These soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies are a traditional favorite!

Your family is sure to love these soft and chewy snickerdoodles! Simple sweetness paired with subtle cinnamon makes these the perfect treat.

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When I was a kid, the churches I grew up in would often have a fellowship event following the Sunday evening service.  These events were known as “Afterglows,” and everyone would bring snacks, finger foods, and dessert treats to enjoy together.

Around 6th or 7th grade, I began occasionally helping my mom by making a dessert of some type to bring to the Afterglows.  The desserts were never anything fancy–usually some type of brownies, no-bake cheesecake, or cookies.  Brown-eyed Susans and snickerdoodles were among my specialties.

During these years, I uncovered my love for baking.  It was more than just helping out around the house, it was actually fun.  I enjoyed the processes of sifting, stirring, and shaping ingredients.

But I was surprised one evening when one of the church members asked me a question.

Snickerdoodles by Request

“Can I put in a special order?  I’d like to buy some of these from you,” asked Frenchie.

Frenchie was a church member whose real name was Joe, he had a sweet tooth, and he loved the desserts I brought.  He was constantly raving about the cookies that I made, particularly the snickerdoodles.

To this day, I don’t know if he really loved them, or if he was just encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in me, but his kind words and willingness to invest in my hobby helped to build my confidence in the kitchen.

Nonetheless, he put in his order for some snickerdoodles and I’ve been making them ever since.

I’ve even branched out and started making pumpkin snickerdoodles, apple butter snickerdoodles, and chocolate snickerdoodles!

Grandma’s Snickerdoodle Recipe

I’ve used a few different recipes over the years, but nowadays I prefer an old handwritten recipe that has stood the test of time. 

If you’ve seen my recipe for Grandma Wilhelm’s pumpkin bread, you’ll know that I received a box of recipes that originally belonged to my husband’s grandmother. 

This particular snickerdoodle recipe was found in that treasure trove, and it’s spot-on.

My husband grew up eating snickerdoodles as well, and since they’re one of his favorite cookies, I guess it’s a good thing I had a little experience making them before we met. 😉

How to Make Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

If you’ve never had a snickerdoodle before, it’s sort of like a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar.  When it bakes, a pretty crackly pattern forms in the top of the cookie.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Vegetable shortening
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Flour
• Cream of Tartar
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon Sugar

How to Make These Cookies:

Mix the dough. I use my stand mixer to make the cookie dough. First, you’ll cream the shortening and sugar together, then add the eggs and mix to combine.

Add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing just until combined.

 Roll the dough. Heaping tablespoonfuls of dough are rolled into balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball.  The balls are then rolled into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Once the dough is placed into the baking sheet, I use the bottom of a glass to press them slightly flatter.

Many people leave them as-is and don’t flatten them, but I prefer the texture and consistency of the flatter cookies.

Bake. As with most cookies I make, I underbake them ever-so-slightly, which results in a soft, chewy cookie with crisp edges.  Basically, perfection. 

If you prefer your cookies to be crispier, simply bake for a couple more minutes.

When they’re initially removed from the oven, the cookies will look like they aren’t *quite* fully baked, as you can see in the picture below. 

They’re also a little bit puffier at this point.  But as they cool, they reach that “just right” texture and thickness.

You Might Also Enjoy these Delicious Cookie Recipes:

• How to Make Perfectly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The Best Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• How to Make Bakery Style Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Easy Brownie Mix Cookies
• Snickerdoodles without Cream of Tartar

These easy snickerdoodles really are a classic cookie that you can’t go wrong with. 

They’re not-too-sweet and the hint of cinnamon is a subtle change that sets these apart.

Plus, the crackly tops and sugar sparkles on top means they’re pretty, too.  Perfect for gifting or bringing to a get-together!

And who knows?  People might start hitting you up for special orders, too. 🙂

Recommended Equipment:

• Electric Mixer (stand mixer or handheld)
• Baking Sheets