The Best Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

These sourdough snickerdoodle cookies are soft, chewy, and easy to make. Perfectly balanced with cozy cinnamon and sweet sugar, they'll be a new holiday staple in your house.

Sourdough snickerdoodles are an obvious Christmas cookie idea, so be sure to save this recipe for winter! Another cinnamony treat I love for fall and winter is my cinnamon sugar biscoff blondies — you have to try those next.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Soft and chewy: Chilling the dough gives thick, tender cookies (never thin and crispy).
• That signature tang: Cream of tartar delivers the classic snickerdoodle flavor.
• A great way to use discard: A generous amount of discard finds a perfect home here, like my sourdough malted chai chocolate chip cookies.
• A holiday staple: Perfect for Christmas cookie trays and swaps, alongside my chewy sourdough gingerbread cookies or my matcha white chocolate cookies.
• Easy and adaptable: Classic as-is, or spin into a pumpkin version or bar format.

Ingredients You'll Need

• butter: The base of that soft, chewy texture.
• granulated sugar + brown sugar: Mostly granulated for classic flavor, with a little brown for chew.
• eggs + vanilla: Bind the dough and add flavor.
• sourdough discard: The star — straight from the fridge, adds tang and moisture.
• all-purpose flour: The structure of the cookies.
• cream of tartar: The secret to that signature snickerdoodle tang — don't skip it.
• baking soda + salt: For lift and balance.
• cinnamon sugar (for rolling): That classic sparkly, cinnamon coating.
• cardamom (optional): A warm, slightly citrusy addition to the rolling sugar.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Dairy-free: Use a plant-based butter (it's often salted, so cut the added salt in half if you're sensitive).
• Chocolate: Add ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the dry ingredients.
• More spice: Add or swap in ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, or allspice.
• Pumpkin version: Try my sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodles for a fall twist.
• Bar format: For a no-roll option, make my snickerdoodle cookie bars.
• Brown butter: For a nuttier flavor, try my brown butter snickerdoodle cookies.
• More discard cookies: Try my sourdough chocolate peanut butter cookies, sourdough oatmeal cookies, and sourdough peanut butter cookies.

How to Make Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

1. Step 1: Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

2. Step 2: Mix in remaining wet ingredients until just combined.

3. Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until combined. Cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour.

4. Step 4: Make a cinnamon sugar mixture. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls out of the chilled dough and roll in sugar. Place on a prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes or until just done. Allow to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes to finish cooking internally.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Expert Tips

1. Chilling is essential. It slows spreading so you get thick, chewy cookies instead of thin, crispy ones. Plan at least 1 hour (ideally 2–4).
2. Don't over-handle the chilled dough. Work quickly when rolling, and chill the dough between batches.
3. Don't skip the cream of tartar. It's what gives snickerdoodles their signature tang.
4. Aim for the right size. A 2-tablespoon scoop is about 40g of dough (60g for a 3-tablespoon scoop).
5. Don't overbake. Pull them when they look just done; they finish setting on the pan.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

This is a classic snickerdoodle through and through — soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon sugar — with one upgrade: a generous amount of sourdough discard. The discard adds moisture and a subtle tang that makes these a little more interesting than the usual, while cream of tartar keeps that signature snickerdoodle flavor intact. Reader-tested and reader-approved (more than one has called them the best snickerdoodle they've ever had!).

They're also a fantastic way to use up that jar of starter, and endlessly adaptable — go chocolate, add extra spice, or turn them into a pumpkin or bar version. They're a holiday-tray favorite next to my chewy sourdough gingerbread cookies and filled sourdough peanut butter blossom cookies.

Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies FAQs

Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
• Freeze for up to 6 months; thaw in the fridge to prevent sogginess from condensation.

Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider

The Best Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Audrey Grubb

These sourdough snickerdoodle cookies are soft, chewy, and easy to make. Perfectly balanced with cozy cinnamon and sweet sugar, these cookies will be a new holiday staple in your house.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 Cookies

Calories 171 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Baking sheets
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Two-tablespoon cookie scoop

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Snickerdoodle cookies:

• ▢ 227 grams salted butter 1 cup / 2 sticks
• ▢ 300 grams granulated sugar 1 ½ cups
• ▢ 67 grams brown sugar packed (⅓ cup)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 100 grams sourdough discard ⅓ cup
• ▢ 390 grams all-purpose flour 3 ¼ cups
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar

Cinnamon-sugar mixture:

• ▢ 67 grams granulated sugar ⅓ cup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cardamom optional

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy with the paddle attachment.
  227 grams salted butter, 300 grams granulated sugar, 67 grams brown sugar
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
  2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 100 grams sourdough discard
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
  390 grams all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
• Cover the bowl with a clean wet tea towel or cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour (ideally 2+).
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom (optional) in a small bowl. Take the dough out of the fridge and use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough balls.
  67 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cardamom
• Roll the dough balls in the sugar mixture and place on a prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–10 minutes, or until they look just done — you don't want to overbake these.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to achieving a soft, chewy sourdough snickerdoodle. Don't over-handle the chilled dough balls when rolling in cinnamon sugar, and chill the dough between batches.

Dough weight: A 2-tablespoon scoop is about 40g; a 3-tablespoon scoop is about 60g.

Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 6 months; thaw in the fridge to prevent sogginess from condensation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg

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