Snickerdoodles

The combination of crackly edges, chewy centers, and the taste of cinnamon sets snickerdoodles apart and makes them a favorite cookie. Our snickerdoodle recipe is an easy classic. The cookies are made with sugar, flour, and vegetable shortening, which helps give them their special texture but doesn’t add much in terms of flavor, so we also use butter for richness.

Another ingredient that sets them apart from the usual sugar cookie is cream of tartar. It's used with baking soda as the leavener rather than baking powder—and it’s the cream of tartar that also gives snickerdoodles their characteristic tang. The dough doesn’t need any chilling so you can make them from start to finish in just over 30 minutes.

What Is a Snickerdoodle?

Snickerdoodles are sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, but there are a few other things that set them apart. One is that they are flavored with cinnamon and another is that they are baked at a higher temperature and for a shorter time than most cookies. Our snickerdoodles bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for just 10 minutes. This higher heat encourages the leaveners to activate fast, puffing the centers of the cookies as they bake. Then they fall when the cookies come out of the oven, giving them their signature soft crinkly tops and crispy edges.

And, the dough isn’t chilled prior to baking—so they are quick to make.

Key Ingredients

Vegetable shortening: Some snickerdoodle cookie recipes use all vegetable shortening. We’re generally team all butter for cookies, but with this snickerdoodle recipe we go with one stick (one cup) of butter and a half cup of shortening for the unique texture it gives the cookies.

Cream of Tartar: An ingredient you might not be familiar with, cream of tartar is a dry powder that’s the byproduct of the winemaking process—a lot of science happens as the grapes ferment, and we are left with an acidic powder with the ability to lift and stabilize baking ingredients. When used in combination with baking soda, cream of tartar creates a single-acting baking powder and adds a distinctive tang to the flavor of baked goods. In snickerdoodles, this tang balances out the intense sweetness of the cinnamon sugar.

Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is America's favorite spice, appearing in everything from apple pie to cinnamon rolls to snickerdoodles. While it often plays a supporting role, cinnamon is front and center in snickerdoodles. Because of its prominent role, check your cinnamon is still fresh and has a lively scent before making this recipe.