Easy snickerdoodle cookies
Snickerdoodles are A festive favourite for many people. They’re a deliciously soft and chewy cookie flavoured with cinnamon but best of all they’re really easy to make.
Snickerdoodles are a classic Christmas cookie and are particularly popular in the USA. They might be a little less well known here in the UK but I think it’s time that changed. If you’ve never tried them before you can expect a delicious, soft and chewy cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon/sugar coating gives a tasty Christmasy flavour and certainly made the kitchen smell very festive when they were baking.
If you’ve never tried one before, once you have i’m sure they’ll become a firm festive favourite in your house.
Why are snickerdoodles called snickerdoodles?
That’s a really good question. I love the name snickerdoodle – I think if they were just called some regular like a soft cinnamon cookie we may never have tried them, but with such a great name who could resist?!
No one is very sure where the name comes from. The cookie itself gained it’s popularity in New England in the USA, but it’s thought it may originate from Germany so perhaps comes from the word ‘Schneckennudel.’
How can kids make this easy snickerdoodle recipe?
These were a really easy and fun bake for the kids to make. As well as the usual measuring and mixing all the ingredients out to make the snickerdoodle cookie dough, your kids can roll the cookies into balls before covering them in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. It’s a bit of a different job to do in the kitchen and very hands on which is always a fun way of getting kids involved.
How long do snickerdoodles keep?
The cookies will keep for a few days in an airtight container. As they stay soft and chewy for a few days, they make a great gift for friends and family during the holiday season.
What does the cream of tartare do in snickerdoodles?
The cream of tartare in this recipe gives the cookies their distinct tangy flavour and ensures they stay nice and soft and chewy. If you don’t have any, it’s worth trying to find some rather than swapping it for something else, otherwise you’ll just end up with a cinnamon flavoured sugar cookie rather than a snickerdoodle.
Do I need to chill the cookie dough before baking?
Yes. These cookies will spread a bit in the oven, but if you pop them in the fridge for a bit before you bake them, they should’t spread too much.
Other easy Christmas bakes for kids
Find all of our easy Christmas baking recipes or check out some of our favourite Christmas bakes for kids below.
Christmas tree brownies
Easy mince pie recipe for kids
Easy gingerbread recipe for kids
Lebkuchen
Christmas buns
Chocolate crinkle cookies
Easy Christmas sugar cookies
Gingerbread house
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these snickerdoodle cookies
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Hand held mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tray
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 minutes plus 10 minutes baking
Serves: 30+ cookies
Ingredients
225g (1 cup) butter, softened
300g (1 ½ cups) caster sugar
2 eggs, large
1 tsp vanilla extract
350g (2 ¾ cups) plain/all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
For the coating
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
how to make the easy snickerdoodle UK recipe
Preheat the oven to 180C /170C Fan /350F
Cream the butter and sugar together
Measure the butter (225g) and sugar (300g) and add to a large bowl or freestanding mixer. Mix together until they are nicely combined and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again.
Mix the dry ingredients
Get your kids to add the flour (350g), cream of tartar (2 tsp), baking powder (1 tsp), and salt ¼ tsp to a separate bowl and mix them together.
Mix everything together
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and give everything a good mix until you have a nice ball of dough.
Chill the dough
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Make the snickerdoodles
Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper and chill them.
While the dough is chilling, mix the sugar (3 tbsp) and cinnamon (3 tsp) together in a small bowl.
Once the dough has cooled, take small pieces of dough and roll into approximately 1 inch (2 cm) balls. This is a good step for little kids to get involved in especially if they enjoy playing with playdough. If you give your kids the correct amount of dough, they should be able to roll the balls.
Coat the cookie balls in cinnamon sugar
Your kids can just roll the balls of cookie dough around in the bowl until all sides are covered.
Place the cinnamon sugar covered balls of cookie dough on the chilled baking trays.
Bake the snickerdoodles
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned golden and are a little but crispy on top but still soft inside.
Leave them for a few minutes, then remove them from the baking trays and pop them on a wire rack to cool and harden.
Serve and enjoy!
Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 225 g (1 cup) butter, softened
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) caster sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 350 g (2 ¾ cups) plain/all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C /170C Fan /350F
Cream the butter and sugar together
- Measure the butter and sugar and add to a large bowl or freestanding mixer. Mix together until they are nicely combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again.
Mix the dry ingredients
- Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt to a separate bowl.
Mix everything together
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and give everything a good mix until you have a nice ball of dough.
Chill the dough
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Make the snickerdoodles
- Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper and chill them.
- While the dough is chilling, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Take small pieces of dough and roll into approximately 1 inch (2 cm) balls.
- Coat the balls in sugar then place them on the chilled baking trays.
Bake the snickerdoodles
- Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned golden and are a little but crispy on top but still soft inside.
Pin the easy snickerdoodle recipe for later
If you liked these snickerdoodles, check out our other Christmas crinkle cookies and our Christmas recipes for kids.
This recipe was first published in December 2017 and reposted with new images in November 2023.
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