These soft Snickerdoodle Cookies are likely to become your new favourite cookie! Delicious vanilla cookies coated in cinnamon sugar and baked until perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Baking recipes with cozy spices are my favourite. There's just something so comforting about baking with sugar and spice and everything nice! I am happy to report that these easy vanilla snickerdoodles are just that. Like my ginger cookies and spicy oatmeal raisin cookies, these cookies are sure to warm you this winter.
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Easy Recipe! This snickerdoodle cookie dough comes together in a few easy steps.
- No Cream of Tartar - Most snickerdoodle recipes require cream of tartar, but not everyone has cream of tartar on hand. My recipe uses baking powder for the leavening agent so there is no need to run out and buy an extra ingredient!
- Delicious on Christmas cookie plates. Add these snickerdoodle cookies to your Christmas baking list alongside my easy Drop Sugar Cookies!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed for this cookie recipe.
- Salted Butter - I use salted butter in almost all of my recipes but see the substitutions below for instructions on how to use unsalted butter instead for this recipe.
- White Sugar & Brown Sugar - A combination of white and brown sugars achieves optimal texture and flavour in these cookies.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - The pudding mix powder serves two purposes in this recipe: 1. Flavour - The vanilla pudding helps create a delicious vanilla flavour in the simple cookie base. 2. Structure - These cookies have an ultra soft texture and they stay soft for days.
- Egg - Necessary for formulating a well-structured cookie.
- Honey - A little bit of honey adds flavour as well as a chewier texture.
- Vanilla Extract - A staple in any cookie recipe though exceptional in these simple cookies.
- Flour - I just use plain old all-purpose flour in cookies because it is common, inexpensive, and works great for cookies!
- Baking Powder - I just use baking powder as a leavening agent in this recipe, no cream of tartar is required.
- Salt - Just a pinch!
- Sugar & Cinnamon - A mixture of cinnamon sugar to coat the cookie dough balls before baking for that signature snickerdoodle look and taste!
See the recipe card for measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and instant vanilla pudding mix. Add the egg, honey, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Cream until fluffy and whipped.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until the flour is fully incorporated.
Step 4: Cover the bowl of dough and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the dough to chill and firm up before baking the cookies.
Step 5: Roll the cookie dough between clean hands into balls, using about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Step 6: Arrange the cinnamon sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies for spreading room.
Step 7: Bake for 8-11 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
Hint: You can make these cookies ahead to check off your list before the busy holiday season! Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container and take them out a few hours before serving to allow them to thaw.
📝 Substitutions
Most ingredients in baking recipes are integral to the structure of the recipe and cannot be omitted or replaced. However, here are a few possible substitutions for this recipe:
- Salted Butter - You can use unsalted butter. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe and you are good to go.
- Honey - Use corn syrup or cane syrup in place of honey if you don't have it or are making this recipe for someone who cannot eat honey.
❄️ Storage
These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You may also freeze these cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks (for optimal freshness).
💡 Top tip
This recipe is great for the busy holiday baking season while you are juggling multiple baking projects in the kitchen all at once! The cookie dough is fast and simple to whip up and then you can make or have something else in the oven in the hour when the cookie dough is chilling before you have to bake the snickerdoodles.
❓ FAQ
Yes! These snickerdoodle cookies freeze well. Package in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Take out a few hours before serving to thaw.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free ingredients but I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it!
🍪 More Spiced Cookie Recipes
Looking for more cookies that have spices? Try these next:
If you tried these Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies (without cream of tartar)
Equipment
- baking sheet(s)
- parchment paper or non-stick spray
- mixing bowl
- electric handheld mixer
- measuring cups & spoons
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter* softened
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix (powder)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon liquid honey*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla pudding mix. Add the egg, honey, and vanilla extract and continue beating on high speed until fluffy.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until all the flour mixture is incorporated. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Mix the ¼ cup of white sugar and the cinnamon.
- Form chilled cookie dough into balls, using about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, rolling between your hands to make it smooth. Roll each in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat before placing on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie for spreading room.
- Bake cookies, one pan at a time, in the preheated oven for 8-11 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Finish baking the remaining cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use unsalted butter, simply add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- Use corn syrup or cane syrup in place of honey if you don't have it or are making this recipe for someone who cannot eat honey.
April
These were truly soft and chewy! Best snickerdoodles I have ever made! Will definitely be saving this recipe!
Naomi Andres
Thank you for the lovely review, April! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe!
Naomi