These whole wheat snickerdoodle cookies are just like the classics, they start with a slightly tangy sugar cookie dough, then they are wrapped in a warm cinnamon sugar hug and baked to perfection. They are soft, sweet and oh so good!
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If we're being honest we were never a fan of snickerdoodle cookies…. until we started developing this recipe. It took us a few tries to get it right but we eventually came out with a cookie we could eat over and over again.
Now we have a whole wheat snickerdoodle cookie recipe for all the whole grain and snickerdoodle lovers out there.
If you love cookies as much as we do then check out the other whole wheat cookie recipes in our cookie series
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Snickerdoodle cookies (this recipe)
- Soft ginger cookies
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
- Orange coconut cookies
- Sugar cookies
- Double chocolate cookies
- Peanut butter cookies
What's Cool About This Recipe
- 100% whole grain: These snickerdoodle cookies are made with 100% whole wheat flour. Our favorite type of wheat to use in cookies is soft white wheat (whole wheat pastry flour).
- Soft: They are soft but still have a chewy texture.
- Tangy: The dough contains cream of tartar which gives them a slight tang, like classic snickerdoodle cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole wheat flour: We usually use whole wheat flour milled from soft white wheat, (if you’re buying flour it is sometimes called whole wheat pastry flour). You can also use hard white wheat flour.
- Baking soda: Used to make the cookies rise and spread. Remember to check the expiration date.
- Cream of tartar: Gives the cookies that classic tangy flavor and also helps them to rise. Remember to check the expiration date.
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter: The taste and quality of your butter will affect the taste of your cookies. The more fresh it is, the better. We love the Kerrygold brand. You can also use salted butter, just reduce the salt in the recipe.
- Sugar: We like to use raw granulated cane sugar. Florida Crystals is a good brand.
- Egg: We use large chicken eggs, a large egg typically weighs around 50-55 grams without the shell.
- Vanilla extract
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- You can add different spices such as, nutmeg, cloves and ginger to the cinnamon sugar for spiced snickerdoodles.
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla extract, beat again on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, mix until well combined.
Step 4: Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in a small shallow dish.
Step 5: Scoop out the cookie dough, using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop or two spoons and roll between your hands to make them smooth.
Step 6: Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar.
Step 7: Place the cookies 2-3 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and the tops are no longer shiny. Cool on the tray for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Serving Suggestions
Our favorite ways to eat snickerdoodle cookies are:
- With milk, coffee or tea
- As a snack or dessert
- Served on a cookie board for parties
Storage
Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
How to Freeze
To freeze baked cookies: place the cookies into a freezer safe bag or container, label and freeze for up to 3 months (if the cookies are soft, freeze them in a single layer, on a tray before placing into the bag).
To freeze cookie dough: Arrange scoops of cookie dough close, but not touching on a parchment paper lined tray or plate, freeze for 1-2 hours or until the cookie dough balls are firm. Place the cookie dough into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake frozen cookie dough: remove however many cookie dough balls you want to bake. Place onto a cookie sheet and bake according to recipe instructions (you may need to bake them 1-2 minutes longer to account for the frozen dough).
Tips From Our Kitchen
Our number one tip for making cookies is to do a test bake: after you mix up the dough, bake 1 cookie to see if it spreads too much or too little. That way you can adjust the dough if needed before you bake the whole batch of cookies.
Cookies that spread too much and are thin need more flour.
Cookies that don’t spread and stay in a rounded shape have too much flour and need some liquid such as milk to thin it out.
We like to err on the side of less flour at first, because it is easier to add more flour than to add liquid to the dough.
This recipe can be made with hard white wheat flour, but you will need less flour than the recipe calls for.
When using fresh ground/milled flour, be sure to let it cool off before using in your cookie dough recipe.
FAQ
Hard and dry cookies are usually a result of being over baked or from setting out exposed to the air for too long.
Dry and crumbly cookies generally have too much flour in the dough.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (157 g) granulated cane sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) soft white wheat flour whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoon (39 g) granulated cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack in the center, or upper third position.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, and ¾ cup (157 g) granulated cane sugar together until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beat until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add 2 ¼ cups (270 g) soft white wheat flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon sea salt, mix until well combined.
- In a small, shallow dish, combine 3 tablespoon (39 g) granulated cane sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
- We recommend doing a trial bake before baking the whole batch of cookies, see the note section below.
- Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, or two spoons, scoop out the cookie dough, roll into balls, and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Place 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and the tops are no longer shiny.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Mindy
My kids and loved them. We made a huge batch to give as gifts, and it scaled up without a problem. Thanks so much for the recipe, ladies!
WholeWheatKitchen
That’s awesome! We’re so glad you loved them, thanks for letting us know:)
Jessica
I made these with hard white wheat today with the same weight as soft white. They turned out perfectly! So good.