Whether it is studying for tests or wanting a guilty-pleasure snack, baking always helps. Snickerdoodles are the fifth most popular cookies in America. Whenever I want a quick snack or want to bake to release stress, my go-to recipe is always snickerdoodles. In this article, I will be sharing some tips and hacks to make your snickerdoodles taste even better!

First and foremost, the most important ingredients for cookies, in general, are butter and sugar. Without butter, your cookies will become dry and hard lumps of dough and won’t flatten out. Without sugar, well, you won’t get that caramel flavor and your cookies will not have any taste, drier, and easier to crumble. For snickerdoodles, you typically use brown sugar because of its color and taste. However, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar with a 1:¾ ratio because granulated sugar is sweeter than brown sugar. If you are looking for airy cookies, use baking powder, not baking soda. Whipping your egg(s) will also help create a light and airy mixture. Be careful when you fold in your flour because if you knead your dough too much, you are deflating the air you whipped into your egg(s). However, if you are looking for chewy cookies, use baking soda. Cream of tartar adds a shiny gloss to the cookies, making them more appealing. However, if you don’t have the cream of tartar or don’t want to buy it, you can substitute it with greek yogurt, lemon juice, buttermilk, or white vinegar. Without further ado, here is the perfect snickerdoodle recipe!

The Perfect Snickerdoodle Recipe

Dough:

1 cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter

⅓ cup brown sugar

1 and ⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 and ¼ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Two pinches of salt

1 and ½ tablespoons cream of tartar

For dusting:

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 and ½ tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a few baking sheets of parchment paper.
2. Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup of butter for a couple of minutes, taking the time in between to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
3. Add your white sugar and brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, taking time to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again. Your mixture should not be chunky, it should be light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well, make sure you beat it long enough that it becomes smooth.
5. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar into the wet mixture. Gently beat until dough comes together. Be sure not to overbeat, as this will create tough cookies.
6. Using a large cookie scoop or a large spoon, make dough balls, about 1 and ½ to 2 inches across.
7. Dust the cookies. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Dust the cookies in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place cookies dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with about 2 inches of space in between each cookie.
8. Bake the cookies at 350 for about 8-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Be sure not to overbake snickerdoodles as it will become hard.
9. Let the cookies set up on the pan for at least 3-5 minutes before dusting with another layer of cinnamon sugar.
10. Enjoy!

Photo by Reed Geiger