Name: Snickerdoodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 cup shortening; 1½ cups granulated white sugar; 2 large eggs; 2¾ cups all purpose flour; 2 teaspoons cream of tartar; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup granulated white sugar, (for rolling); 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, (for rolling)

Snickerdoodles

I’m sharing with you today my very favorite cookie in the entire universe… the cookie I’ve loved the most since I was just a little girl: Snickerdoodles.

snickerdoodles on a plate

Snickerdoodles

My mother made snickerdoodles often when I was growing up, so I suppose I became enamored with them at a very early age. The draw most certainly must have been the sugar and cinnamon exterior, or the crunch of the cookie, or maybe it was the intrigue of the craggy cracks formed within the cookie.

jar of cream of tartar
Or maybe it was the tangy flavor of added Cream of Tartar. I’ve seen a few recipes for Snickerdoodles floating around that don’t have any Cream of Tartar in them. Just so you know… those aren’t snickerdoodles! Traditional Snickerdoodle recipes nix baking powder and use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar as a leavening agent instead. But Cream of Tartar does much more than that… it imparts a tangy flavor to the cookie, making it recognizable as “the Snickerdoodle.”

cookie dough balls sitting in cinnamon sugar

There’s are a couple more ingredients that make a Snickerdoodle a Snickerdoodle for me. The first is shortening. I’m not one to ever really use shortening in any recipes, let alone cookie recipes. But for these cookies, they are the key to making them crispy and wonderful.

balls of snickerdoodle cookie dough

And of course a good roll in sugar and cinnamon is the key to the crunchy, cinnamony sweet exterior.

snickerdoodle cookies

When they’re baked, Snickerdoodles crackle apart. It’s their signature look.

snickerdoodle cookies

You know how every fingerprint is unique? Every crackly Snickerdoodle is unique too. They just sort of crack every which way. Okay by me.

Gosh I love these guys. How about you… are you a Snickerdoodle fan or do you have another classic favorite?

Favorite snickerdoodle-themed recipes:

5 from 1 vote

Snickerdoodles

By RecipeGirl.com

Without a doubt, Snickerdoodles are my favorite type of cookie!

Prep: 20

Cook: 10

Chill Time: 1

Total: 1 30

Servings: 36 cookies (1 per serving)

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Ingredients

Instructions

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together shortening, sugar and eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and stir into wet mixture. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to roll cookie dough into small balls (about 1½ tablespoons each). Roll balls in the sugar/cinnamon, and place on an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are flattened and look crinkly. Let cool on cookie sheets at least 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For the rolling sugar: You'll have leftover sugar to throw away after rolling. I call for more than needed because I like to have a good puddle to roll them around in. Use less sugar if you don't want the waste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 129kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 51mg, Potassium: 42mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 15IU, Vitamin C: 0.002mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.