Bakery Style Snickerdoodles
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After making my Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka Kroll’s Kookies), I knew a snickerdoodle version had to be next!
Snickerdoodles have always been one of my all-time favorite cookies. Don’t get me wrong, chocolate chip cookies will forever have a place in my heart, but there’s just something about a soft, chewy, thick snickerdoodle that hits differently.
Most snickerdoodles tend to bake up flat, so I wanted to create a giant, bakery-style snickerdoodle cookie that’s soft in the center, barely baked, and full of cinnamon-sugar goodness. Oh, and I added some white chocolate chips for extra sweetness!
Snickerdoodles make the best holiday cookies, so if you’re looking for more snickerdoodle-flavored treats, try my Gingerbread Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Apple Butter Snickerdoodles, Brown Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles, or my Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Table Talk with Tawnie
So these Giant Snickerdoodle Cookies just got a makeover, and I think you’re going to love the updated recipe! My original recipe didn’t call for cream of tartar, but cream of tartar is what really gives these snickerdoodles their classic taste, so I wanted to add it back in! When I originally tested these cookies with and without cream of tartar, the main difference was in appearance. The ones with cream of tartar resulted in a flatter cookies with crinkly tops. So in order to make the cookies still appear thick and tall, I reduced the amount of chocolate chips (don’t worry it’s just 1/2 a cup) so that way they could still bake up tall and beautiful WITH the cream of tartar so that had that true snickerdoodle taste! I can’t wait for you to try them and let me know what you think!
- Flours: I used a combination of all-purpose and cake flour for this recipe. Cake flour is softer and lighter than all-purpose flour and I’ve found that by combining the two it gives these cookies the perfect texture. As always, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled (you can also use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients). Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need.
- Cornstarch: Seems weird to add cornstarch to cookies, right? But cornstarch is key to giving cookies that delectably soft center that’s just to die for. It also helps to keep the cookies thick and GIANT!
- Butter: Make sure to use cold, unsalted butter in this recipe. Not melted, frozen, or room temperature. Use cold butter straight from the fridge. This can be a confusing step in many recipes, and possibly, recipes have conflicting opinions on this, but this cookie is best with cold butter. To keep the butter cold, I like to get all of my ingredients ready to go, and then once it’s time to start the mixer, I take the butter out and cube it up.
- Egg + egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and helps bind the dough. Make sure both your egg and egg yolk are at room temperature.
- White Chocolate Chips: These totally elevate snickerdoodle cookies. I use the Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Chips. They add the perfect amount of sweetness and are velvety smooth.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Whisk dry ingredients
Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Combine wet & dry ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. Then add the white chocolate chips and mix again.
Portion the dough into 6 large balls and roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Do not flatten!
Bake & enjoy!
Bake for 10-11 minutes. Allow cookies to cool, then ENJOY!!
Expert Tips
- Use a mix of flours: I’ve tested this cookie recipe without cake flour, and the cookie is denser. It’s still delicious, but I just love the cake-y center when using a combination of both flours. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own homemade cake flour. To make homemade cake flour, use 14 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Mix these together and sift them twice to get them fully mixed and aerated. This will make ~1 cup of flour. You only need 3/4 cup for this recipe.
- Double up the cookie sheets: Optional, but it works! Double panning is a tip to slow the heat to the bottom of the cookie. To do so, simply flip a cookie sheet upside down. Then, place another cookie sheet on top of it (so the bottoms are touching). Place your cookies on top of the top sheet and bake your cookies!
- Barley baked: Pull the cookies out before you think they are done (~10-11 min). I bake mine in our oven for exactly 10 minutes. The cookies will continue to cook a little once you pull them out of the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Plus, we want a super gooey and soft center so please do not over bake these beauties!
- Make each cookie GIANT: 5.5 oz. to be exact. Using a food scale is easiest. I like to pinch the tops of the cookies to keep them nice and tall. Do not flatten them or use a cookie scoop to scoop out onto your cookie sheet. If you want to make the cookies smaller, that’s fine too. Adjust baking time as needed.
Think of this cookie series as a warm-up round before the gingerbread men, candy canes, and red & green sprinkles take over. These recipes will be sure to get you in the baking mood without diving headfirst into December just yet.
Variations / Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Replace both the all-purpose flour and cake flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The cookies are very similar in taste and appearance, and a great option for those who need GF cookies!
- Double the recipe: Be sure to follow the measurements exactly, and use a large enough stand mixer for all of the dough to fit.
- Smaller cookies: You can also make these into 3 oz. cookies if you want smaller cookies. Bake time will be around ~9-10 minutes.
Love all things snickerdoodle? Enjoy your favorite flavor in more than just cookies!
Storage / Freezing
- Store these cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze: Scoop the dough into balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time.
- To thaw: I like to leave them out on the counter for 30-60 minutes. Or to speed things up you can pop them in the microwave for ~30 seconds.
FAQs
Yes, you can use a hand mixer on low speed if you do not have a stand mixer. The mixture may seem crumbly; keep mixing.
No, these cookies will not flatten out like pancakes. They stay nice and sturdy even without the chill time. Woo!
When I tested this recipe using 100% all-purpose flour, the cookies seemed more dense, but still resulted in a delicious cookie recipe. For this recipe, I recommend using cake flour or “making” cake flour if you can’t find it in stores; however, you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer.
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3/4 cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar (optional but gives snickerdoodle vibes)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
- 2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, cream of tartar (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cake flour, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- Cream butter and sugars together: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cold, cubed butter with both sugars on medium speed for 1-2 minutes; it will sort of look like a paste since butter is cold. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla: Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated and smooth.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick.
- Add in chocolate chips: Add in the white chocolate chips and mix just until combined.2 cups white chocolate chips
- Form cookie dough balls: For bakery-style cookies, you’ll portion the dough into 6 large balls. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Do not flatten.1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
- Bake: Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out well. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and the tops are a little golden.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will continue to set as they cool.
Notes
- Let the cookies rest: If your cookies are turning out too gooey, let them rest longer. I recommend at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. They are even better if you let them sit and enjoy the next day. Your cookies aren’t ruined, just let them rest!
- No cake flour? No problem. I tested this recipe using a “homemade cake flour” recipe. It resulted in a very similar product, and I thought it was better than the 100% All-Purpose cookie.
- To make homemade cake flour: You’ll need 14 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Mix these together and sift them twice to get them fully mixed and aerated. This will make ~1 cup of flour. You only need 3/4 cup for this recipe.
- To measure out the flours, use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it.
- Gluten-free: Replace both the all-purpose flour and cake flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. I tested this & cookies are very similar in taste and appearance, and a great option for those who need a GF cookie.
- Update: This recipe was updated in October 2025. I decreased the chocolate chips and made a few modifications that I really think enhance the cookie. I also updated the post with new tips and photos.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Marie Dubé
I’ve made these cookies twice now and everyone I share them with has raved about them!
I don’t have a stand or hand mixer yet, so I made these by hand in a bowl using a wooden spoon (and my hands when the butter was stubborn lol) and the cookies still turned out big and puffy!
I used much less chocolate chips than the recipe called for. I did not measure, but it was probably closer to 1 cup.
I also made smaller cookies so that the recipe made 12 instead of 6. I baked the cookies for 7.5 to 8 minutes and they turned out crispy on the outside and perfectly gooey on the inside!
So glad you enjoyed them even with the modifications 🙂 I am sure this comment will be helpful for other readers, too! thank you!!
These were delicious! I normally refrigerate my pre-portioned cookie dough balls, but did not to stick true to the recipe. They spread quite a bit (but the dough was also quite sticky when I was forming the cookies. Do you think I was under on flour or should I refrigerate for a bit next time?
Hi Katie! Oh no, I am so sorry to hear. Could maybe needed a little more flour?! I never chill mine and they turn out like the photos. But also couldn’t hurt to chill them just in case 🙂
Made these cookies yesterday. They are delicious! I used much less white chocolate chips than it called for. Maybe 1 1/4 cups, but it was plenty enough for me. And I used a cookie scoop to measure them out. Will definitely make this recipe again!
They look great Lindsey! Thank you!
These are delicious snickerdoodles!!!
so happy you enjoyed them! thank you 🙂
This is a great recipe! Instead of 6 giant cookies, I made 10 mid sized. I added 2 tsp of cream of tartar because I wanted that classic tangy flavor. I didn’t add white chocolate chips. These cookies came out so good and developed a beautiful crackle from the cream of tartar. They’re so tender and delicious!
So pretty! thank you so much for making them 🙂
Hi! Did you omit any of the ingredients when you added cream of tartar or just add in addition to everything?
If I freeze the dough, how long do I need to leave it out before baking?
if you’re making them the giant size, i’d let them come to room temperature, however long that may take, 1 hour perhaps. If making them small, you should be able to bake from frozen, just add an extra minute or 2.
My second cookie recipe I have tried from you and another 5 star!! I followed the recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Perfect holiday cookie! I added additional spices including ground ginger and nutmeg. I wanted a little more gingerbread taste in the “fat and thick cookie”. I made them in a 3 Oz scoop and baked for 11 min and keep on the cookie tray 15min once they came out of the oven. I also used less chocolate chips as I drizzled the top with white chocolate for decoration.
Hello, I was curious if it would work if I added more spices like ginger and nutmeg to make more like a gingerbread cookie? Would molasses work? I’m looking this style of fat cookie but little more gingerbread type. Thank you
You could try it out! I haven’t tested this recipe that way. I will be posting a gingerbread snickerdoodle recipe this week if you can wait!! 🙂
Made these and followed the recipe exactly. They are absolutely delicious!
they look amazing! thank you! 🙂