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!

Cookies piled up on a white wooden table with one sitting in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar.

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
Ingredients needed to make this chewy snickerdoodle recipe.
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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!

    Cookies piled up with one broken in half on the top to show the inside.

    How to Make the Cookies

    1. Start by creaming the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
    2. Then beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and continue mixing for 1 minute.
    3. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sea salt in a separate bowl.
    4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no streaks of flour remaining.
    5. 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.
    6. 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!

    Cookies laying on a white wooden table with an old spatula.

    Questions About This Recipe

    Since they are so thin, they’ll do well in an airtight container. They’ll be best the first three days or so, but after that, make sure to freeze them.

    Yes. The dough will be soft, since there’s no chilling required for this recipe. Try not to handle the dough for very long. Quickly scoop and roll each cookie and drop it in the cinnamon and sugar.

    These cookies freeze really well. Just make sure to express all the air out of the container you freeze them in. When you thaw them out, they’ll be almost as fresh as the day they were baked.

    You can substitute baking powder for the cream of tartar. Use 1-1/2 tsp baking powder instead.

    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.
    A pile of cookies with cracked tops sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
    • 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.
    A large pile of cookies with cracked tops.

    Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe

    By: Kristine Underwood
    The best chewy snickerdoodle recipe. These cookies are buttery, spicy, and have crispy tops and edges with a chewy center. Perfect for an easy afternoon of baking.
    5 from 7 votes
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 9 minutes
    Total Time 19 minutes
    Course Sweets & Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 26 cookies
    Calories 96 kcal

    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
    • 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.

    Notes

    Make sure to read the cookie baking tips to get answers to common questions about baking cookies.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 97mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.4mg

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    Recipe Rating




    10 Comments

    1. Tristin Rieken says:

      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.5 stars

      1. Thank you so much Tristin! I don’t want anything to stop you from making cookies. 😁

    2. Oh my, these snickerdoodles are magnificent! Soft, chewy and delicious. Everything you want in a snickerdoodle.5 stars

      1. Haha, I totally agree! Thanks so much, Nikki. I really appreciate it!

    3. What a special Snickerdoodle recipe! My family loves them, and they never last long in our cookie jar!5 stars

    4. Diana Reis says:

      These have the perfect amount of chew. Fantastic cookies5 stars

    5. Gina Abernathy says:

      We loved these snickerdoodle cookies. Easy and good!5 stars