I absolutely love a good snickerdoodle! They’re the cinnamon-coated cousin to the sugar cousin. Snickerdoodles are like sugar cookies but with a little extra razzle-dazzle! In my humble opinion, just like sugar cookies, these are best served warm, soft, and chewy with ever so slightly crispy edges.
If you can’t tell by now, I basically love snickerdoodles. If I were a cookie, I’d be this one. Now that I’ve gushed over my outrageous love for this cookie, let’s get into a little bit more about how to make the perfect one and where it got its super cute and unique name from!
What is the Difference Between Sugar Cookies and Snickerdoodles?
Cinnamon. There’s your short answer. Snickerdoodles are characterized by their “cracked” tops which comes from being rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Sugar cookies are only rolled in sugar. Also, sugar cookies don’t usually call for the use of cream of tarter, whereas snickerdoodles do. Overall these two fun cookies are similar and both are holiday favorites that transport you back to your childhood at grandma’s house.
Why Do They Call it a Snickerdoodle?
The word is honest to goodness fun to say, but where in the world does it come from? Have no fear, I have your answer here! The cinnamon-coated cookie is said to have been around since the late 1800s and to be of German, Dutch or British descent. Most people are leaning more towards German, however. The Joy of Cooking claims the name comes from the German word Schneckennudeln, which means snail dumpling. Another fascinating theory is that the name comes from the Dutch word Schnecke, which means snail-like shape.
Cream of Tartar Substitute
Most snickerdoodle recipes call for cream of tarter. Just in case you’re not really sure what it is in the first place, I’ll tell you. Cream of tartar is potassium bitartrate, a byproduct of winemaking. Just a little makes your cookies soft and fluffy or it can make you the perfect mile-high meringue. I wouldn’t suggest skipping it because the acid in cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles its unique tangy flavor. It also prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing and making your cookies crunchy. Because no one likes a crunchy snickerdoodle, honey. However, if you don’t have any cream of tartar on hand, here are a few substitutes for cream of tartar. These are the ones that will best work in the use of this recipe! There are plenty more substitutions that can be used, such as yogurt or buttermilk.
- substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder
- substitute 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe
Easy Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar I like to use cane sugar because of the texture but granulated sugar is fine
- 1/2 cup brown sugar both light and dark brown sugar will work
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar and 2 sticks of butter to a bowl and mix well. Combine until smooth.
- Add 2 eggs to the bowl, one at a time, and mix well. Set this bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, add 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and mix well.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in about 3 batches. Mix well after each batch.
- Then add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the batter. Mix well.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. You do not have to chill the dough, but it is much easier to roll the dough into a ball if it is chilled a little.
- Mix 2 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon and 2 tsp of sugar ina little bowl.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop the cookies. Then roll the dough into a ball with your hands. Next gently roll the ball of dough through the cinnamon sugar mixture and place the dough on the prepared pan.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Every oven is different and the size of your cookies may be different than mine. My cookies scoop uses about 2 tablespoons of dough. I baked my cookies for about 9 minutes. Remember DO NOT OVERBAKE the cookies! The cookies will look a little puffy when you remove them from the oven. Remember that the cookies will continue to cook on the pan even when they're removed from the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for ten minutes after you remove them from the oven. Then move them to a cooling rack.
