Snickerdoodles

Cream of tartar reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide, producing the chewy texture and slightly tangy, distinctive snickerdoodle flavor; without it, you have a regular sugar cookie. It is not optional.

Yes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before scooping and baking. The baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

You have likely overbaked them; remove them from the oven when the center still looks slightly underdone and soft (the cookies will firm up as they cool). Also ensure your oven temperature is accurate with an oven thermometer.

For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven 1–2 minutes earlier and let them cool on the baking sheet longer. For crispier cookies, bake 1–2 minutes longer and cool on the rack immediately. Adjust in small increments.

You cannot replicate snickerdoodles without it; cream of tartar is a key ingredient that cannot be substituted. If you do not have it, make a different cookie.

Stick with granulated sugar for authentic snickerdoodles; brown sugar changes the texture and flavor profile. You can lightly dust the cinnamon-sugar coating with a tiny pinch of nutmeg, but resist other additions—snickerdoodles are defined by their simplicity.