Cinnamon roll snickerdoodle cookies are hypnotizing swirls of vanilla frosting over your favorite cinnamon sugar cookie. Packed with flavor in every sweet bite, this is a cookie recipe you’ll come back to over and over again.
Snickerdoodle cookies are a huge favorite at our house! I tweaked my best recipe just slightly and made this cinnamon roll version and everyone went crazy. They’re SO delicious! We make this snickerdoodle recipe with shortening and butter for a lighter and softer texture that you’re going to love sinking your teeth into.
Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
This is the best recipe for Snickerdoodle cookies plus the fun addition of a vanilla swirl makes these Cinnamon Roll Snickerdoodles simply irresistible! A combination of butter and shortening yields cookies with the perfect texture- soft and chewy on the inside with crispy sweet cinnamon on the outside. The light vanilla swirl on top is the perfect addition.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic and simple ingredients. While these cookies may look like fancy bakery cookies, they’re made with basic pantry staples like flour, butter, shortening, and sugar. Together we get the best results without spending a ton of money on exotic ingredients.
- One batch makes a ton. If you’re ever looking for a cookie recipe to share with friends, a cookie exchange, or donating to an event, this recipe is it. Not only is it a unique twist on a classic cookie recipe, but it also makes about 3 dozen cookies!
- No chilling is required! This recipe is super fast to throw together, meaning you can have a cookie in your mouth in minutes. No dough chilling is required, so if you lack patience and a craving for something sweet, this recipe is for you!
Cinnamon Snickerdoodle Ingredients
Butter– You will need 1/2 cup of softened butter to make these cookies soft and rich in taste.
Shortening– Adding in 1/2 cup of shortening will give the cookies more fats needed to stay soft and moist but without changing the consistency. I like to use butter flavored Crisco, but you can use plain shortening.
Sugar– 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar will make this cookie perfectly sweetened and chewy.
Eggs– To bind the cookie dough together well, you will need 2 large eggs.
Vanilla– Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to make the cookies well flavored and delicious.
Flour– The cookie dough base is 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.
Cream of tartar– For that traditional snickerdoodle flavor, you will need 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.
Baking soda– Adding in 1 teaspoon of baking soda will help the cookies to puff up nicely and rise as they bake.
Salt– Use 1/2 teaspoon of salt to enhance the flavors in the cookies.
Cinnamon sugar- To make the cinnamon sugar for snickerdoodles, you’ll need a mix of 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
For the Vanilla Swirl, you will need:
Butter– You will need 2 tablespoons of melted butter to make the icing rich and flavorful.
Powdered sugar- Use 2/3 cups of powdered sugar for the base of the icing, this will make it smooth and sweet.
Milk– Add in 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get a good consistency. The actual amount needed will vary.
Vanilla– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract will make the icing taste perfect.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Snickerdoodles
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and the vanilla.
Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded scoops into balls.
Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.
Roll balls of dough in the mixture, then spoon cinnamon-sugar mixture over each cookie, turning once and doing the same on the other side.
Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake 8 minutes exactly! Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Whisk all ingredients for vanilla swirl together in a small bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a small bag and snip the corner.
Pipe glaze onto completely cooled cookies in the shape of a swirl.
CINNAMON ROLL SNICKERDOODLES
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup shortening I used butter flavored Crisco
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 TBSP vanilla
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cinnamon-sugar mixture
- 3 TBSP granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP ground cinnamon
Vanilla Swirl:
- 2 TBSP melted butter
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 TBSP milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
- Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture, then spoon cinnamon-sugar mixture over each cookie, turning once and doing the same on the other side. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake 8 minutes exactly! Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheets for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Whisk all ingredients for vanilla swirl together in a small bowl. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bag and snip the corner. Pipe glaze onto completely cooled cookies in the shape of a swirl.
Video
Nutrition
How long are cinnamon roll snickerdoodle cookies good for?
These cookies can be kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For best results, I recommend eating them within 2 to 3 days or keeping them stored in the fridge if it’s warm in your home and you don’t want the icing to soften or melt.
Can I freeze frosted cookies?
These cookies are great for freezing for later but I recommend waiting to frost them until after the cookies have thawed. If you frost the cookies before freezing the storage becomes harder with layers of baking paper to prevent sticking and the icing may melt or sweat as they thaw, looking less appetizing in the process.
HOW DO YOU SOFTEN BUTTER?
I like to soften butter by using the defrost function on my microwave. If you need the full 1/2 cup cube of butter, you can leave it in the paper wrapper, otherwise, place the amount of butter you need in a glass or porcelain bowl. I use the lowest defrost setting on my microwave and just let it run for 20 seconds. Check the butter and see how soft it is by pressing it with a rubber scraper. If it is still not soft to the touch, meaning it doesn’t indent when you press into it, let it warm for another 5-10 seconds. Watch it closely! Butter softens very quickly.
Check out some of our other favorite cookie recipes:
- Raspberry Meltaway Cookies
- LEMON PUDDING COOKIES
- Soft Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
- BLUEBERRY CREAM COOKIES
- MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- Banana Cream Pie Cookies
- CHERRY PIE COOKIES
- MONSTER COOKIES
- Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies
- LEMON CREAM CHEESE COOKIES
- Cookies & Cream Cookies
- POTATO CHIP COOKIES
Best recipe for Snickerdoodle cookies plus the fun addition of a vanilla swirl makes these Cinnamon Roll Snickerdoodles simply irresistible!
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