Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles
To make snickerdoodles, cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla, then mix in flour with cream of tartar and baking soda to a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in cinnamon sugar, and bake at 190 °C for about 10 minutes until the tops are cracked and just set. Cream of tartar is essential — it gives snickerdoodles their signature tang and chewy texture, and it's what makes them different from a plain sugar cookie.
Snickerdoodles are the cozy, unfussy cookie of the holidays — soft and pillowy, rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a gentle tang that makes them oddly hard to stop eating. They come together fast with pantry staples, they don’t need rolling or cutting, and they fill the kitchen with the smell of cinnamon.
Cream of tartar is the secret
The one ingredient that makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle is cream of tartar. It gives the cookies their signature slight tang and soft, chewy texture, and it works with the baking soda to leaven them. Leave it out and you’ve just made a cinnamon sugar cookie — nice, but not the real thing. It’s worth keeping a little jar in the cupboard.
The cinnamon-sugar roll
Rolling each ball in cinnamon sugar before baking is what gives snickerdoodles their crackled, sparkly, spiced surface. Be generous — a good coating is half the pleasure.
Don’t overbake
Pull them when the tops are cracked and the centres still look a touch soft — they set as they cool. Overbaking is the number-one reason snickerdoodles come out hard instead of tender.
Make it yours
- Chai twist: add cardamom, ginger, and a pinch of clove to the coating.
- Extra chew: a spoonful of brown sugar in the dough.
- Make ahead: freeze the dough balls and bake fresh.
- Bigger or smaller: adjust the bake time to size and keep them soft-centred.
Cool them just enough to hold, then pile them up. Soft, spiced, and gently tangy, snickerdoodles are one of the easiest and most welcome cookies on any holiday tray.
At a glance
Cinnamon-Sugar Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; mix in to a soft dough.
- Roll into balls and roll each in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
- Space on lined trays. Bake at 190 °C for about 10 minutes until the tops are cracked and just set.
- Cool on the tray a few minutes to finish setting, then move to a rack.
Frequently asked questions
Why do snickerdoodles need cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar is the defining ingredient. It gives snickerdoodles their subtle tang and their soft, slightly chewy texture, and it reacts with the baking soda to leaven them. Without it, you essentially have a cinnamon sugar cookie — pleasant, but not a true snickerdoodle. If you don't have it, you can substitute baking powder for both the cream of tartar and soda, but you'll lose some of that characteristic tang.
How do I keep snickerdoodles soft and chewy?
Don't overbake them — pull them when the tops are cracked and the centres still look slightly soft; they finish setting on the tray. Overbaking is the main reason snickerdoodles turn hard. Using more butter and not overworking the dough helps too, and storing them in an airtight container (with a slice of bread, if you like) keeps them tender for days.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. The dough chills and keeps well for a day or two in the fridge, or you can roll it into balls and freeze them (coat in cinnamon sugar before or after freezing). Bake from frozen with an extra minute or two. Like most holiday cookies, snickerdoodles are a good make-ahead — the baked cookies also freeze well and thaw quickly.