By Kelley | Cookies, DessertsJump To Recipe
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A classic that is reliable at high altitude every single time. These High Altitude Snickerdoodles are without a doubt my husband and kiddos favorite cookie!
Is it getting too hot where you are to turn the oven on? Thank goodness here in the mountains it’s usually cool enough first thing in the morning that if I get a hankering for baking, it’s not too hot. I totally understand if cookie baking is the last thing on your mind but indulge me if you would. It’s a little late that I’m just now posting a recipe for high altitude snickerdoodles, don’t you think?
I can’t tell you how many snickerdoodle recipes I’ve made over the years that fell just short. Tasty, yes, but often too flat, too buttery, and not cinnamon-y enough. If I do say so myself, these cookies are perfection. They’re puffy, not overly sweet, and the cinnamon-sugar coating is heavy on the cinnamon- just how I like it.
This recipe makes a ton! It’s easily halved but I always make the full recipe. Snickerdoodles don’t last long around here. And even if I do have leftovers, they freeze beautifully. So if you can bare it, crank your oven and getting you cookie baking on!
photos by Kellie Hatcher/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 15 reviews
- Author: Kelley
Prep Time: 10- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 dozen 1x
Prep Time:
Yield:Print Recipe
Description
A recipe for perfect Snickerdoodles at high altitude every single time!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 35oF degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs and beat just until combined.
- Slowly add in flour mixture and stir just until combined, don’t over mix.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookie balls 2-inches apart onto lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.. Don’t overtake! Remove from oven when cookies look just barely done and let them cool on tray 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days or in the freeze for up to one month.
51 Comments
Natalie A.PermalinkThese look super delicious! I am wanting to try them out. It’s nice that this is a recipe for high altitude! Thanks for always sharing your amazing recipes!
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JennPermalink1 cup of butter, room temperature is what I see in the recipe. I am going to try to make some of these for sure, they sound delicious!
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Rachel JPermalinkThese look delicious! Can you clarify whether you use baking powder or baking soda? In the ingredient list it states baking powder, but in the instructions it says baking soda. Help please!
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KelleyPermalinkIt’s baking soda! Thanks for catching that.
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Mikael BohonPermalinkAwesome
So tasty !!!!
MeganPermalinkI feel a little retarded, but…
Does the recipe call for 2 “3/4th cups” of flour, or 2 cups and 3/4 cups flour? Lol
IndiaPermalinkhi, it means 2 cups of flour in the full cup measuring cup and 3 more cups in the 1/4th measuring cup
happy baking
DeviPermalinkTurned out great! Thank you!
Tonja Hanco*ckPermalinkI live at a high altitude in Puebla, Mexico and was looking for a great snickerdoodle recipe…I found it! Thanks so much for your recipe. The cookies not only have a great flavor, but they stay soft after cooling down.
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Craig LankenauPermalinkOmg this is the best recipe I have found . Now just have keep the kids away from them till they are done
PeggyPermalinkThese are amazing !!
HeidiPermalinkWhat if I’m low altitude? Can I still use this recipe?
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IndiaPermalinkI LOVE these!
I would recommend however using a bit more of the sugar/cinnamon since the 4 times I have baked these I have found myself needing to use a bit more.
Also I would recommend 7 minutes but maybe its just my oven
My friends love these and I have made them 4 times in 2 weeks!
KelleyPermalinkThanks for the feedback. I like a heavy hand with the cinnamon as well!
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TheresaPermalinkI live in Colorado Springs at 6035 feet and these came out delicious, but flat. I am totally admitting to fault, but I just don’t know what I did. Ha! 🙂 Do you know what would’ve made these flat? The taste was amazingly delicious! Thank you!
ReplyKelleyPermalinkWas the butter too soft? That will result in a flat cookie. Perhaps add a tablespoon extra of flour next time??
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JodiPermalinkI’m at the north side of the Springs, 6800ft. Mine also came out flat. 🙁
ReplyKelleyPermalinkMake sure that your butter isn’t too soft and that you’re measuring the flour correctly. Warm butter and lack of flour can add to flat cookies. You can also try decreasing the leavening by a pinch.
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LaurelPermalinkI grew up in Kansas City, and I always loved baking snickerdoodles. When I moved to a higher elevation (Boulder, CO), I discovered things do not bake the same at high altitude but had no idea how to go about adjusting the recipe I had. I am so grateful to have found this. These turned out absolutely AMAZING – even better than my original KC recipe! Thank you so, so much!
Nancie McAuleyPermalink6035 here, Colorado Springs. These baked perfectly (at 8:30-9 minutes) and my Cream of Tartar was six years old!
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Erin McClosPermalinkSeriously the best cookies I’ve ever made/eaten!!!!
ReplyKelleyPermalinkThank you!
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MiryamPermalinkI can’t wait to try these! Just want to check first – I notice there’s no vanilla in the ingredients list is that correct or an oversight? Thanks so much!
ReplyKelleyPermalinkIt’s correct 🙂
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KarenPermalinkI moved from mid-Michigan to Denver a year ago, and have had mixed results with baking at high altitude. These snickerdoodles were as good as the ones my kids grew up on except I always use 2 parts sugar, 1 part cinnamon.
Thank you!!
SuzannePermalinkCan you use kosher salt? If so, would I need more than the recipe calls for?
ReplyKelleyPermalinkYes, you can use kosher salt. I would use a little bit less.
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JoyPermalinkHow much butter I am all of a sudden not seeing the butter amount listed in the ingredients list.
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RedrustycarPermalinkThanks for the recipe!!!
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Made tonight in Fort Collins and I used a disher to make the balls. They didn’t spread out much at all so they are a little mound-like but so yummy….
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Might flatten them a little with a spatula next time…. Tasty, thick, and soft!!!!
Jim FranklinPermalinkHello Kelley,
I am getting ready to make some cookies for the Family tomorrow…I was wondering about two things…First of all do you recommend Salted or Unsalted Butter? Also, I usually set my butter out the night before I do my baking, Do you recommend that or the day of just to get it at room temp?
Thanks so much for posting, I will let you know how it goes.
Kind Regards,
Jim Franklin
KelleyPermalinkMy kitchen is fairly cold so I leave my butter out overnight. You want it just barely soft. It it’s too soft the cookies will spread! I mostly use unsalted butter for baking but will use salted if that’s what I have on hand. Not sure I can really tell the difference!
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RhondaPermalinkHi Kelley,
Can you make the dough a few day ahead and refrigerate?
KelleyPermalinkSure! I make cookie dough ahead all the time. It can hang in the fridge for a few days or you can shape into balls and freeze the cookie dough. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
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Lauren Michelle LeottaPermalinkHands down best high altitude snickerdoodle recipe. Cookies will be light, fluffy and crisp on the edges. Say goodbye to pancake cookies.
SusiPermalinkGoing to bake these today, because everything I’ve made from your site turns out and tastes great!
(Fyi, instruction step 7 it reads “overtake”… overbake )
Thanks for sharing your HA recipes!!!
KelleyPermalinkThanks for that. I’ll correct. Though my teenager has been know to overtake these as soon as they come out of the oven. Ha! 🙂
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RJPermalinkSeriously, all of the high altitude baking recipes have been better than perfect, including this one!
Alexis CottonPermalinkThis recipe is amazing. What I do to make the cookies stay softer for longer is substitute 1/4C of the butter for 1/4C shortening. It just makes the cookies so soft without compromising on the buttery taste
DebbiePermalinkThank you!! Finally soft snickerdoodles! These are my first snickerdoodles in 25 years that didn’t break a tooth.
Wish I could post a pic.
Susan DowdPermalinkNo vanilla???
ReplyKelleyPermalinkNot in this recipe but feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon. It would be delicious!
ReplyDebbiePermalinkThanks for the info. I’m not changing the recipe at all. Finally have soft snickerdoodles after 21 years.
Even my old Betty Crocker recipe calls for vanilla. Try it.
Unknown userPermalinkin the ingredients list sugar is on there twice should i add 1.5 cups or 1.25 cups im confused please help
Unknown userPermalinkin the ingredients list sugar is on there twice should i add 1.5 cups or 1.25 cups im confused please help!!!!
Madeline StyronPermalinkSoft, chewy with a lit crisp around the edges. Yumm! Thank you! Do you have a high altitude cupcake recipe??
MelaniePermalinkWhat am I doing wrong? Kids tried to do these tonight, dough is so mushy and sticky i can’t even roll it into balls. We live in Ecuador and I can’t get cream of tartar here, so i put a pinch of baking powder too. Is that what’s wrong?
ReplyKelleyPermalinkI’m not sure….. I’m so sorry. I hate when a recipe doesn’t turn out.
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KatherinePermalinkWould the recipe need to be adjusted if I wanted to add some cinnamon chips?
ReplyKelleyPermalinkYes, they can!
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Cathy DavisonPermalinkI made these cookies. I put twelve on a cookie sheet; ten baked up beautiful. Two were runny and mushy.?. Any idea why? Cookies are yummy.
ReplyTheresaPermalinkThank you so much for posting this recipe! I’ve been using it for our Christmas cookie trays for 3 years. So delicious – and a cookie recipe I can finally bake since moving to Colorado! You are so appreciated. Thank you!
