Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies

Recipe Ingredients

A good snickerdoodle cookie isn’t complicated, it’s iconic, and it only takes a handful of basic ingredients to make a batch. Here’s what you’ll need.

Shortening and Butter: Both fats bring something different to the table. Shortening adds tenderness and fluffiness to the cookie, while butter adds flavor and crispiness.

Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and tenderness.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the right balance of chewiness to tenderness.

Eggs: Eggs contribute to the height of the cookies as well as the texture.

Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar adds a unique tanginess to the cookie, which sets it apart from sugar cookies and makes it a classic snickerdoodle.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Baking soda gives the cookie a little lift and cinnamon gives the cookie its distinctive flavor.

Cookware You’ll Need

Here’s the equipment you’ll need to make homemade snickerdoodle cookies.

Cookie Sheets: Cookie sheets (without sides) are preferable to baking pans (with sides), as they allow for more even baking. It's also helpful to have at least two cookie sheets, so one can be in the oven while you're scooping the next batch.

Cookie Scoop: A cookie scoop helps create more uniform cookies. We suggest using one that is 1 1/4-inches in diameter (#50 size). A soup spoon will also do the trick.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: Mixing bowl, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cooling rack.

How to Make Snickerdoodles

Just a few easy steps is all it takes to get these cinnamony snickerdoodle cookies out of the oven.

1. Mix Wet Ingredients

Soften butter on the counter until your finger leaves an imprint (see our How to Soften Butter instructions). Beat the butter with the shortening, sugar, and eggs into a light, fluffy mixture.

2. Mix in Dry Ingredients

Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated into the wet ingredients and a soft dough forms.

3. Roll Dough Balls in Cinnamon Sugar

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop, if you have one, or a spoon to measure out the dough for the cookies. Roll into balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake and Serve

Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake until the cookies are set and no longer look wet. They may be slightly browned, just around the edges. Cool on a rack and enjoy!

Possible Variations

Over the years, our bakers have made our snickerdoodle cookie recipe their own by making a few simple changes. Here are a couple of ideas.

Use Browned Butter: For an extra rich, nutty flavor, Susanxyz shares, “Awesome recipe. I followed the directions but made 1 change…instead of using 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening I used 1 cup of browned butter. They came out delicious.”

Add Some Vanilla: To add additional flavor, try adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients like LindsOak, “...they taste amazing!!”.

Once you’ve mastered our classic snickerdoodle cookies, try our other snickerdoodle recipes. For a great shortcut to cookie making, take a look at our cake mix snickerdoodles. No time to make cookies, we’ve got you covered with our snickerdoodle bars.

Storing and Reheating

Use these tips to keep your cookies tasting just as good as the day you made them:

Room Temperature Storage

Store cooled snickerdoodles in a tightly covered food storage container or resealable food storage bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freezer Storage

• Baked Cookies: Store in covered food storage container or a resealable freezer food storage bag up to 2 months.

• Unbaked Cookies: Place pre-portion dough balls (don’t roll them in the cinnamon sugar) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze uncovered for 1 to 2 hours. Once hard, transfer the cookie dough to a resealable freezer food storage bag. Store in the freezer up to 6 months.

Thawing and Baking

• Baked Cookies: Thaw cookies at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

• Frozen Dough Balls: Place premeasured dough balls on cookie sheet. Let stand at room temperature until thawed, about 30 minutes. Roll in cinnamon sugar, then bake as directed in recipe.

Why Betty Users Love This Recipe

Our bakers have told us how much they love our snickerdoodle cookie recipe, with their hundreds of 5-star reviews. While there are so many reasons for their affection for this classic snickerdoodle, here are few that come up time and again.

They appreciate how easy the recipe is to prepare. With just a few straightforward, simple steps, it’s a great choice for both beginning and experienced bakers.

Of course, you can’t beat its nostalgic flavor. Many readers think these cinnamon sugar cookies bring back fond memories of their childhood. Gerybery87 shares, “Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Ever. 5 Stars We've been baking Betty Crocker's Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe for over 50 years.”

And, like any good recipe, these snickerdoodles have become family favorites for many bakers who note that their loved ones can’t get enough!