These classic snickerdoodles are soft, pillowy sugar cookies with a hint of almond, rolled in a sweet cinnamon sugar coating.
Snickerdoodles
Want to know where snickerdoodles originated? Their exact origin is hard to find; although these classic cinnamon-sugar coated cookies seemed to have originated in the early 20th century and have Pennsylvania Dutch and New England origins. A snickerdoodle cookie is essentially a sugar cookie with a cinnamon-sugar coating and like sugar cookies, can be pillowy soft to crunchy in texture. Early recipes for snickerdoodles contained nuts and dried fruits, but most classic recipes today omit those ingredients. Snickerdoodle cookies have even inspired other snickerdoodle themed confections, like cakes, pies, muffins and breads over the years.
About this Recipe
This classic recipe for these snickerdoodles are pillowy soft sugar cookies, with a hint of almond and a cinnamon sugar coating. This classic recipe contains both cream of tartar and baking soda; some bakers say the separate addition of cream of tartar (as opposed to using baking powder, which is cream of tartar and baking soda combined) really makes a difference in the taste of these cookies.
These cookies start by sifting or whisking all of the dry ingredients of all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Then, butter and sugar are creamed together until light, then eggs and almond extract are added. The dry ingredients are incorporated into to the wet ingredients and then the dough needs chilled at least 1 hour. The dough is shaped into uniform balls of dough, then rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. See tips below for storage of these cookies.
Tips for Snickerdoodles
- Use a small sized cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon of dough) to scoop the dough first; this makes shaping the dough into uniform balls of dough easier.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container for 3 days; freeze for up to 45 days.
- Dough can be made 24-48 hours in advance; keep chilled.
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Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- baking sheets
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- small sized cookie scoop
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In medium sized mixing bowl, sift or whisk the 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the 1 cup unsalted butter, and1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light in color. Add in the 2 large eggs, one at a time, followed by the a1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Slowly add in dry ingredients, mix until all incorporated. Cover and chill the dough at least 1 hour.
- Once dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine the remaining 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Scoop the dough using a small sized cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp of dough) , then shape the dough into a round circle using hands. Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on pan 2-3 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container for 3 days; freeze for up to 45 days.
- Dough can be made 24-48 hours in advance; keep chilled.