Go To Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are American cookie royalty. Soft, tangy from cream of tartar in the base, and rolled in cinnamon sugar that bakes into a crackled, sandy crust. This shortcut version leans on a boxed snickerdoodle mix and skips the from-scratch measuring, but the result is the same chewy classic when you nail the technique.

The cinnamon-sugar roll is the make-or-break step. Use a 1-tablespoon-to-½-cup ratio of cinnamon to sugar and coat the balls generously, pressing the coating in lightly with your palm before placing them on the sheet. A thin coat gives you a pale cookie. A heavy coat creates the bakery-style crackle that makes snickerdoodles instantly recognizable.

Space the dough balls 2 inches apart on the sheet. Snickerdoodles spread aggressively as they bake. Crowded cookies fuse together into one giant cookie sheet. Pull them at the light-tan stage. Overbaked snickerdoodles turn from tender to crisp and lose the soft, slightly chewy interior that’s their signature.

Pro Tips

• Use room-temperature butter and eggs. Cold ingredients clump in the mixer and prevent the dough from creaming smoothly.
• Roll the balls between your palms until perfectly smooth before coating. Lumpy dough bakes into lumpy cookies.
• Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack. They’re too soft to lift cleanly straight out of the oven.

Variations

• Add ½ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar for a warmer, holiday spice profile.
• Swap 1 tablespoon of cinnamon for chai spice for an aromatic twist.
• Sandwich two cooled cookies with a layer of vanilla buttercream for snickerdoodle sandwich cookies.