Soft and chewy Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles have a crisp cinnamon-sugar coating with a delightfully tangy melt-in-your-mouth center. With no chill time required, these quick and easy cookies can be ready in less than 45 minutes!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Now, when I say this recipe is old-fashioned, it's old-fashioned. This recipe was written by Mrs. Ronald Anfinson from Benson, Minnesota, and came from my mom's Better Crocker's Cooky Book published in 1963.
Thank you, Mrs. Ronald Anfinson- these cookies have changed my life!
A couple of minor changes were made, but this cookie is nothing short of delicious! These Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles will make the best addition to Christmas and holiday parties, potlucks, or just because you need a great cookie in your life. This is your new go-to snickerdoodle recipe!
This recipe makes roughly 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
This is one of my favorite recipes because I can make them at any time. It doesn't require any fancy ingredients and I already know I have all of the ingredients in my pantry! Here's what you will need:
- Shortening
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
Step-by-step instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the unsalted softened butter, shortening, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar ingredients.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Baking time
Place the sugared dough balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Don't overbake! They will look underdone and doughy at 8 minutes but please resist the urge to keep baking them.
How to "dip and sweep" flour
Flour is one of the most important ingredients when it comes to baking. Too much flour can cause our baked goods to be dry and crumbly. Not enough flour and our baked goods will be too soft and won't rise properly.
Stir the flour with your measuring cup a few times to make sure the flour isn't compacted. Dip the measuring cup into the flour and then sweep the excess off the top using the back of a knife.
How to soften hard cookies
Throw a slice of white bread into the container and your cookies will be perfectly soft by morning! It took me a really long time to not overmix (or overbake) cookies, but this will fix them every single time.
Once upon a time, I made about 5 dozen sugar cookies-- frosted them all and they looked beautiful. I went to try one and they were rock hard. I was so sad I thought I had ruined them all. But then I remembered that my mom always put a slice of bread in with her cookies so I thought I'd give it a shot.
It worked and they turned out awesome! They were so soft, I couldn't believe it was even the same cookie.
Long story short: always test the first batch of cookies and use bread to soften them!
Tips & tricks
Make the original recipe. To make the original recipe, use 1 full cup of shortening and leave out the butter and vanilla extract.
Use a cookie scoop. For perfectly uniform cookies that are the same size, use a cookie scoop.
Don't over bake the cookies. They'll look underdone at the 8 minute mark. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.
Use bread to soften hard cookies. If the cookies harden too much, throw a piece of sandwich bread into the container overnight. They'll be perfectly soft by the next day!
Recommended tools
- Hand Mixer. This will be the easiest way to cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, and shortening. A stand mixer can also be used.
- Cookie Scoop. Use the "1 tablespoon" cookie scoop for this recipe!
- Half Sheet. Fit more cookies on a baker's half sheet pan.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc bag on your counter for up to five days.
More Christmas desserts
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Recipe
Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ c shortening
- ½ c unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ c sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ c flour dip and sweep
- 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°. Combine butter, shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
- Blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon sugar ingredients.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place dough balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information provided is only an estimate. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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Did you enjoy Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Lora L
I had these cookies at a gathering and they are the best snickerdoodles I have ever had. I asked for the recipe which came to me as a photo of the original cookbook page "from Mrs. Tonald Anfinson". they didn't tell me if they used all shortening or a mix of shortening and butter or just butter. which way makes them the best?
OnlyPans
Hi Lora! Using a mix of both shortening and butter is the best way to make these! It will result in a snickerdoodle that is both thick and chewy!