Best Christmas Cookies Snickerdoodles

If you ask me, snickerdoodles are the most comforting Christmas cookies around.

These classic cinnamon-sugar treats have been a holiday staple in American homes for generations, bringing that perfect balance of soft centers and slightly crisp edges. The simple combination of butter, sugar, and warming spices fills the house with the most wonderful aroma.

Each cookie gets rolled in that signature cinnamon-sugar coating before baking, creating a crackly top that makes them instantly recognizable on any cookie platter. They’re the kind of cookies that disappear first at holiday gatherings and bake sales.

They’re an easy, reliable recipe that brings back memories of childhood Christmases – perfect for making with kids or sharing with neighbors during the holiday season.

 

Why You’ll Love These Snickerdoodles

  • Quick prep time – These cookies come together in just 40 minutes from start to finish, making them perfect for last-minute holiday baking or sudden sweet cravings.
  • Basic pantry ingredients – You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already – no special trips to the store needed for these classic cookies.
  • Perfect texture – The combination of butter and cream of tartar creates that signature soft, chewy center with slightly crispy edges that snickerdoodles are famous for.
  • Kid-friendly baking project – Rolling the dough balls in cinnamon sugar is a fun activity that little helpers can easily handle, making this a great family baking experience.
 

Which Kind of Flour Should I Use?

For snickerdoodles, regular all-purpose flour is your best friend.

While you might be tempted to swap in cake flour or bread flour, all-purpose flour gives these cookies their classic, perfectly chewy texture.

Store brands work just as well as name brands here – just make sure your flour is fresh and hasn’t been sitting in your pantry for years.

Before measuring, give your flour a quick stir to loosen it up, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping directly from the bag.

This prevents you from using too much flour, which could make your cookies dry and crumbly.

 

Options for Substitutions

While Snickerdoodles have some must-have ingredients, there are still several ways you can adjust this recipe to work with what you have:

  • Cream of tartar: This is a key ingredient that gives Snickerdoodles their signature tangy taste and chewy texture. If you absolutely can’t find it, substitute with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar – but know the texture might be slightly different.
  • All-purpose flour: You can use pastry flour for a more tender cookie, or swap up to half the flour with whole wheat pastry flour. For gluten-free cookies, try a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
  • Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, that’s fine – just reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. You can also use margarine, though the cookies might spread more during baking.
  • Vanilla extract: Out of vanilla? Try almond extract (use half the amount) or maple extract for a different but nice flavor twist.
  • Rolling mixture: While the cinnamon-sugar coating is classic, you can try adding a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the mix for a different spice profile.
 

How to Know When the Snickerdoodles are Done

Keep a close eye on your snickerdoodles around the 10-12 minute mark – they should be lightly golden around the edges but still look slightly underdone in the center.

The cookies will have a crackled surface and should have spread out while baking, but the centers will appear soft and puffy.

When you gently touch the edge with your finger, it should feel set but not hard, while the middle will still be quite soft.

Remember that the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet, so it’s better to pull them out a little early than to wait until they look completely done in the oven.

 

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making Snickerdoodles is overbaking – these cookies should be pulled from the oven when they still look slightly underdone in the middle, as they’ll continue to set while cooling on the baking sheet.

Room temperature ingredients are crucial for success, so cold butter and eggs will lead to cookies that spread unevenly – take them out of the fridge at least an hour before baking, and cream the butter and sugar together until truly light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

Don’t skip the cream of tartar, as it’s what gives Snickerdoodles their signature tangy taste and chewy texture – without it, you’re just making cinnamon sugar cookies.

For perfectly round cookies, roll the dough balls between your palms until smooth before coating them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and remember to leave enough space between cookies on the baking sheet as they will spread during baking.

 

What to Serve With Snickerdoodles?

These classic cinnamon-sugar cookies are perfect for pairing with your favorite warm drinks!

A cold glass of milk is the traditional choice, but I love serving snickerdoodles alongside a steaming mug of hot chocolate or coffee on chilly winter days.

For a cozy afternoon treat, try them with chai tea or a vanilla latte – the warm spices in the drinks really complement the cinnamon flavor in the cookies.

If you’re setting up a holiday cookie platter, snickerdoodles go great next to other classic cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or shortbread for a nice variety of flavors and textures.

 

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These snickerdoodles stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Add a piece of bread to the container to help maintain their moisture – they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days. Just make sure they’re completely cool before storing to keep that perfect texture!

Freeze Baked: Already baked snickerdoodles freeze really well! Place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. It’s like having a stash of Christmas magic whenever you need it!

Freeze Dough: You can freeze the rolled cookie dough balls (before coating in cinnamon sugar) for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and bake as directed. This is perfect for having fresh-baked cookies whenever the craving hits!

Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen cookies, just let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. For the best taste, you can give them a quick 5-10 second warm-up in the microwave – they’ll taste just like freshly baked!

 
Preparation Time20-30 minutes
Cooking Time8-10 minutes
Total Time28-40 minutes
Level of DifficultyMedium
 

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (for rolling)
 

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Sheets

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to facilitate easy cleanup.

 

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine 2 ¾ cups (330 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¾ teaspoon of salt.

Whisk these ingredients together until they are well mixed and set the bowl aside.

 

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together 1 cup (226 grams) of unsalted room temperature butter and 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar on medium speed.

Continue mixing for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

 

Step 4: Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla

Crack 2 large room temperature eggs into a small bowl to check for shells.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between additions.

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the mixture and mix until fully combined.

 

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

With the mixer set to low, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Mix until just combined, with some streaks of flour remaining.

Finish mixing the dough by hand with a spatula to ensure there are no streaks of flour or pools of butter.

 

Step 6: Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Coating

In a separate bowl, mix together ⅓ cup of granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon to create the cinnamon sugar for rolling.

Using a tablespoon or a triggered ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and roll it into balls.

Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.

 

Step 7: Bake the Cookies

Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few inches apart.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are puffed, spread, and have a little crinkling and wrinkling on the top.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy your chewy snickerdoodle cookies!


6 thoughts on “Best Christmas Cookies Snickerdoodles”

  1. Followed this recipe, I made about 11 cookies and have a lot of leftover dough. Not sure where I went wrong but my cookies are similar to biscuits in shape, they never flattened out. They are thick like a cake. Flavor is immaculate!

    Reply
  2. I made 30 cookies with this recipe. The only thing I did differently was I flattened them out so they wouldn’t be ball shaped. They came out perfect!

    Reply
    • My first pan I didn’t flatten either and they are like puff balls. The rest I flattened and they spread out better. They however didn’t crinkle.

      Reply

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