Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and a soft dough forms.
Prepare Coating & Divide Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the coating.
- Divide the basic snickerdoodle dough into three equal portions if making all three variations, or keep it whole for a single type.
Flavor Variations (Optional)
- For Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles, fold in mini chocolate chips into one portion of dough.
- For Lemon Snickerdoodles, mix lemon zest and lemon extract into another portion of dough.
- For Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles, incorporate pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice into the final portion of dough.
Baking
- Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls, then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar coating until fully covered.
- Place the coated cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden, but the centers remain soft.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For best results, ensure your butter is at room temperature for easy creaming. Do not overbake the cookies; they should be soft and slightly underdone in the center for that classic chewy snickerdoodle texture. These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or can be frozen for longer storage.