Who doesn’t love a snickerdoodle? They were one of my favorite cookies when I was a kid, and now my own boys love them too. My recipe for high altitude snickerdoodles makes the best cookies that are soft, thick and chewy – no flat cookies in sight here! They have the iconic tangy flavor that snickerdoodles are known for, with a delicious coating of cinnamon and sugar. You’ll love these snickerdoodle cookies!
And if you love snickerdoodle cookies, be sure to check out my snickerdoodle cake and snickerdoodle muffins recipes, too!
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Baking Snickerdoodles at High Altitude
High altitude snickerdoodles can be a bit trickier than other cookie recipes. When I was in junior high, my family moved from South Carolina to Colorado, and I remember that my mom’s snickerdoodles were never the same again. They always turned out very thin, flat and crispy/chewy, and for years, I just figured that’s how snickerdoodles were supposed to be.
But when I realized that the recipe was in need of some serious adjustments for high altitude, I set about creating a perfect high altitude snickerdoodles recipe for cookies that are perfectly soft, thick and chewy. There are a few important high altitude adjustments to note:
Increase the Flour.
High altitude cookie recipes need more flour to stabilize the structure of the cookies as they rise, preventing them from rising too quickly and spreading excessively.
Decrease the Sugar and Leavening.
Sugar not only sweetens the cookies, but it adds moisture, since it turns to liquid when it’s heated. Too much sugar is one of the main culprits in a cookie that turns out thin, flat and crispy at high altitude. Reducing the sugar in high altitude cookie recipes prevents the cookies from spreading too much into thin, crispy pancakes instead of thick, chewy cookies.
Cookies and baked goods rise faster at higher altitudes, and then fall flat. We can help prevent them from falling flat by using less leavening, so that they rise more slowly and evenly.
Add an Extra Egg.
Eggs create structure and stability within cookie dough, they help to thicken and emulsify the ingredients, they add moisture and richness, and their protein makes cookies chewy. By adding an extra egg, we’re strengthening the snickerdoodle cookie dough, making it chewier, and also adding additional moisture to balance the extra flour.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter. The butter adds fat, flavor and richness to these snickerdoodle cookies. It should softened to room temperature so you can easily cream it together with the sugar.
- Granulated Sugar + Dark Brown Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture, with a hint of caramel notes from just a bit of dark brown sugar.
- Eggs. Add structure, stability and moisture to the cookies, as well as make them chewy.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour + Corn Starch. The flour provides structure to the cookies, and a little corn starch makes them extra tender and soft.
- Cream of Tartar + Baking Soda. Both cream of tartar and baking soda are leaveners, making the cookies rise as they bake. Cream of tartar adds the classic tangy flavor that snickerdoodles are known for.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon-Sugar. Snickerdoodle cookie dough is always coated in cinnamon and sugar before baking, giving them a delicious sweet and spicy crust with the soft and chewy cookie inside.
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl down, and mix in the eggs and vanilla on low. The mixture will look lumpy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix on low, just until combined. The batter will be very thick, and you’ll need to use a spatula, or your hands, to incorporate all the flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 24 equal portions, about 1.5 ounces each. Roll each portion into a ball, then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Refrigerate the dough balls for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake on the center oven rack for 11 1/2 – 12 minutes, until golden brown and set around the edges, but the centers are still slightly underdone. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the cream of tartar do?
Cream of tartar is a leavening agent, and the acidity gives snickerdoodles their iconic tangy flavor, as well as adds to the soft, chewy texture of the cookies. The classic flavor is key in differentiating snickerdoodles from a regular sugar cookie.
What if I don’t have cream of tartar? Can I substitute another ingredient?
While I haven’t personally tried substitutions for cream of tartar, many recommend using either lemon juice or vinegar in a 1:2 ratio. If the recipe calls for 2 tsp cream of tartar, you should substitute with 4 tsp lemon juice or vinegar.
Why are my snickerdoodles flat at high altitude?
The recipe you’re using has too little flour, too much sugar, and/or too much leavening. Your butter was too warm and soft. You didn’t chill the dough balls prior to baking. Be sure to follow my recipe precisely and you’ll have delightfully thick, soft and chewy high altitude snickerdoodles.
Are snickerdoodles supposed to be hard, or soft and chewy?
Snickerdoodles should be soft and buttery, with a crinkly crust on the outside and chewy on the inside.
How long will these cookies stay soft and fresh?
You should store your snickerdoodles in an airtight container, and they will stay soft and chewy for 4-5 days – if they last that long! A trick I often use for keeping cookies soft is to place a slice of soft sandwich bread into the cookie jar (the bread shouldn’t touch the cookies). The moisture from the bread keeps the cookies amazingly soft for days and days!
Can snickerdoodles be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the baked snickerdoodles in a freezer bag for 3-6 months to keep them soft and fresh.
You can also freeze the unbaked dough for 3-6 months. An easy way to have freshly baked cookies at a moment’s notice is to shape the dough balls and place them in a freezer bag. Then you can bake the frozen dough balls straight from the freezer, and just add a few extra minutes of bake time.
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High Altitude Snickerdoodles
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup (54g) granulated sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl down, and mix in the eggs and vanilla on low. The mixture will look lumpy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix on low, just until combined. The batter will be very thick, and you'll need to use a spatula, or your hands, to incorporate all the flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 24 equal portions, about 1.5 ounces each. Roll each portion into a ball, then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Refrigerate the dough balls for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake on the center oven rack for 11 1/2 – 12 minutes, until golden brown and set around the edges, but the centers are still slightly underdone. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storing: Leftover cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for 3-6 months.
- Substitutions: While I haven’t personally tried this substitution, some people have successfully substituted lemon juice for the cream of tartar in snickerdoodles.
- Yield: This recipe makes 2 dozen large (1.5 ounces each) cookies, or 3 dozen small (1 ounce) cookies. For smaller cookies, bake for 8-10 minutes.
Who doesn’t love a snickerdoodle, even just the word is fun to say and these are definitely the best!
These are my daughter’s favorite type of cookie. She said these are the best she ever tasted!
I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂
I am over 7500 feet. How do I adapt this recipe? Made your high altitude ginger molasses and they still came out flat.
Have you checked out the guidelines in my FAQs? Since you’re more than 2,000 feet higher than me, you’ll likely need to make some of the suggested adjustments: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/
My batch wouldn’t deflate, and it’s taking more than 20 minutes and still not cooked all the way through. What could have gone wrong?
I’m not quite sure what you mean by deflate? Cookies settle and flatten a bit, but usually after they come out of the oven, not while they’re baking. And I can’t imagine why it would take that long for them to cook, unless they’re huge. My only guess is that maybe you measured too much flour making a denser dough. Do you spoon your flour into the measuring cups and then level it off? Using a measuring cup to scoop the flour will pack too much in.
These are wonderfully tender and a definite “add” to my recipe box. I am at 6,300 in Craig, CO and made zero adjustments. Thank you for your kindness and efforts in sharing your wonderful recipes. I appreciate you.
Turned out great at 5600ft. Slightly more domed than your picture but tastes wonderful !
Everyone at work asks me to make these over and over. They come out so soft and good. My husband’s favorite.
Thanks so much for this recipe! For the first time my snickerdoodles came out perfectly- I honestly thought I had messed them up because they were rather round, and not flat and crunchy until my midwestern husband told me they were just like he had as a child. I’d never had a proper snickerdoodle! I cut back on the backing soda a tad to adjust for 8000 ft. Made my little ones and husband very happy! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that! For years, I, too, didn’t know that snickerdoodles aren’t supposed to be flat and crunchy!
Delicious. My family loves snickerdoodles, but I’m learning to bake at high altitude after living in central Texas for 40 years. These were perfect.
High altitude baking can be tricky to get used to. I’m so glad my recipes are helping!
These are amazing, delicious, soft, and perfect. I’ve been trying to make snickerdoodles at 7500 feet for years, trying different recipes and different high altitude adjustments and nothing ever worked until I happened upon your recipe & blog. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so glad you loved them! High altitude baking is so tricky, and I’m happy my recipes can help. 🙂
I am from Wisconsin, and my sister-n-law lives in Denver. I can bake just fine there, but this high altitude thing was frustrating me. Your recipe was AMAZING, and I cannot wait to try more!!!! Thank you so much! Now I can bring smiles from baking to my family here!!!!
Made these last night in Denver and they came out perfect!
Thank you Heather for this beautiful website! I just baked the snickerdoodles and they are perfect at 6400 elevation. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Can I substitute the oil for the butter?
I don’t know if that would work.
Can the dough be in the refrigerator longer than 1 hour?
Maybe, but the cookies might not spread enough if the dough is chilled for too long.
For those that have too rounded tops – I have a small cheat I added where you take a flat cup and press down slightly before baking them.
These turned out great…needed to bake them 15 minutes (which may be a temperature issue with my oven). Happy to have found your site! Moving from sea level (MI) to MT has required me to re-learn how to bake many of my favorite recipes.
Is it necessary to include the corn starch?
Absolutely amazing and perfect texture! 8500 feet 12 1/2 minutes added a extra quarter cup of flour.
Thank you so much
Amazing, perfect, and chewy! 8500 ft added an extra 1/4 c flour. Thank you so much these are amazing!
Made these a few days ago and they turned out perfectly. Have you ever substituted gluten free flour? I have granddaughters who have celiac.
I don’t often bake gluten free, so I haven’t tested GF flours in most of my recipes.