Classic Snickerdoodle cookies just like grandma made. Originating from New England in the 1800s, Snickerdoodles are soft, pillowy with a tangy flavor and rolled into cinnamon-sugar. One of my favorite cookies from my childhood.
This traditional Snickerdoodles recipe uses butter, vegetable shortening, baking soda and cream of tartar giving these cookies their signature puffy, chewy texture and cracked-top.
Growing up in New England, traditional Snickerdoodles were a classic holiday cookie. It’s believed this cookie was introduced to New England through German or Dutch immigrants.
Why this recipe works
- Nostalgic – Classic Snickerdoodle cookies originated in New England in the 1800s.
- Easy to make – Simple ingredients, readily available in your pantry. Achieve perfect cookies each and every time.
- Flavor – Soft and chewy with incredible tangy flavor with the signature cracked top.
- Texture – Pillowy soft center and slightly crisp edges.
What you’ll need
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in a recipe. Let it soften overnight on the counter.
- Vegetable shortening – Using both butter and shortening in Snickerdoodles is essential for the best results. Vegetable shortening helps keep cookies soft.
- Granulated sugar – Keeps this cookie light in texture and wonderful flavor.
- Eggs – Acts as a binder, keeping the cookie dough together and makes them soft.
- All-purpose flour – Use a high-quality brand such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
- Cream of tartar – Gives Snickerdoodles their pillowy soft, cake-like texture and tangy flavor.
- Baking soda – Leavening agent helping the cookies rise.
- Salt – Added to baking recipes, it heightens the flavor of sweets.
How to make Snickerdoodle cookies
- Make the dough – In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
Add the eggs one at a time and combine. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt until combined thoroughly. Scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. - Refrigerate – Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate or transfer the dough into a large zip-style freezer bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Roll into rounds & cinnamon sugar – Shape the dough into 1 ¼-inch balls. Roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place evenly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper, leaving a little bit of space in between each cookie. 24 cookies should fit on one half sheet pan.
- Bake – Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. Turn the sheet pans around half way through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Resist the urge to use all butter. The combination of butter and vegetable shortening makes a softer cookie. Stick to what grandma did – because she knew what she was doing.
Grandma’s recipes are always the best. Just a few of my favorite nostalgic desserts are old-fashioned pound cake, cream puffs, yellow layer cake and fried apple pies.
Snickerdoodle cookies are a must-have to our holiday cookie boxes, along with Spritz cookies, peanut butter blossoms, raspberry bars, cherry crumb bars, chewy brownies and lemon crinkle cookies.
Benefits of refrigerating cookie dough
Refrigerating cookie dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking. Leading to a more flavorful and chewy cookie.
More cookie recipes
- Molasses cookies
- Chocolate chunk cookies
- Peanut butter cookies
- Peanut butter blossoms
- Lemon crinkle cookies
- Chocolate chip cookies
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Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon sugar mixture
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the eggs one at a time and combine.
- Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt until combined thoroughly. Scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate or transfer the dough into a large zip-style freezer bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl using a spoon.
- Shape the dough into 1 ¼-inch balls. Roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place evenly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper, leaving a little bit of space in between each cookie. (24 cookies should fit on one half sheet pan.)
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Turn the sheet pans around half way through baking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking rack.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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