Simple Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

I’ve examined this snickerdoodle recipe extra instances than I can depend. Many individuals really feel nostalgic for these cookies, and I needed them to be good: smooth, chewy, and filled with cinnamon-sugar goodness. Actually, I’m a little bit obsessed now.

The cream of tartar is my secret weapon. It offers the cookies their signature tang and tender texture that makes snickerdoodles so irresistible.

I like that these cookies are simple to make with easy, on a regular basis substances, but really feel particular sufficient for vacation treats. The cinnamon-sugar coating creates a traditional crackly prime that makes you need only one extra chunk… after which one other. That is my go-to recipe for the perfect snickerdoodle cookies after I need a cookie that’s each comforting and a little bit magical.

Right here’s what I exploit to make my favourite chewy snickerdoodle cookies, together with a couple of notes on why every ingredient issues:

• All-purpose flour: I keep on with simply all-purpose flour as a result of it retains the cookies gentle, fluffy, and chewy, precisely the feel I need in a traditional snickerdoodle.
• Cream of tartar: This little white powder is what makes a snickerdoodle style like a snickerdoodle. It offers the cookies that signature tang and helps them keep smooth and puffy.
• Baking soda: This helps the cookies rise simply sufficient with out spreading too skinny and crispy.
• Salt: A pinch brings out all of the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Unsalted butter: Utilizing room temperature butter permits it to cream simply with the sugar and provides the cookies a young, chewy texture. Unsalted as a substitute of salted butter lets me management the salt within the recipe, and it additionally supplies a little bit calcium increase.
• Mild brown sugar: I like a lighter colour for these cookies. The brown sugar additionally provides a little bit of chewiness and delicate caramel notes.
• Granulated sugar: I like sprinkling a little bit granulated sugar into the dough and within the cinnamon-sugar coating. It helps create that glowing crackle on prime.
• Vanilla extract: This provides heat and depth that makes the cookies really feel richer.
• Giant eggs: I all the time go along with actual eggs. They provide construction and moisture that flax eggs simply can’t replicate, and are a very good supply of protein and vitamins like vitamin A and potassium.
• Floor cinnamon: This ingredient is the star of the cookie. I combine some into the dough and a few into the sugar coating for that excellent cinnamon taste. For the coating, I combine 2 elements granulated sugar to 1 half cinnamon for that iconic snickerdoodle crackle.

I’ve examined this recipe numerous instances. Right here’s my step-by-step method to excellent snickerdoodle cookies:

1. Measure and blend the dry substances. Earlier than I begin mixing, I prefer to measure the whole lot out first. (Use a kitchen scale for essentially the most correct measurements!) It makes the method a lot smoother and prevents mid-recipe surprises. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt so the leavening distributes evenly.
2. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the room-temperature butter with the brown and granulated sugar till the combination turns into pale, fluffy, and barely ethereal. This step provides air to the dough, which helps give the cookies their smooth, tender texture.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine within the eggs and vanilla simply till the whole lot is mixed. I all the time cease mixing as quickly because the batter comes collectively. Overmixing could make cookies harder as a substitute of soppy.
4. Mix moist and dry substances. Gently combine the dry substances into the moist substances till no flour pockets stay. The dough ought to look smooth and really feel barely sticky however nonetheless simple to scoop.
5. Chill the dough. Refrigerate the dough for at the very least 2 hours. (In a single day is even higher!) Chilling corporations up the butter so the cookies don’t unfold an excessive amount of within the oven, and it additionally offers the flour time to hydrate for a greater texture.
6. Preheat the oven and prep the cinnamon sugar. Warmth the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. I like a 2:1 sugar-to-cinnamon ratio for the perfect taste and snickerdoodle crackle.
7. Kind and coat the cookies. Scoop the dough with a tablespoon and roll it into balls. Roll every one within the cinnamon sugar till totally coated. For an additional sugary end, I typically roll them twice.
8. Bake the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, simply till the tops begin to crack. Don’t overbake! I like pulling them out when the facilities nonetheless look barely underbaked. They’ll proceed setting as they cool.
9. Cool and serve. Resist the urge to seize these instantly. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for two minutes earlier than shifting them to a wire rack. This helps them set with out breaking and retains the facilities smooth. In the event you skipped the double roll earlier, you can too dip the nice and cozy cookies in cinnamon sugar right here for additional sweetness.

The traditional cinnamon-sugar model is difficult to beat, however this recipe can be simple to customise. If you wish to change up the flavour, texture, or substances, listed below are a few of my favourite methods to tweak these snickerdoodles:

• Enjoyable add-ins: Raisins add chew, and cinnamon chips soften barely and add little bursts of heat spice. Chocolate chips work properly for a sweeter twist. For an additional traditional, strive my recipe for the perfect Wholesome Chocolate Chip Cookies!
• Greater and thicker: If I need bakery-style snickerdoodles, I make bigger cookie scoops with my dough. Greater cookies may have an additional minute or so within the oven.
• Brown butter model: For a nuttier taste, brown the butter earlier than mixing the dough. Simply let it cool earlier than creaming it with the sugar so the dough doesn’t get too smooth.
• Gluten-free: A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour often works properly as an alternative choice to the all-purpose flour on this recipe. In the event you’re searching for lightened-up treats, browse my wholesome cookie recipes for extra desserts for each weight-reduction plan!
• Dairy-free butter: For a cholesterol-free, dairy-free possibility, vegan butter can work properly. Simply select one designed for baking with a good quantity of saturated fats so the

I like serving these snickerdoodles after I need one thing easy and assured to make folks joyful. They’re excellent contemporary from the oven with a chilly glass of milk or a heat mug of espresso. The smooth, chewy facilities and cinnamon-sugar coating make them nice for dunking.

These cookies additionally make a terrific addition to vacation cookie platters or as edible presents for neighbors, lecturers, or associates. I like pairing them with a couple of completely different cookie flavors, like my Maple Sugar Cookies or my Swedish Spritz Cookies, for selection. 

If you wish to get a little bit inventive, use 2 snickerdoodles to make an ice cream sandwich. Simply add a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream within the center and gently press the cookies collectively. Love cookie sandwiches? Strive my Ginger Molasses Whoopie Pies subsequent.

In fact, they’re simply pretty much as good as an on a regular basis deal with. I typically bake a batch for after-school snacks, weekend baking tasks, or anytime I’m craving a traditional do-it-yourself cookie.

Let the snickerdoodles cool fully earlier than storing them. That approach, they keep smooth and chewy. I hold them in an hermetic container within the fridge for 7-10 days.

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What’s the key to smooth snickerdoodles?

For me, the important thing to smooth snickerdoodles is a mixture of cream of tartar, the correct amount of butter and sugar, and chilling the dough. The cream of tartar offers the cookies that slight tangy taste and tender chew. 

Creaming the butter and sugar collectively provides air, which makes the cookies smooth and barely fluffy, whereas the sugar additionally helps hold the facilities chewy. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading an excessive amount of, so the facilities keep thick and smooth.

Why are my snickerdoodles flat?

If my snickerdoodles prove flat, it’s often as a result of the dough was too heat or didn’t chill lengthy sufficient. Chilling the dough helps agency up the butter so the cookies unfold extra slowly within the oven. I additionally make sure that my cream of tartar and baking soda are contemporary, since these assist the cookies puff up barely. 

Can I make snickerdoodles with out cream of tartar?

You possibly can skip the cream of tartar, however they received’t have that traditional snickerdoodle tang or the identical smooth, puffy texture. You possibly can substitute a small quantity of baking powder to assist the cookies rise. They’ll nonetheless style like cinnamon sugar cookies, simply lacking that little one thing particular that makes snickerdoodles such a traditional cookie recipe. 

Can I make snickerdoodles with out a stand mixer?

You may make these with a hand mixer, however a stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes this recipe a lot simpler. I’ve examined these cookies with each, and whereas a hand mixer works completely high quality, it takes extra effort to correctly cream the butter and sugar. In the event you go that route, simply be prepared for an arm exercise!