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Snickerdoodles

This classic Snickerdoodle recipe yields tender, chewy cookies with a delightful cinnamon-sugar coating. Using a blend of butter and shortening, the dough is quickly prepared, rolled into balls, coated, and baked until perfectly soft. An easy and rewarding treat for any occasion.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Calories 2515.5 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Electric Mixer
  • 2 Mixing Bowls One large for dough, one small for cinnamon-sugar.
  • 1 Fine-Mesh Sieve (Sifter) For sifting dry ingredients.
  • 2 Baking Sheets Ungreased, for baking cookies.
  • 1 Wire Cooling Racks For cooling baked cookies.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1/2 cup salted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar and the eggs and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, and stir into the shortening mixture.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon.
  • Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (1 tablespoon per ball), and roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake two sheets at a time until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer the cookies to wire racks for cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

The combination of butter and vegetable shortening is crucial for the signature tender interior and slightly crisp exterior of snickerdoodles. Ensure both are at room temperature for a smooth, homogenous mixture. Be mindful not to overmix the dough once the flour is added, as this can develop gluten and lead to tough cookies. Bake only until the edges are set and centers still appear soft; they will continue to firm up as they cool. For best flavor and texture, store cooled cookies in an airtight container to maintain their chewiness.