My bakery-tested frosted snickerdoodle cookies are the softest, chewiest snickerdoodles you've ever tasted! Each one is topped with fluffy cinnamon buttercream for an extra dose of cinnamon-sugar goodness. These frosted cinnamon sugar cookies were one of the most popular cookies at Amycakes Bakery, and you'll see why after the first bite!
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Equipment Checklist
A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes it easy to cream the butter and sugar together for the cookie dough and is ideal for making the frosting, too.
![Katbite 200PCS 12x16 In Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper, Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Frying, Air Fryer, Grilling Rack, Oven(12x16 Inch)[Advanced Series]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BATbh8sxL._SL500_.jpg "Katbite 200PCS 12x16 In Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper, Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Frying, Air Fryer, Grilling Rack, Oven(12x16 Inch)[Advanced Series]")
These parchment paper sheets or so easy to use! Just grab one and lay it directly on the baking sheet. No cutting or tearing needed.
Before you frost the cookies, make sure they are fully cooled to room temperature. Placing them on a wire rack will speed up the cooling process nicely.
Why You'll Love These Frosted Snickerdoodles
- Warm cinnamon flavor - I love all things cinnamon, which you might be able to tell from my ooey gooey cinnamon rolls or my ultra-moist Snickerdoodle Cookie Cake. I especially love classic snickerdoodle cookies with their puffy, chewy bite and the sweet crunch of the cinnamon-sugar coating. Add a little frosting, and you have the perfect snickerdoodle cookie!
- Prep the dough before you need it - Don't let your holiday baking goals get away from you. Prep a batch of snickerdoodle cookie dough a month or two before you need it, then freeze the little dough balls. When you're ready to bake, let the dough thaw, roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and bake. So easy!
- Holiday must-have - It's not the holidays without snickerdoodles! We always have these on our holiday cookie tray and I know that many of my readers have the same tradition. Once you try this bakery snickerdoodle recipe, I know they'll be your favorite Christmas cookies, too!
Ingredients
Classic snickerdoodles are not hard to make if you have the right ingredients. One key component is cream of tartar. It actually helps prevent the sugar from crisping up, ensuring you get soft, chewy cookies every time.
My version also calls for Instant Clearjel or pudding mix. These ingredients lock in moisture, which makes your cookies even softer than you can get without them. Don't skip these two ingredients!
Dry Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Cream of tartar
- Instant Clearjel OR Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Other Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
You'll also need cinnamon and sugar to make the cinammon sugar coating.
For the Cinnamon Buttercream, whip together cream cheese, salted butter, butter-flavored shortening, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Be sure to let all of the dairy products come to room temperature before you start mixing!
Baker's Tip
After rolling the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar, sprinkle the top of the cookies with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar (about ½ teaspoon) to give it an extra cinnamon-sugar crunch.
Variations
Make two flavors of cookies
Since this is the same cookie base as my frosted sugar cookies, you can easily make both variations with one cookie dough!
For frosted sugar cookies, skip rolling them in cinnamon/sugar and frost them with my creamy vanilla bakery buttercream.
To avoid making 2 separate batches of buttercream (one cinnamon and one vanilla), you can start by making a batch of vanilla buttercream.
Then split the finished vanilla buttercream in half, and add ¾ teaspoons cinnamon to half of the frosting in a 1x batch), or 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon to half of a 2x batch of vanilla frosting.
- Adjust the size: These can be baked larger or smaller into mini cookies like the size of my mini sugar cookies. The baking time will just have to be adjusted for smaller cookies. Watch carefully towards the end of baking as they should look slightly underdone when they come out of the oven to keep their soft and chewy texture.
- Change the frosting: I promise that you won't regret trying my cinnamon buttercream, but if you want to change things up, go for it! You can make cream cheese frosting or load up on my chocolate frosting for a cinnamon chocolate experience.
Storage
- If you have leftover cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper between the layers to keep the cookies from messing up the frosting on each one. After 24 hours, place them in the fridge.
- You can also freeze the baked cookies for later, but my preferred method is to freeze frozen cookie dough balls before rolling in cinnamon sugar. Whenever you want to bake, let the cookies thaw in the fridge, then roll in cinnamon sugar and bake like normal. You also freeze the frosting, so let it soften up and top the cookies as needed.
Key Recipe Notes
- Thanks to the butter in the frosting and cookies, these cookies have the best texture at room temperature. Let any refrigerated cookies rest on the counter a bit before eating.
- Snickerdoodles get their texture from just-the-right balance of ingredients. Please do not skip the cream of tartar or Instant Clearjel (or pudding mix)!
- Make extra. The cinnamon sugar and 1x batch of cinnamon buttercream will make enough for about 2 batches of cookies. Take this as your sign to make a double batch, or you can freeze the extra frosting for later!
Don't these frosted snickerdoodle cookies look like a fun twist on a classic? They're just as fun to make as they are to eat, so let's get baking! If you get a chance to try this recipe, be sure to take some photos and tag @amycakesbakes on your favorite social platform. I'd love to see your creations!
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Thanks for Reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Frosted Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 ½ cups) Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- (optional) 2 teaspoons Instant Clearjel or 1 Tablespoon(s) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (*See Note #1)
Other Cookie Dough Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces) Salted Butter (soft to the touch)
- 100 grams (½ cup) Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 T Cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
Cinnamon Frosting
- One 1x batch prepared prepared Fluffy Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (*See Note #2)
Instructions
Make the Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients until well mixed.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer, cream the soft butter and sugar just until the butter is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the wet ingredients (egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract). Continue to beat on medium--the mixture will separate at first but keep beating just until it comes back together to a more uniform liquid, scraping the bowl as needed.
- On low speed, slowly pour the whisked dry ingredients into the dough, and continue to mix just until it is fully incorporated and a smooth and uniform dough. Avoid overbeating.
- Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan or cookie sheet. (Alternatively, if you don't have a cookie scoop, divide the dough into 13 equal balls--about 2 Tablespoons each).
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl. Roll each of the balls of dough thoroughly in the cinnamon sugar coating, then place them back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Top each cookie dough ball with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon sugar(about ½ teaspoon) to give it an extra cinnamon-sugar crunch.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated 325 degree oven on the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are only lightly golden brown, and the tops of the cookies have lost most of their shine.
Frost the Cookies
- Prepare the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. Using a 1M star tip and a disposable piping bag, frost each cookie with a swirl of buttercream and sprinkle with a little brown sugar, if desired.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container and serve at room temperature. If the frosted snickerdoodle cookies aren't eaten within 24 hours, store them in the fridge, but bring them back to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Little-Known Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before being added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping. (Make sure what you use is labeled as "Instant"). Instant Pudding mix works similarly as it contains Instant Clearjel (modified cornstarch) as the second ingredient. Adding one of these is optional--these cookies are still delicious but do spread a little bit in the oven without it.
- You will have extra frosting when making the suggested batch size of the cinnamon buttercream recipe, but I find it's better to have extra frosting than not enough. Feel free to halve the frosting recipe if you don't need as much frosting on your cookies.
