These classic easy snickerdoodles are a family favorite! The best soft and fluffy texture with crispy edges and cinnamon sugar finish for sweetness and spice in every single bite.
What I love most about this recipe is that it doesn’t require any random ingredients (a lot of snickerdoodle recipes call for cream of tartar, but not this one!) and requires no chilling time before baking. They come together in just 20 minutes and are pretty much foolproof.
As a time-strapped mom who has a self-diagnosed baking addiction, I am always striving to come up with the simplest, most joyful baking recipes that bring bold flavor fast without overcomplicating things. 9 simple pantry ingredients are all you need here.
If this resonates with you, you’ll probably love these 20-Minute Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, too!
What You Need for Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar
Alot of snickerdoodle recipes include cream of tartar because it keeps the sugar from crystallizing and contributes to its distinct soft texture with crispy edges.
But after a lot of testing, I realized that you really don’t need cream of tartar to get that perfect texture on snickerdoodle cookies.
And since that’s not an ingredient I typically have on hand, I knew I wanted to fine-tune a snickerdoodle recipe without cream of tartar, so that these cinnamon sugar cookies are accessible to even beginner or busy bakers.
These cookies are really easy, and the recipe is straightforward, so I won’t bore you with unnecessary info! The only pertinent ingredient info you need is to really make sure your butter is softened before starting to make your dough.
Oh! And I usually use all of the cinnamon sugar mixture I make for these, but if you find yourself with leftover cinnamon sugar, you can use it over the next 3 days to make Cinnamon toast. Just toast and butter your bread and sprinkle it on top!
How to Make the Easiest Snickerdoodle Recipe
How to Make Simple No-Chill Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough
This cookie dough, along with most all of my cookie recipes, can be made in one bowl. You’ll just need a separate bowl to put the cinnamon sugar in to coat the dough in before baking.
And since it’s mixed up all in one bowl, the order in which you add things matters.
Pro tip: If you enjoy licking the bowl more than the actual cookies, check out this 10-Minute Edible Snickerdoodle Dough instead!
Cream the butter and sugar together first to aerate the butter—this will give you the softest center on your cookies.
Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Finally, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine. Easy as that.
How I Completely Coat My Cookies in Cinnamon Sugar
Mix up your cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Then, I like to use a large cookie scoop to portion out my dough. I roll them in between clean hands to get them perfectly round, then drop them in the cinnamon sugar and roll them in there to coat them.
Each cookie should have an even layer of cinnamon sugar on the outside.
How I Perfectly Bake My Snickerdoodles Every Single Time
Line your cinnamon sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet (I line mine with a reusable baking mat, but you can also use parchment paper). Leave a couple of inches of space in between each one to allow for some spreading.
Bake them on the top rack in your preheated 350°F oven for 12 minutes.
How I Store My Easy Snickerdoodles
Store your snickerdoodles in an airtight container. At room temperature, they will last about 2 weeks. I like to eat them at room temperature, so I never store mine in the fridge.
Pro tip: If you want your cookies to remain soft and chewy, store them with a piece of bread (it’s the perfect use for that end piece!). The bread actually creates a humid environment and keeps your cookies moist.
You can also opt to freeze your baked cookies for up to one year.
Why I Like to Freeze Cookie Dough
I prefer to freeze unbaked cookie dough, so that I can have a freshly baked snickerdoodle at the drop of a hat.
This is also a great option if you want to make your dough ahead of time. Just form your cookies, coat them in the cinnamon sugar, and place them in a freezer-safe bag.
You can then bake them directly from the freezer (you may want to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time). The dough will last up to a year in the freezer.
Simple 20-Minute Snickerdoodles (No Cream of Tartar)
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEIngredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a reusable baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on high to cream together the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly combined.½ cup softened unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and use the mixer again until just combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix again until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to integrate any dry ingredients stuck to the sides of the bowl.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Use a large cookie scoop or about 3 tablespoons of dough to form 8 roughly equal-sized cookies and set them on one of your lined baking sheets.
- In a shallow bowl, make your cinnamon sugar by combining the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon with a whisk or fork.1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- One at a time, roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar until they are completely coated on the outside. Line them up on the cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space in between each cookie.
- Bake on the top rack for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on some of the leftover cinnamon sugar, so that the entire snickerdoodle is coated (as they bake and spread you may notice the center is no longer covered in the cinnamon sugar). Cool completely and enjoy!
