Christmas Snickerdoodles: Soft & Chewy Cinnamon-Sugar Holiday Cookies

The smell of cinnamon and butter coming out of the oven is what gets everyone in my house into the kitchen. I've made a lot of holiday cookies over the years — spritz cookies, cut-out sugar cookies, those chocolate crinkles my husband loves — but every December, Zainab starts asking for snickerdoodles specifically. Not decorated. Not frosted. Just those crinkly, sugar-dusted rounds that taste like the holidays condensed into a single bite.

What I like about snickerdoodles is that they don't try to be anything complicated. Butter, sugar, flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon — that's basically it. The cream of tartar is the thing that makes them taste like snickerdoodles and not just a plain sugar cookie. It gives them a tiny tang that's hard to explain but very easy to notice if it's missing. I've made these without it by accident (grabbed the baking powder instead) and the cookies were fine, but they were missing something. Don't skip the cream of tartar.

I make these every Christmas, usually in two batches because one disappears before it cools. Zainab eats them straight from the baking sheet, which I pretend not to notice. My husband likes them on day two when they've softened a little more. If you're planning a holiday cookie tray this year, these belong on it — they're also one of the easiest things you can put together with kids. Rolling the dough balls in cinnamon sugar is genuinely fun for small hands.

One thing to set your expectations on: these cookies look done before they are. The centers will still look slightly underbaked when you pull them from the oven. That's correct. They'll firm up as they cool on the pan for those 5 minutes, and if you wait them out, you'll get that soft-chewy texture snickerdoodles are supposed to have. I overbaked my first three batches because I kept thinking they needed more time. They didn't. If you love soft holiday cookies, you'll want to check out my No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake too — another easy holiday dessert that never lasts long in my house.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Only one bowl for the dough: I mix the dry ingredients in one medium bowl and do everything else in a large bowl — that's it. There's no stand mixer required here. I use a wooden spoon or a handheld electric mixer, both work perfectly. Fewer dishes on a holiday baking day matters more than people give it credit for.

• That cinnamon-sugar coating bakes into something special: Rolling the dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking creates those crinkly, slightly crispy edges with a soft center. The sugar caramelizes a little on the outside while the inside stays chewy. It's a texture thing that I genuinely look forward to every year.

• Beginner-friendly without being boring: This isn't a recipe that requires precision piping or complicated technique. If you can roll dough into a ball and coat it in sugar, you're already halfway there. I've made these with Zainab since she was small, and they come out well every time regardless of who's doing the rolling.

• They're genuinely great on day two: A lot of cookies dry out overnight. These don't — stored in an airtight container, they actually get a little softer. I make them the night before any holiday gathering so I'm not baking the morning of, and they're just as good (honestly sometimes better) the next day.

• Freezer-friendly: I freeze the baked cookies in a zip-lock bag and pull them out as needed through the holiday season. Let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and they're back to normal. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls — just roll them in the cinnamon sugar right before baking.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the cinnamon-sugar coating:
• 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Parchment is what I always use — it makes cleanup effortless and nothing sticks.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside. Whisking is better than just stirring — it distributes the cream of tartar and baking soda more evenly through the flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until it looks pale and fluffy — about 3 to 4 minutes with a hand mixer, or a bit longer by hand. This step matters; don't rush it. Properly creamed butter makes the cookies spread and bake evenly.
4. Add the egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined. The mixture will smooth out and look glossy.
5. Add the dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough just comes together. Stop as soon as there are no more flour streaks — overmixing makes these cookies tighter and less tender.
6. Make the cinnamon-sugar coating: In a small bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball generously in the coating until fully covered.
7. Bake: Place the coated dough balls on your baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the tops have cracked. The centers will still look soft — that's what you want. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.

Tips for Success

• Your butter really does need to be soft: Cold butter won't cream properly with the sugar, and you'll end up with a lumpy, dense dough. I leave mine out on the counter for about an hour before I start. If you forgot and your butter is still cold, cut it into small cubes and let it sit for 20 minutes — that speeds things up. Don't microwave it, you'll melt it unevenly and the whole texture changes.

• Don't overbake — I mean it: The cookies will look underdone when you pull them out. The centers should still look soft and barely set. They finish cooking on the hot pan during that 5-minute rest. Every time I've baked these a minute or two too long, I've ended up with cookies that are fine but not great — they lose that chew and get more crisp than I want.

• Chill the dough if you want thicker cookies: If you refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before rolling, the cookies won't spread as much and you'll get a thicker, puffier result. I usually skip this step when I'm in a rush, and the cookies are still great — just a touch flatter. Either way works.

• Be generous with the cinnamon-sugar coating: Roll each ball until it's fully, visibly coated — don't be shy. That coating is where a lot of the flavor lives. I've made batches where I was conservative with the sugar mixture and you could tell. The crackle on the outside needs that full coat to happen properly.

• Consistent dough ball size helps everything bake evenly: I use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to portion the dough so every ball is the same size. If you don't have a scoop, use a tablespoon measure and roll by hand. Uneven sizes mean some cookies are done while others need more time, and you end up guessing.

Variations

• Add nutmeg for a more Christmas-y flavor: Mix ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg into the cinnamon-sugar coating. It adds warmth that makes these taste more specifically holiday-ish rather than just cinnamon cookies. I started doing this a couple of years ago and now it's just how I make them. A tiny bit of nutmeg goes a long way.

• Chocolate version: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for a chocolate-cinnamon hybrid that's genuinely good. The chocolate makes the flavor a little deeper and more complex. I roll these in the same cinnamon-sugar coating and they look beautiful — dark cookie with a sparkly sugar crust.

• Gluten-free version: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend (the kind that already has xanthan gum in it, like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur's measure-for-measure). I've done this for a friend who avoids gluten and the texture was close enough that nobody noticed the difference. The chew is slightly different but still good.

• Holiday sprinkles: Press a few red and green sprinkles onto the tops of the dough balls before baking for a more visually festive cookie. This is purely decorative but it makes them look great on a Christmas cookie plate. Zainab does this step every year and considers it her official contribution.

• Brown butter version: Brown the butter before creaming it with the sugar for a nuttier, more caramel-like flavor. Let it cool to solid before using — this takes about an hour in the fridge or 20 minutes in the freezer. It's extra effort but worth it if you want something that feels a little more elevated. I do this version when I'm making cookies for a gift rather than just for the family. Pair these with a batch of M&M's Brownies for a holiday cookie box that covers all the bases.

Serving and Storage

Serving

These are best slightly warm, about 10 to 15 minutes out of the oven when the centers are still a little soft. Serve them on a cookie tray alongside something chocolatey — the cinnamon-sugar flavor pairs really nicely with something richer. A glass of cold milk is the obvious pairing, but I've served them with hot chai and it works surprisingly well. If you're building a full holiday dessert spread, these go nicely next to something creamy like my No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature — they stay soft for up to 5 days. I put a small piece of bread in the container, which sounds strange but it keeps the cookies from drying out. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. Pull them out and let them thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar — just coat them fresh before baking and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?

You can, but the cookies will taste slightly saltier than intended. It's not a disaster — I've done it when I was out of unsalted — but if you have both, use unsalted so you control the salt level yourself. If you go with salted butter, skip the ¼ teaspoon of salt in the dough.

Can I make these without cream of tartar?

Technically yes, but they won't taste like snickerdoodles anymore — they'll taste like a cinnamon sugar cookie, which is still good, just different. If you're out of cream of tartar, substitute with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and omit the baking soda. The texture will be a bit more cakey and the tang won't be there, but they'll still bake up properly.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes — the dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered tightly. I actually think chilled dough produces a slightly better cookie (thicker, holds its shape more). Just let it sit out for 10 minutes before rolling so it's easier to work with. You can also freeze the raw dough balls for up to 2 months and bake straight from frozen — add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.

How do I get the cookies to stay soft and chewy?

Two things: don't overbake them, and store them in an airtight container. The cookies should still look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them from the oven. They'll finish setting as they cool on the hot pan. Once cooled, a sealed container keeps them soft for days — adding a small piece of bread to the container helps absorb excess air and keeps the texture from drying out.

Can I add sprinkles to these cookies?

Absolutely. Press red and green sprinkles onto the tops of the dough balls right before baking — they hold on well and make the cookies look very festive on a holiday tray. You can also roll the dough in colored sugar instead of plain white sugar for the coating if you want a more vibrant look.

Every December I tell myself I'll try a new cookie this year — something more elaborate, something with royal icing or a flavored ganache filling. And every December I end up making snickerdoodles because that's what my family actually wants. There's something about a recipe this simple working this reliably that I've stopped apologizing for. These are just good cookies. The cinnamon-sugar crust, the soft center, the faint tang from the cream of tartar — it all comes together in a way that feels like it should be harder to make than it is.

If you're new to holiday baking or you have kids who want to help, this is where I'd start. The rolling-in-sugar step is easy for little hands, and there's nothing temperamental about this recipe. The only real way to mess it up is to overbake them, and now you know to watch for that. I've sent these in tins to neighbors, brought them to school events, and served them alongside my Strawberry Buttercream Frosting sugar cookies on holiday trays. They hold their own next to everything.

Make a double batch if you're sharing. A single batch disappears fast — especially if Zainab is nearby. 🍪✨

If you liked these, here are a few more recipes worth making:

• No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake — a creamy, no-fuss holiday dessert that needs zero oven time
• M&M's Brownies — fudgy, colorful, and another easy one kids can help with
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