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A plate of classic snickerdoodle cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar

Classic Snickerdoodles

Soft, puffy butter cookies with a gentle tang, rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked until crackly on top and tender in the middle. Grandma's everyday cookie jar classic.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 115
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
For rolling
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C); line two baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Beat softened butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy ~2 min; beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla, until smooth.
  3. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt in a medium bowl; stir into butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
  4. Stir the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl for rolling.
  5. Roll dough into balls about 1 1/4 inches across (roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons each); roll each in cinnamon sugar until well coated; place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
  6. Bake 8–10 min until puffed and crackled on top with just-set edges; centers will look soft — that is exactly right.
  7. Rest on pan 5 minutes (they finish setting here and stay soft), then move to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

Storage: keep in an airtight tin at room temperature up to 1 week. They stay soft for days thanks to the cream of tartar.
 
Freeze: freeze the rolled, coated dough balls up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes. Baked cookies also freeze well up to 3 months.
 
Nutrition is an estimate per cookie.