Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
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Snickerdoodles are such a funny little cookie. They can be big or small, thick or thin, but one thing you can count on, is that they’re full of cinnamon-y goodness. This is going to be your new favorite chewy snickerdoodle recipe right here, I guarantee it.
These thin little cookies are buttery, spicy, and perfectly chewy in the middle. They’re melt-in-your-mouth good!
Here’s What You’ll Need to Make This Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Cinnamon (of course!)
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Sea salt
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Is a Snickerdoodle a Sugar Cookie?
Basically, yes, but also, no. Snickerdoodles are often referred to as sugar cookies; however, traditional sugar cookies are usually rolled in or sprinkled with white sugar and snickerdoodles are always rolled in or sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, which is far better!
How to Make the Cookies
- Start by creaming the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
- Then beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and continue mixing for 1 minute.
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sea salt in a separate bowl.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no streaks of flour remaining.
- Then scoop the dough and gently roll into balls with your hands. Roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until fully covered and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes, let them cool for a minute or two on the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
And if you LOVE snickerdoodles, you’ve got to try these Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cookies too!
Questions About This Recipe
Things to Know About This Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
- This recipe has mostly white sugar. The higher white sugar content helps the cookies spread, without being too thin. As they bake, the white sugar slows the development of the gluten, allowing the cookies to spread out more before they set up, making a perfectly thin cookie.
- Rolling the cookies in sugar (specifically, cinnamon and sugar in this recipe), causes the cookies to dry out before the inside is done baking. The white sugar absorbs moisture from the cookie and dissolves early, giving the cookies a distinctive cracked top.
- As with most snickerdoodle recipes, this recipe uses cream of tartar. The cream of tartar is not just for leavening the cookies, but for adding a slight tangy flavor, which is common in snickerdoodles.
- The white sugar also helps the cookies have crispy edges. The white sugar crystalizes on the outside as they bake to give the cookies the perfect crunch when they’re cool.
Check Out These Other Yummy Cookies Too
Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp milk
- 1¾ cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Extra cinnamon and sugar for rolling (1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).1/2 cup butter, unsalted, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and milk and mix on low to medium speed for about 1 minute.1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp milk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, and sea salt.1¾ cup flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Add flour to wet ingredients, half at a time, and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.
- Using a 1.5 TBS cookie scoop, scoop dough, gently roll into a ball with your hands, roll in cinnamon and sugar, and place on a lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cookies shouldn't be brown, but will puff slightly and crack open on the top.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet until rigid enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
This is such a great snickerdoodle recipe! I also loved how the post explains why to coat the cookies in sugar and also how to substitute for cream of tartar.
Thank you so much Tristin! I don’t want anything to stop you from making cookies. 😁
Oh my, these snickerdoodles are magnificent! Soft, chewy and delicious. Everything you want in a snickerdoodle.
Haha, I totally agree! Thanks so much, Nikki. I really appreciate it!
What a special Snickerdoodle recipe! My family loves them, and they never last long in our cookie jar!
Haha, same here Liza! Thank you so much, my friend!
These have the perfect amount of chew. Fantastic cookies
Thank you so much, Diana!
We loved these snickerdoodle cookies. Easy and good!
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you so much, Gina.