Fall always reminds me to pull out my best snickerdoodle recipe. I think it's because the season just reminds me of cinnamon and other rich spices. If you've never had a snickerdoodle cookie, you're missing out on a soft, buttery cookie that's coated in cinnamon and sugar. How could you go wrong?

Share this post by pinning it on Pinterest! Then follow me on Pinterest!Quick tip: my best snickerdoodle recipe always results in the best cookies when I make them on my Nordic Ware half sheet pan. It's intended for cakes, but it's SO solid and durable. I don't think the high quality and even-heating can be beat. (Huge bonus: they're made in Minnesota – hooray for local businesses!)

Best Snickerdoodle Recipe:

 

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (butter-flavored works best)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cream butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add in the flour, lemon juice/vinegar, soda and salt.
3. Let dough chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
4. Use a cookie scoop or rounded teaspoons and shape dough into balls.
5. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in the cinnamon-sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
6. Bake 8 minutes, or until cracks are formed but dough still looks a little bubbly. Remove immediately from oven and let cool on baking sheets for about a minute before transferring to a wire rack.
7. Recipe produces between 40 and 60 cookies.

Scroll down to print this recipe for the best snickerdoodle cookies.

Did you notice the odd ingredient? It's vinegar!

Why add vinegar to cookies?

To be honest, I wasn't sure. I've just always followed this recipe the way it was given to me. That recipe included vinegar. Since you can substitute lemon juice, I just assumed it had something to do with the acidity.

I did a little research and found this information (in BakeWise by Shirley O. Corriher) that confirms the acid is helpful in certain cookie dough:

An acid batter speeds up the cooking of the proteins and the setting of cookie dough. …This faster setting of the dough helps limit how much the cookies spread.

Do you have a method for making your best snickerdoodle recipe? Leave a comment below!

Best Snickerdoodle recipe

Yield: 48

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening, butter-flavored works best
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cream butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add in the flour, lemon juice/vinegar, soda and salt.
3. 
   
4. Let dough chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
5. Use a cookie scoop or rounded teaspoons and shape dough into balls.
6. 
   
7. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in the cinnamon-sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
8. 
   
9. Bake 8 minutes, or until cracks are formed but dough still looks a little bubbly. Remove immediately from oven and let cool on baking sheets for about a minute before transferring to a wire rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 95 Total Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 15mg Sodium: 58mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 7g Protein: 1g

Photo credit for top image.

Photo Credit: Danube66