These soft and chewy snickerdoodles are easy to make and packed with cinnamon-sugar flavor! Make in one bowl, no mixer required!
What makes these the best chewy snickerdoodles?
- Soft & chewy! These cookies have a soft and chewy consistency that is reminiscent of your local grocery bakery cookies – just be sure not to overbake them!
- Quick & easy! These snickerdoodles come together quickly, using melted butter (i.e. no softening butter) and mixing by hand (no mixer required!).
- Cinnamon flavor! The cinnamon-sugar coating adds the perfect cinnamon snickerdoodle flavor!
Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Melted butter: Use melted butter, not margarine to avoid a greasy cookie. The melted butter gives these a chewier texture and helps them spread into flatter cookies (which I love!).
- Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar is what makes a “true snickerdoodle” and gives the cookies a tangier flavor and chewier texture. I only use a small amount of cream of tartar in these (as too much makes them a bit dry & cakey), but if you don’t have it, you can substitute with 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
- Scoop em’ big! Scoop into 3-tablespoon balls (I use this cookie scoop) to get perfectly circled bakery-style cookies and to ensure you get an even bake across your cookies. Trust me, a bigger scoop of dough makes these the best snickerdoodles!
- Don’t overbake! Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes, and remove when just getting brown.
- Use a light metal pan: If you’re trying to achieve soft & chewy cookies, you need to use a light metal pan vs. a dark metal pan. The light pan will allow them to bake slower and spread more, while a dark metal pan will bake them faster and result in puffier cookies.
How to Make these Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies:
This is just an overview showing step-by-step photos, click here to jump down to full recipe card with exact instructions.
Step 1: Make Dough
- Melt butter: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for 20-30 seconds until it is fully melted. You don’t want it piping hot, so if it is, stir and allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes.
- Mix dough: Pour butter in a large mixing bowl, then add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir with a spatula (not an electric mixer) until combined. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Next, mix in baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add in the flour and mix until it all disappears in the dough.
- Make Cinnamon Sugar for Rolling: Lastly, create your cookie’s topping. Using a small bowl or paper plate (you will be rolling your dough balls in the mixture), mix together the ground cinnamon and white granulated sugar to create your cookie’s topping.
Step 2: Scoop & Roll
Scoop cookie dough out into 3 tablespoon-sized balls (I use this cookie scoop), then roll into balls. Roll the cookie balls into the cinnamon sugar topping mixture, evenly coating the dough, then place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (I love that Reynolds has these pre-cut parchment sheets available!).
Step 3: Bake
Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes, or until edges look set and the center no longer looks wet. Your cookies may look slightly underdone but let them cool on the hot pan and they will continue baking on the hot pan. It’s important not to overbake these cookies or they will lose their chewy texture.
Allow them to cool, then enjoy!
Storage & Freezing
Storage: After allowing the cookies to cool, store in an airtight container. For optimal texture, they are best enjoyed within the first 2 days of baking.
Freezing: If making these cookies ahead of time, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodles?
Cream of tartar is what makes a “true snickerdoodle” and gives the cookies a tangier flavor and chewier texture. I only use a small amount of cream of tartar in these (as too much makes them a bit dry & cakey), but if you don’t have it, you can substitute it with 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
How do you make snickerdoodles flat & chewy??
The melted butter & minimal leavening in the dough help make them flat and chewy. The key, though, is to make sure your oven is at 350°F. using an internal oven thermometer (my oven runs hot and anything over 350°F. makes these puff up more!).
Why are my snickerdoodles so puffy??
If your first tray of cookies puff up, you can flatten the dough balls a bit before baking the next tray. Some main culprits to your cookies baking too puffy are:
- You overmeasured the flour: Be sure to use the spoon & level method when measuring flour; you do not want to pack it in. Too much flour can prevent the cookies from spreading properly.
- Your oven is too hot: I know this sounds silly…but ovens lie! Make sure your oven is at 350°F. using an internal oven thermometer (my oven runs hot and anything over 350°F. makes these puff up more!).
- You baked too long: Overbaking your snickerdoodles can cause them to puff up and be too crunchy. The key is to slightly underbake and then allow them to finish baking with the residual heat of the hot pan.
Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles
These soft and chewy snickerdoodles are easy to make and packed with cinnamon-sugar flavor! Make in one-bowl, no mixer required!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) You will be melting this
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature (you can put in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar see notes below for substitution
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Sugar for Rolling
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for 30-60 seconds or until fully melted (you don't want any lumps).
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Add in granulated sugar and brown sugar and use a spatula to stir until combined (* do not use a mixer!). Add in egg and vanilla extract, then mix. Next, mix in baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add in flour and mix just until all the flour disappears into the dough.
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In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablepsoon cinnamon.
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Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon-sized scoops (I use this stainless steel cookie scoop!), roll into balls, then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
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Place on a light metal pan with parchment paper (the light metal will help them spread; dark metal pans will likely result in a puffier cookie).
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Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan, allowing them to firm up without overbaking.
*If your cookies puff up a bit, immediately tap the pan on the counter a few times to help them deflate. You want to do this immediately after removing from the oven. You can also flatten the tops of the dough balls for the next pan to help them spread.
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Allow to cool, then enjoy!
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Recipe makes about 9-10 cookies using a 3-tablespoon sized scoop or 6 giant cookies using a 4 tablespoon sized scoop.
Cream of Tartar: this gives them a chewy texture & tangy flavor but if you don’t have it, you can replace it with 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder or 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Storing: These have the best texture when enjoyed within 3 days but they can be in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for 1-2 months. For ultimate freshness, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container.
Nutrition is auto-calculated and just an estimate.
Daisy says
I made these for an assortment of cookies I make gift boxes with for family and friends for Christmas. It took mine about 6 minutes extra of cooking and even then, 1/3 of them were too doughy to use for the boxes. I don’t mind so I ate them and they were good lol, just not suitable to give out to others which was disappointing. Plus when making them the directions say to form balls and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar…yeeaahhh the dough was so sticky/non-maleable I couldn’t even touch them. I instead scooped some dough with a spoon, plopped it in the sugar, and then rolled them into balls which worked pretty well. I followed the recipe to a t, so I’m not sure what happened. The fully cooked ones came out delicious though, so I can’t be too mad!
Melissa says
Hey Daisy! Do you use an internal oven thermometer? They are about $4 on amazon and it sounds like your oven may run cold, so you might give that a try! My oven says it’s preheated to 350 when it’s actually only at 200 & there can be lots of discrepancies in baking time with most ovens!
Sylvia says
Best snickerdoodle cookies ever!!
Melisa says
We made these last night. They turned out great, soft and chewy. Some of the best Snickerdoodle cookies we have eaten. ‘m sure we will keep this recipe on repeat at our house! Looking forward to making these for our upcoming holiday meals with family. I’m confident everyone will enjoy them.
Wendy says
I have been making snickerdoodles all of my adult life and these cookies are fabulous!
Melissa says
So glad these passed your snickerdoodle taste test, Wendy! :) Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Gina Wampler says
I made these tonight for my kiddos! They loved them! Thank you for an easy fast recipe.
Melissa says
So glad you and the fam loved this recipe, Gina! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Amalie says
These are AMAZING
Hannah Hite says
Snickerdoodles are my FAVORITE cookie! I will NEVER use another recipe besides this one! I have already made these for people literally like 6 times within the past month…and I’m totally making them for thanksgiving.
Melissa says
Yay, so happy to hear you love this recipe so much, Hannah! :) I hope it was a hit at Thanksgiving if you ended up making them! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Katie says
I tried these today and they were so good! Even my sister who usually has something to say about my baking said they were good!!!
Melissa says
Aww so glad you & your sister loved them! I’m laughing because my sister also ALWAYS has something to say about my baked goods (my most honest & brutal critic), LOL.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!!
Eva says
Amazing, my whole family loves these cookies <3333 because I am from the Netherlands I have never had snickerdoodle cookies but I just love them and became obsessed. Thank u for the recipe :)
Melissa says
Yay, I’m so glad your first time trying snickerdoodles was a success and you love this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Eva! :)
Eva says
Amazing, my whole family loves these cookies <3333