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The Ultimate Soft, Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe featuring Cream of Tartar for Perfect Tang

Close-up of three soft, round snickerdoodle cookies stacked on a white plate, coated heavily in cinnamon sugar.
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Make the best homemade snickerdoodles that are perfectly soft, chewy, and coated in cinnamon sugar. This classic recipe uses cream of tartar for the signature tang you expect in a truly great cookie.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which helps keep your cookies soft.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix the dough.
  6. In a small, shallow bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with the 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. This is your cinnamon sugar coating.
  7. Scoop the dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Roll each dough ball first in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then roll it again for a thick coating.
  8. Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For thick and pillowy cookies, you can chill the dough balls for 15 minutes before baking.
  9. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. You want the edges set but the centers still slightly soft. Do not over bake if you want soft snickerdoodles.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool.

Notes

  • The cream of tartar is essential; it reacts with the baking soda to give snickerdoodles their unique, slightly tart flavor and helps maintain a tender texture.
  • For extra chewy cinnamon sugar cookies, slightly underbake them. They continue to cook on the hot pan after removal from the oven.
  • You can freeze the dough balls rolled in cinnamon sugar for up to three months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/ultimate-soft-chewy-snickerdoodle-recipe/