Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies have been one of my favorite cookies for as long as I can remember. Chocolate Chip Cookies will always have a place in my heart but a soft, chewy, thick snickerdoodle cookie always hits the spot. Most snickerdoodle cookies are typically a pretty flat cookie. And I don’t like that. I want a soft in the center, barely baked, giant snickerdoodle cookie. And this cookie is exactly that, plus white chocolate chips! This recipe is a complete spin off of my newly famous giant chocolate chip cookie recipe so I am so excited to share this next recipe with you. I hope it’s the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe you will ever make! Wanting even more cinnamon-packed baked goods? Check out my Cinnamon Banana Bread, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies, or Apple Cinnamon Rum Monkey Bread! The dough in snickerdoodle cookies sometimes contains cinnamon and nutmeg as well as raisins and nuts. I only added cinnamon and mine but think a pinch of nutmeg would be a delicious addition. I think these would be yummy with macadamia nuts too but my husband is allergic to all nuts so I try not to bake with nuts too often. Traditionally, snickerdoodle cookies are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar before being baked so I rolled these dough balls in cinnamon & sugar. The name appears to have no particular meaning or purpose other than being fun!
All-Purpose Flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it. Cake Flour:Cake flour is finer, softer and lighter than All-Purpose Flour and I find using a mix of both cake flour and All-Purpose results in the perfect cookies. You can find Cake flour in most grocery stores, usually on the top shelf. Corn Starch: Seems weird to add cornstarch to cookies, right? But cornstarch is key to giving cookies that delectably soft center that’s just to die for. It also helps to keep the cookies thick and GIANT!
Baking Powder: leavening agent for the cookie. Baking Soda: Another leavening agent but about four times as strong as baking powder. Salt: Don’t ever forget the salt! Salt is so great in baking because it intensifies the body’s ability to taste the sweetness of the sugar. Yum! We want that. Cinnamon: because snickerdoodle cookies. Butter:Cold, unsalted butter is used in this recipe. Not melted or frozen or room temperature. Cold butter straight from the fridge. This can be a confusing step in many recipes and possibly recipes have conflicting opinions on this, but this cookie is best with cold butter.
I get all of my ingredients ready to go and then once it’s time to start the mixer, I take the butter out and cube it up.
Brown sugar: I’ve tested this recipe with both light and dark brown sugars and you can use either! I use more brown sugar in the recipe compared to granulated white because it results in a more moist, soft and chewy cookie. Granulated white sugar: Even though we’re using more brown sugar than white, the white sugar is still necessary. It helps these giant chocolate chip cookies spread a little bit so they don’t look like baseballs! 1 whole egg (egg yolk + egg white): at room temperature. Using room temperature eggs can help result in a lighter and fluffier cookie. 1 egg yolk (just the yolk, no white): Another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk! The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and binds the dough. Vanilla Extract: Adding in a teaspoon helps to enhance the overall flavors in the cookie. White Chocolate Chips: These totally elevate snickerdoodle cookies. I use the Ghirardelli Classic White Chips, they add the perfect amount of sweetness and are velvety smooth.
Cream of tartar typically lends a soft, chewy center and a tangy taste to snickerdoodle cookies that we all love so much. However, I made two batches – one with and one without cream of tartar and there was not a big different in taste at all. But… There was a difference in appearance. The cookies made with cream or tartar were flat and had crinkly tops and the snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar were beautifully risen, fluffy, giant with less crinkly tops. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. It’s hard to wait. Trust me, I’ve been there. Allow the cookies cool on the cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Cameron likes to enjoy them 15 minutes out of the oven, and I like them best ~45 min-1 hour later. Enjoy with a big tall glass of milk! The cookies are very similar in taste and appearance and a great option for those who need GF cookies!
Can I double the recipe to make 12 large cookies?
Yes, you can double the recipe. Be sure to follow the measurements exactly, use a large enough stand mixer for all of the dough to fit. When doubling the recipe, I realize you need 5 cups of chocolate chips and that is A LOT. If 5 cups seems like TOO many chocolate chips for your preference, scale back. Start with maybe 3 or 4 cups and then gradually add in a little more until you think it has the perfect amount. You can also made these into 3 oz. cookies if you want smaller cookies. Bake time ~9-10 minutes.
Can I make these if I don’t have a stand mixer?
Use a hand-mixer on low speed if you do not have a stand mixer. Mixture may seem crumbly, keep mixing. What can be better than chewy snickerdoodle cookies? Happy baking!
