there’s something special about the smell of cinnamon and butter warming in the oven. it fills the kitchen with a kind of sweet calm that feels instantly familiar.
these cinnamon sugar cookies bring that same comfort. soft in the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and rolled in a coat of cinnamon sugar that sparkles when you bite in.
if you’ve ever wanted to make snickerdoodles but realized you don’t have cream of tartar, this recipe is for you. these cookies give you all the buttery, spiced flavor of a classic snickerdoodle with simple pantry ingredients.
they mix fast, bake evenly, and come out soft every time.
why you’ll love these cookies
these cinnamon sugar cookies are easy to make but taste like something special. you don’t need any fancy tools or unusual ingredients.
just butter, sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of time to let the dough chill. that short rest in the fridge is the secret to thick, soft cookies. each bite is rich, buttery, and balanced with the perfect touch of cinnamon sweetness.
the ingredients that make them work
butter: use softened butter. creaming it with sugar traps air in the dough, which makes the cookies light instead of dense. melted butter will make them spread too much.
flour: use all-purpose flour for structure and tenderness. the dough will feel soft, but don’t add more flour. chilling the dough firms it up before baking.
baking soda: gives the cookies a little lift so they puff up and turn golden in the oven.
no cream of tartar: traditional snickerdoodles use it for a hint of tang. these cookies skip it for a smoother, buttery flavor that lets the cinnamon shine.
if you want just a little tang, you can replace half a teaspoon of baking soda with one teaspoon of baking powder.
how to make cinnamon sugar cookies
start by creaming the softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about two to three minutes. this step gives the cookies their soft, light texture. add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the flour just disappears. stop as soon as it’s combined so the cookies stay tender.
cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least thirty minutes or up to two days. this step helps the butter firm up and keeps the cookies thick when they bake.
when the dough is ready, mix half a cup of sugar with two teaspoons of cinnamon in a small bowl. roll the dough into one-inch balls and coat them completely in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. bake at 350°f for ten to twelve minutes until the edges look set but the centers are still soft. they’ll finish baking as they cool on the sheet.
the little tricks that make a big difference
chilling the dough is the most important step. it keeps the cookies soft, thick, and prevents spreading. use a cookie scoop to make sure they’re the same size so they bake evenly.
take them out of the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. they’ll finish cooking as they cool. if you want extra sparkle, roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar twice, once before chilling and again right before baking.
if your cookies spread too much, your butter was likely too soft or the dough didn’t chill long enough. pop the dough back in the fridge for ten more minutes, and it should fix the problem.
how to store and freeze them
these cookies stay soft and buttery for days. store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. adding a slice of sandwich bread to the container helps keep them from drying out.
to freeze the dough, roll it into balls and place them on a baking sheet to freeze for an hour. once they’re firm, transfer them to a freezer bag. bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
you can also freeze the dough as a flat disc wrapped tightly in plastic for up to three months. thaw in the fridge before baking.
to freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container for up to three months. thaw them at room temperature and they’ll taste as fresh as the day they were baked.
time to enjoy them
serve these cookies warm with a glass of milk or a mug of coffee. they also make a perfect topping crumbled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. soft, buttery, and full of cinnamon flavor, they’re simple to make and impossible to resist.
proof that you don’t need cream of tartar to bake something unforgettable.
easy cinnamon sugar cookies (no cream of tartar)
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
for the cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
for the cinnamon sugar coating:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- preheat oven: preheat your oven to 350°f (175°c) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- cream butter and sugar: in a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- add wet ingredients: add in the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.
- combine dry ingredients: in a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- mix dough: gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. do not overmix; stop as soon as the flour streaks are gone.
- chill the dough (important!): cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days). this step is essential and keeps the cookies from spreading too flat.
- prepare coating: in a small, shallow bowl, mix together the ½ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
- shape and roll: roll the chilled dough into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter). use a cookie scoop for uniform size. roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until well coated.
- bake: place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly puffy.
- cool: allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they will set up during this time) before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- enjoy: serve the cookies warm or store them in an airtight container for later.
Notes
- do not skip the chill! this recipe has a high butter content, which makes the cookies soft and buttery. chilling the dough is the secret to preventing them from spreading into thin puddles.
- no cream of tartar: this recipe is for a soft, buttery cinnamon sugar cookie. it is not a traditional “snickerdoodle,” which uses cream of tartar for a tangy flavor and chewy texture.
- for softer cookies: be careful not to overbake! pull them from the oven when the centers still look a tiny bit underdone.
- freezing the dough: you can freeze the rolled dough balls. place them on a sheet to “flash freeze,” then transfer to a freezer bag. bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
- storage: store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.