This is easily the BEST recipe for Maple Snickerdoodles. They are soft, thick, slightly chewy, and full of that sweet cinnamon flavor. The addition of maple is so delicious and should honestly just be in every snickerdoodle recipe from here on out. It also helps make the perfect chewy snickerdoodle cookie. Trust me when I say that these are an absolute crowd pleaser!
What makes the perfect snickerdoodle recipe?
The texture of these Maple Snickerdoodles is perfectly soft and almost doughy. It’s like a cross between cookie dough and cake. The flavors are sweet and warm and the maple adds just a little extra kick of sweetness. And those wrinkles! I never thought I’d think a cookie was so cute.
What makes these especially good is how they are slightly under baked, creating that doughy center. Once cooled, it has that satisfying break when you split open a soft but perfectly dense cookie. Ya’know that feeling?
The maple not only adds flavor but adding a sugar syrup to cookies helps to keep them moist and chewy. It’s the secret but also not-so-secret ingredient that makes this snickerdoodle recipe so good!
Why do you put Cream of Tartar in Snickerdoodles?
The key ingredient to any snickerdoodle recipe is cream of tartar. That, along with the cinnamon sugar, is what sets it apart from a standard sugar cookie recipe.
Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that signature soft texture. The acid in cream of tartar creates tiny air bubbles all throughout the cookie as it bakes. It also breaks up the gluten and lifts the cookie, leaving a soft and pillow-like texture.
It also provides a slightly tangy flavor which helps cut through the ultra sweet cinnamon sugar. But you have to be careful with it. Too much and your cookies can turn out bitter with a strange aftertaste.
The trick is to add just the tiniest amount. For this snickerdoodle recipe, you only need 1/4 teaspoon. It’s just enough to give that soft texture and flavor without overpowering the cookie.
How to ensure your cookies don’t flatten when baked
It can be so frustrating when your snickerdoodles don’t bake properly. The edges melt too quickly, leaving you with something like a snickerdoodle pancake… which actually sounds kind of amazing.
But we’re baking snickerdoodle COOKIES here! Which means perfectly rounded edges, a uniform shape, and sweet wrinkly tops.
First and most importantly, you must refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Just prep the dough the night before and bake the morning. Easy peasy!
Refrigerating the dough allows it to dry out while also creating a deeper flavor. Kind of like marinating meat overnight… I know, strange to connect those two but it’s the same concept.
But when I say “dry out”, that doesn’t mean you’ll have a dry cookie. It just allows the dry ingredients to fully absorb the wet ingredients, leaving a more stable cookie dough.
Chilling the dough also slows the spread of the cookie as it bakes. Since it’s cold, it takes a little bit longer for the cookie to heat up in the oven. That’s how you get that perfectly baked edge with the slightly doughy and soft center. It’s sheer heaven.
Prepping cookie dough for baking
Since we’ll be refrigerating the dough, you will need to scoop the dough BEFORE it is chilled. Otherwise, the dough is too hard to dig your cookie scoop into.
I like large and in-charge cookies which is why I almost always use my 2 oz cookie scoop. It creates the perfect mounded shape and adds those wrinkly ridges on top.
Scoop your cookie dough onto a small baking sheet and refrigerate. If you don’t have a large scoop, you could use a smaller scoop and bake for 3-5 minutes less. Just make sure to keep them in that dome shape – the same shape as your scoop.
Once chilled, this is when it’s time to roll them in the cinnamon sugar. If we did this when the dough was soft and fresh, the cookies would lose their shape.
Simply mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and coat the chilled cookie dough.
To bake, place about 4-5 Maple Snickerdoodles on a large baking sheet. They spread quite a bit so leave 2 inches between each cookie.
You know they’re done with they’re slightly puffed, golden around the edges, and still pale in the middle. They’ll look pretty light in color when they’re fresh from the oven but as they cool and settle, they’ll look more like the pictures you see here.
The best part about this snickerdoodle recipe is that they can be enjoyed at any time! Fresh is always best, but that soft texture remains for days. Keep them in an air tight container at room temperature and enjoy for up to 5 days.
For more of the BEST cookie recipes, check out my:
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (No egg option!)
- Best Salted Caramel Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Baileys Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery onInstagram and comment below if you make this Maple Snickerdoodles recipe. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Maple Snickerdoodles
- Author: Jenna Barnard
- Total Time: 35 minutes + chill overnight
- Yield: 15 cookies
Description
The BEST snickerdoodle recipe made with maple for an extra layer of sweetness. They’re super soft, slightly doughy, and everything a snickerdoodle should be.
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (85g) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups (395g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs until well combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients in two batches to avoid flour flying everywhere. Once the dough just comes together, it’s time to start scooping.
- Line a small cookie sheet with wax, foil, or parchment paper. Use a 2 oz scoop or 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out the dough. Place them side-by-side on the small cookie sheet and pop them in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. I like making cookie dough the day before so it can chill overnight.
- When they’re ready and chilled, preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the cookie dough in the cinnamon and sugar to coat. Make sure they retain that dome shape from the scoop. With the middle being thicker than the edges, that ensures you will get a soft and doughy center.
- Bake 4-5 cookies at a time for 14-16 minutes. Start at 14 minutes and keep adding on a minute until they’re done.
- You’re looking for light golden brown edges and a soft, doughy center. They’ll seem a little underdone in the middle which is what we’re going for. They’ll also look a little puffed up and pale in the middle but they will settle and darken as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and devour after they’ve had about 15 minutes to cool.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
STORAGE – They’re best enjoyed fresh but still remain soft and delicious for days. Store in an air tight container and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: snickerdoodles, snickerdoodle cookie recipes, snickerdoodle cookies, snickerdoodle recipe
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