The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies You Never Knew You Could Bake

On a very warm and sunny December day I was in one of those moods where all I wanted to do was curl up in a cozy snowy cabin by a fire and read a book. But I was far from the mountains, so as an alternative, I decided to turn my home into a cozy den of yumminess and bake. I closed the kitchen blinds, turned on Christmas music and scoured the internet for recipes until I found this one for snickerdoodles - a cookie I was surprised to realize that I'd never tried to bake before. The recipe looked so easy and had incredible reviews so I thought, why not? Plus, I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In your KitchenAid mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt, and mix to combine.
  4. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing well between each addition.
  5. The dough should not be sticky and should not be crumbly. If it is sticky, mix in flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes not sticky. If the mixture is crumbly, mix in water one teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together.
  6. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and place on a plate.
  7. Measure dough with a 1/4 cup measure and roll into balls. Roll each ball to coat well in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
  8. Bake at 350?F for 12-15 minutes or until the center is just set.
  9. Let cool 2 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
  10. Makes 12 large cookies.
Snickerdoodle Cookies

I've now made this recipe over a dozen times and have to say that it's by far one of the best (if not the best) cookie recipes I've ever made. My husband even dared to tell me that these taste better than the Neiman Marcus cookies that my family and friends are always asking for.

Before you bake these yourself, I thought I'd share a few helpful tips that I picked up along the way:

  • Make sure the butter is room temperature before you mix with the sugar. This is key! If you are impatient like I am, you can take the butter straight from the fridge, unwrap and place in a microwave bowl and zap for about 15-20 seconds before mixing. 
  • The consistency of the dough is SO IMPORTANT. It shouldn't be too sticky or too dry/crumbly. If it's too sticky, you can add a little more flour a spoonful at a time. If it's too dry, you can add water one spoonful at a time until it's no longer crumbly.
  • Don't forget the Vanilla Extract! I forgot it one time and they weren't nearly as good
  • If you're making these for anyone besides your family (like for a dinner party or get together or something) then you should double or triple the recipe. These cookies go fast!
  • Enjoy! These cookies are really amazing! If you have any additional tips, please send them my way!
My snickerdoodle baking partner, Stella

My snickerdoodle baking partner, Stella

RecipesWhitney WilliamsComment