Old Fashioned Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe - Restless Chipotle (2024)

This is one of my very favorite cookies and has been since I took my first bite. They are soft and chewy with a crispy edge that is absolutely to-die-for.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

This soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie are big, buttery cookies wrapped in a thick layer of cinnamon sugar.

They are fluffy and soft in the middle with chewy centers. Then there's the thin, crisp edge.

Seriously one of the best cookie recipes out there. No lie.

Next time try these spicy red hots snickerdoodles.

🧾 Ingredients

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and flavorings together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs.
3. Beat until fluffy and well blended.
4. Mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

5. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
6. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls. Mix the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the cinnamon together on a plate or in a bowl.
7. Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets covered with parchment.
8. Bake for 8 to10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from the sheet. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

🎥 Video

Watch me make these classic cookies from start to finish (and get even more tips!) on YouTube.

🥫 Storage

Store snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container for a day or two - or freeze for up to 3 months.

You can also form the ball of dough without rolling in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and leave them on the cookie sheet. Flash freeze and then put the dough balls in a freezer container.

When you are ready to bake the snickerdoodle cookies just put the frozen balls on a cookie sheet and bake as directed.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: You can make the dough up to two days in advance. Cover it and keep it refrigerated. Just before serving, roll in cinnamon sugar and bake.

• Always measure the flour lightly into the cup.
• If you want big, fat, puffy snickerdoodle cookies leave the dough balls in a round shape when they go in the oven. If you want them to be flatter then press them down with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar. Puffier means they will be soft snickerdoodles and flatter means they'll be chewy snickerdoodles.
• Old fashioned snickerdoodle cookies get their unique flavor from the cream of tartar so don't leave it out.
• Butternut flavoring is a combination of butter, vanilla, and almond flavors. You can leave it out completely or use almond flavor along with the vanilla extract instead.
• Add an extra egg yolk for a chewier, richer snickerdoodle cookie.
• Most people don't realize that there are many kinds of cinnamon.My favorite is the Vietnamese cinnamon because it is spicier - a bit more intense and flavorful. If there's any way you can try all of them to see what you like best you should do so! SO MUCH cinnamon goodness!
• Bake these cookies just until the edges begin to turn golden and they are set in the center.
• Let them cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. If they 're too warm they will fall apart.
• Old fashioned snickerdoodle cookies get their unique flavor from the cream of tartar so don't leave it out.

👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

• Homemade peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy.
• are perfect for lunch boxes and bake sales because everyone loves them.
• Lemon snaps are old fashioned cookies straight from grandmother's cookie jar.
• These chewy cinnamon cookies are delicious anytime but especially pretty for Christmas.

🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

• heavy cookie sheet
• parchment paper
• cookie scoop

📞 The last word

I used to never chill my snickerdoodle cookie dough before baking. I didn't see the point and it took too much time.

I wanted cookies NOW gosh durn it!

Until one day I was talking to a little old memaw in the grocery store and the subject of classic snickerdoodle cookies came up. She asked if I made them the old fashioned way with a period of chilling before baking.

I told her I didn't see the point... and right about then I got schooled by a 5 foot tall fireball. I won't go into the details but the gist of her impassioned speech was that the flour needs time to get cozy with the sugar and butter.

The next time I made these I remembered her instructions and chilled the dough balls before baking. And it's true. If you take the time to chill the dough before baking your cookies will have a better texture and flavor.

You'll likely find a lot of different recipes for these old fashioned cookies but I promise you out of all of them these are the best. You can thank memaw.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published March 10, 2016. Last updated January 26, 2023 for editorial improvements and more tips.

More Shaped & Rolled Cookies