recipe I’ve tried. Just like Mrs. Fields!
What’s in These Chewy Snickerdoodles?
For this homemade snickerdoodles cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Cinnamon
How to Make Snickerdoodles
Don’t let the tasty cinnamon sugar coating fool you into thinking homemade snickerdoodles are hard to make. These cookies are actually one of the easiest I’ve ever made!
To make these chewy snickerdoodles, you’ll first need to cream together the butter and sugars until the mixture is light any fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients.
Scoop the cookie dough into balls and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to five days. Once the cookie dough has chilled, roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar before baking.
You’ll know your cookies are ready to come out of the oven when the edges are set and the tops have just set. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before serving with a big glass of milk.
Do I Have to Use Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar (sold in the spice aisle) is the leavener that gives the cookies lift, lightness, provides the classic snickerdoodle flavor, and it’s key for this recipe. Don’t skip it or you won’t end up with the best snickerdoodles.
If you don’t have cream of tartar on hand but want to make snickerdoodles immediately, try my White Chocolate Snickerdoodles or my Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies instead.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Very easily, yes! You’ll need to use multiple baking sheets though since you don’t want to crowd the cookies.
Can I Prep These Cookies in Advance?
Yes, you can scoop and freeze the cookie dough balls for up to four months. You’ll want to bake the dough from frozen (do not thaw) and you’ll likely need to add a couple minutes to the bake time.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes, you MUST chill the dough before baking so your cookies bake up thick and full. Unchilled dough will result in cookies that are prone to spreading and they’ll be much thinner, and flatter.
How to Store Snickerdoodles
These soft snickerdoodles will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Tips for the Best Snickerdoodles
I used a 2-inch cookie scoop to form these cookies (about 2 heaping tablespoons). You’re welcome to make larger cookies, but if you do that you’ll need to add a couple minutes to the bake time.
When making this chewy snickerdoodle recipe, I underbake them by a minute or two to ensure the centers are extra soft. Underbaking also helps the cookies stay softer and fresher over time, but you can bake longer if you prefer more well-done or firmer cookies.
Lastly, feel free to add more or less cinnamon to the cinnamon-sugar coating to suit your preferences. I like my snickerdoodles to have a good amount of cinnamon flavor on them, but I know not everyone likes it as much as I do!
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The Best Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
For Rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough (2 heaping tablespoons each), roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and stir to combine.
- Dredge each mound of dough through cinnamon-sugar.
- Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake for soft, pillowy cookies. For firmer cookies, bake a minute or two longer. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I think I misstated my problem. I rolled into balls, flattened a bit and then chilled as per instructions. That was no problem at all. My problem came when I needed to “dredge” them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. After they were chilled the cinnamon sugar would not stick. Step 7 is rolling them in the mixture which comes after the chilling step. So, should I have put the cinnamon mixture on before I chilled? That is my question. Thanks!
Do the recipe in the order listed and yes roll them in sugar after chilling, before baking. I’ve never had an issue with the cinnamon-sugar sticking.
Thank you for your tips. I may purchase a silpat for next time. I live in a really small town and I have never seen King Arthur flour. I would probably have to order that online. I will let them chill overnight next time though. Once I get a silpat, I am also going to try out your chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Most grocery stores will carry King Arthur all-purpose flour; I’ve never been in one that doesn’t. Red and white bag, more expensive than most flours, WELL worth it! And the Siplat will change your life!
Should I have rolled these prior to chilling? The dough came out great and I chilled as per recipe but then took them out to roll before baking. That’s how I read the instructions. Now the cinnamon mixture won’t stick (I should’ve thought of that before). Now I’m waiting for them to warm up a bit so it will stick. Thanks in advance for any help for my future reference!
Re-read steps 4 and 5 in the directions. You form into mounds first, THEN chill. I think that will solve all your issues in the future. Enjoy!
I made these cookies. I did not use a silpat because I do not have one and I used Martha white flour. I did everything else according to the recipe. I even bought fresh baking soda. I let them sit in the refrigerator for about an hour and fifteen minutes. The cookies are very good. They are very soft and they look pretty. The only complaint is that that they are not as thick and pillowy as the picture shows. They’re not even close to that. But they are still very good. However, I do consider them a success and I would make them again.
Silpats are realllllllly instrumental in having cookies bake up thicker. They are really night and day! And Martha White is known to be very ‘soft’ flour; meaning it doesn’t have as much gluten, therefore cookies won’t be as thick or puffy. Use King Arthur for thicker cookies. Also I think you could have chilled longer; I always chill overnight, but recommend at least 2-3 hours. Those are just my tips for next time for thicker cookies. That said, glad you enjoyed them and consider them a success and will make again!
Holy cow these are delicious!!! I love vanilla in my cookies so I always add more than the recipe calls for. other than that I followed the directions to a ‘T’. They’re so soft and pillowy. Thanks!!
Glad you loved them and I looooove extra vanilla too! I may actually put in closer to what you put in when I make them myself but if I write that, then I get…”all I could taste was vanilla”…which for me (and you) would be a good thing :)
so bummed out! I followed directions to a T and they spread all over the pan! I chilled them for a few hours and everything
Please read over this post for my cookie tips and tricks against spreading. King Arthur flour, Silpat, etc. If you do all those things and you still have spreading, email me back! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Could I sub all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour? Currently only have whole wheat, but really itching to make these right now!
I never have and think that it could alter your results in this particular cookie but you never know til you try!
I never comment on recipes, but I must say this one is perfection. Snickerdoodles are my husband’s favorite cookie and he couldn’t get enough of these. This will be my go-to recipe from now on — thank you, thank you!
Just a thought — I wonder if people who had trouble with stickiness used melted butter instead of using softened butter. I know I’ve done that many times before, as it’s so easy to end up with melted butter when using the microwave. I used softened room-temp butter and chilled the dough for one hour before baking in the refrigerator. I had no issues with stickiness.
as it’s so easy to end up with melted butter when using the microwave. = that is sooooo true! If I cheat and forget to set my butter out to soften and then am forced to nuke it, I can sometimes get it just right, but sometimes, even 1 extra second can make it too runny and yes, totally agree that could and will contribute to soft, sticky dough.
Glad the cookies came out perfect for you and if you never comment but do, then I take that as a big stamp of approval!
do u know how many this recipe makes? I’m having a party and i need about 30 0r more. thx!
It’s listed in the recipe under the yield, but based on your party size, you’d need to make at least a double batch, and possibly a triple batch just to be safe, depending on how big or small you roll them. Happy baking and LMK how they come out!
I made these cookies yesterday, they came out EXACTLY like the picture and they were fantastic! A+++ I prepared 120 of these today for my churches cookie sale this weekend. And its great that I can just leave them in the fridge and bake them tomorrow! What a great fool proof recipe.. I have little experience with baking and they tasted like from a bakery! I wanna give u a hug for posting this!
So glad to hear that you had big time success with these and that you don’t even consider yourself a baker, but anyone who bakes 120 cookies for a church sale is a saint and a baker :)
Happy that you have this recipe now in your arsenal and almost all of my cookie recipes have dough that can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before baking!
I only have bread flower right now– can I substitute? Should I make any other changes to make bread flower work?
You may want to use a few tablespoons less of bread flour than the recipe calls for and play it by ear because it has higher gluten than AP flour and therefore you may need a bit less.
I made the batter for these cookies and they came out WAY too sticky and runny. I added half a cup of flour and they were still unmoldable.
I was supremely disappointed.
I’m sorry that you didn’t have luck and I use King Arthur all-purpose flour and I really think it helps make a difference in certain recipes; maybe give that a try if you try again. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Thanks for the prompt respond. Sorry, I was really frustrated earlier when I couldn’t produce balls from the dough.
I added even more flour and just lumped them on parchment paper on a half baking sheet and put them in the fridge for a few hours.
They came out better after they were chilled.
I’m not sure if the recipe needs more flour to start but that was my opinion of it.
They are in the oven now along with a batch with a different recipe. That recipe called for a bit more flour and they were easier to form. Just looking at them in the oven, they are much more plump than the other recipe I used!
Just providing a bit of feedback, thanks for the recipe!
Joe
Lots of people have made the recipe with great success and I have made it many times and have always had great luck. If you read the comments there’s lots of glowing praise for the recipe, as written.
All ovens, climates, ingredients, etc. vary so there are times where what works for one person may not work identically for another given different circumstances – that’s the case with any baking and cooking I’ve found. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
These were amazing pillows of cinnamon goodness! They puffed up perfectly! Only sub I made was dark brown sugar instead of light. Thank you!
Glad they came out great and that the dark brown sugar was fine too!
I told my mom I was gonna make snickerdoodles .Then she was like snicker what? I’m going to bake them now can’t wait to taste them.
Snickerdoodles are my favorite and I’m so glad I found this recipe! I was drawn drawn to it because I was curious what a pillowy center would be like. It’s wonderful, so soft and melts in your mouth! So now I’ve made them 3 times (and hardly ever made cookies before) and I’m making a bunch to give to friends and coworkers as Christmas cookies! I just wanted to pass along a couple of notes on my experiments, for those who are health conscious. I like mine extra cinnamony so I roll them once before chilling and then again right before baking. I also used oat flour once and they were just as good. One time I tried them using half splenda and the dough was very sticky (putting it in fridge for a bit helped with that) and they came out pretty flat and a little crumbly. Although they tasted just as good and still had a nice soft texture.
I like mine extra cinnamony so I roll them once before chilling and then again right before baking = me too!
And interesting about the oat flour and splenda experiments!
I absolutely love these cookies. My coworkers devour them every time I bring them in and people have even said they are better than Mrs Fields! I love all your cookie recipes and it is so fun trying new ones. I like that I can refrigerate the dough at night and bake them fresh in the morning to bring in to work. It’s amazing how much happiness an absolutely delicious cookie can bring someone! Thank you for posting such good recipes that are so easy to follow and so yummy!
Thanks for trying these and sharing with your coworkers! The fact that people have even said they are better than Mrs Fields is such high praise – thank you! And yes, it’s amazing how something so simple as a cookie or something homemade can just make such a difference! Have a great holiday season!