Name: Small Batch Snickerdoodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter ((room temperature)); 3/4 cups (150 g) white granulated sugar; 1 small egg ((room temperature)); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp (25 g) white granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (8 g) ground cinnamon

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Small Batch Snickerdoodles: soft, puffy, cinnamon-y, with that iconic tang typical of true bakery-style snickerdoodles! This recipe makes just 10-12 snickerdoodles and they’re ready in just 15 minutes, no chilling required! Get your snickerdoodle fix now!

Small Batch Snickerdoodles

I’m bringing you guys a small batch of snickerdoodles today. This recipe makes 10-12 snickerdoodles ⎯ and, best thing, they’re the soft and puffy kind (I don’t do thin and crispy, sorry thin and crispy team!).

They’re really soft, cinnamon-y, and have that iconic tang that’s typical of snickerdoodles. The tanginess is given by cream of tartar which is one of the key ingredients for these cookies, without it you’d just have a soft cinnamon-flavored sugar cookie!

They come together in just 15 minutes and are the perfect amount for random cravings or small gatherings! And if you want more next time, you can always double this recipe!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

True snickerdoodle flavor. The iconic snickerdoodle flavor is given by cinnamon and cream of tartar. You need the warmth of cinnamon and the tanginess of cream of tartar in order to get a real snickerdoodle.
Soft and puffy. There’s two teams when it comes to these cookies: soft and puffy or thin and crispy. With this recipe, you’ll get the softest puffiest snickerdoodles ever!
No leftovers. This recipe makes just 10-12 cookies!
Quick and easy, these cookies are ready in just 15 minutes and don’t require any chilling! Perfect for last-minute bakes and the Holidays!

Ingredients

Flour. Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.

Baking soda. Authentic snickerdoodles rely on the chemical reaction of baking soda and cream of tartar in order to raise and turn out soft and puffy. When both ingredients meet, carbon dioxide is released which causes cookies to rise and develop a soft texture.

Cream of tartar. As explained above, cream of tartar works together with baking soda as a leavening agent but that’s not the only reason why you want to use cream of tartar for snickerdoodles. Yes, baking powder would give you a similar result when it comes to texture but you want to use cream of tartar because that’s what gives snickerdoodles their iconic tangy flavor. Without that, they would just be cinnamon sugar cookies!

Salt for flavor.

Butter. Make sure it’s room temperature and unsalted.

Sugar. Use white granulated sugar and make sure you have enough for the dough and for the cinnamon sugar topping.

Eggs. This recipe uses just 1 small egg. If you have medium or large eggs on hand, you want to crack one of those into a separate small bowl, beat it well, and then only use half of the beaten or 1/4 if it’s a very large or extra large egg.

Vanilla extract for flavor.

Cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping. Snickerdoodles are rolled in cinnamon sugar right before baking!

How to make Snickerdoodles

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

STEP TWO: Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

STEP THREE: Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, use a mixer or stand-mixer to cream the butter and sugar until creamy and light in color (about a minute). Then add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Do not overmix or the butter may curdle.

STEP FOUR: Combine the dry ingredients into the wets and mix until combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky, you should be able to roll it with your hands with no problems.

STEP FIVE: Roll into cinnamon sugar. Make the cinnamon sugar by adding sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl or plate. Roll about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough until round and smooth, then roll it into the cinnamon sugar twice and place it onto your prepared baking sheets.

STEP SIX: Bake until puffy but still soft in the center. Turn remove them from the oven, allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool down completely. Enjoy!

Can I make these ahead of time?

To make these ahead of time, I recommend freezing the dough once is rolled out and into cinnamon sugar.

To do that, follow the recipe through step 5, place all the cookies onto a single baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Once the cookie balls are frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

When ready to bake, transfer the frozen cookies to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, thaw on the counter for 20 minutes, then bake as instructed (step 6). You might need an extra 1-2 minutes of baking.

How do I store snickerdoodles?

Store your snickerdoodles in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Keep in mind that they may dry up overtime but overall these cookies are very forgiving and will stay soft for up to 2-3 days (this may vary depending on where you live though).

HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you'll love this Small Batch Snickerdoodles Recipe as much as I do!

PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘