There’s something magical about the aroma of cinnamon wafting through the house during the holiday season. Growing up, my grandmother’s kitchen always smelled like warm cinnamon and butter during December, and these Christmas snickerdoodles bring back those cozy memories every single time I bake them.
I’ve spent years perfecting this recipe, tweaking little details here and there until I found the perfect balance of butter, sugar, and that signature cinnamon coating. The cream of tartar might seem like an unusual ingredient, but trust me – it’s what gives these cookies their distinctive tangy flavor and perfect chewy texture.
What makes these cookies special isn’t just their taste – it’s how forgiving the recipe is. Even when I’m not measuring everything perfectly (which, let’s be honest, happens more often than I’d like to admit), they still turn out wonderfully. The dough is incredibly versatile too. You can bake them right away or freeze the dough balls for later, which has saved me during many last-minute holiday gatherings.
The Secret to Perfect Snickerdoodles
The key to these cookies lies in two things: the butter temperature and the cinnamon-sugar coating. The butter needs to be properly softened – not melted, not cold, but just right. I leave it out for about an hour before baking, and sometimes I get impatient and start anyway (the cookies still turn out great, they’re just a bit denser).
As for the cinnamon-sugar coating, don’t be shy when rolling the dough balls. Really press the mixture in to get that perfect coating. Sometimes I make extra coating mixture because I tend to be generous with it.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (I prefer fine ground)
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Coating:
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper – this isn’t strictly necessary, but it makes cleanup so much easier.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, and salt. The cream of tartar might look a bit clumpy at first, but keep whisking until everything’s well combined. (source:Ineskohl.info)
- In a large bowl (or your stand mixer bowl), cream the softened butter and sugar together on low speed for 2-3 minutes. You’re looking for a soft, creamy consistency. The mixture should look lighter in color when it’s ready.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to your butter mixture. Mix on low for another 2-3 minutes until everything looks light and airy. The mixture should have a pale, almost fluffy appearance.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. If you’re using a stand mixer, do this in two batches to avoid a flour cloud explosion (learned that one the hard way). Mix until just combined – the dough might look a bit crumbly, but don’t worry, it’ll come together when you start scooping.
- In a small bowl, mix together the white sugar and cinnamon for the coating.
- Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons if you’re going old school), form the dough into balls. Drop each ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll it around, making sure it’s well-coated.
- Place the coated dough balls on your prepared baking sheet. Use a flat-bottomed glass or spatula to gently flatten each cookie – they don’t spread much during baking, so this helps them get that classic snickerdoodle shape.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies might look slightly underbaked when you take them out, but they’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet. Let them rest on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make-Ahead Tips
These cookies are perfect for planning ahead during the busy holiday season. You can freeze the dough balls (before rolling in cinnamon-sugar) for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, let them thaw for about 30 minutes, roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and bake as directed. You might need to add an extra minute to the baking time.
The finished cookies keep well in an airtight container for about a week, though they rarely last that long in my house. They also make wonderful gifts – I often package them in mason jars with a festive ribbon for holiday presents.
This recipe yields about two dozen perfectly soft, buttery cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon warmth. They’re exactly what you want on a cold winter day with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. And while they’re especially perfect for Christmas, I find myself making them all year round. After all, there’s never a wrong time for a good snickerdoodle.
