Air Fryer Snickerdoodle Cookies

These air fryer snickerdoodle cookies are soft, cinnamony, and ready in under 10 minutes. No need to heat up your whole oven for a small batch of cookies.

If you’ve never made cookies in the air fryer before, you’re going to love how quick and easy it is. They come out with slightly crinkled tops and soft centers, just like a good snickerdoodle should be.

The dough is simple to put together with basic pantry ingredients. Then you roll the balls in a cinnamon sugar coating and let the air fryer do the rest.

They’re perfect when you want something sweet but don’t feel like doing a whole big baking session. A few minutes of prep and you’ve got warm cookies ready to eat.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ready in Under 15 Minutes – From rolling the dough balls to pulling warm cookies out of the air fryer, you are looking at about 10-12 minutes total, which is way faster than heating up a full-size oven and waiting 15+ minutes for traditional snickerdoodles.

That Cinnamon Sugar Coating Is Everything – Every single bite is covered in a sweet cinnamon sugar crust that gets slightly caramelized in the air fryer, giving you that signature snickerdoodle flavor that is honestly hard to stop eating.

Soft and Chewy Centers – The cream of tartar in this recipe is the secret to getting that classic snickerdoodle tanginess and pillowy soft center, and the short air fryer cook time at 325°F keeps them perfectly chewy instead of dried out.

The Edges Get Perfectly Crinkled – The circulating hot air in the air fryer gives these snickerdoodles those beautiful crinkly, slightly crisp edges while keeping the middle soft, which is exactly what a perfect snickerdoodle is supposed to look and taste like.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

How to Make

Step 1

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined and smooth.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

Step 4

In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the coating.

Step 5

Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll each one generously in the cinnamon sugar coating until fully covered on all sides.

Step 6

Place the coated dough balls in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie. Work in batches as needed.

Step 7

Air fry at 325°F (165°C) for 7-8 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look slightly crinkled. The centers should still appear soft.

Step 8

Let the cookies cool in the basket for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will firm up as they cool.

Tips

Be Generous With the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

When you roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar, make sure the entire surface is covered with a nice thick layer. Don’t just lightly dust them – really press and roll them around in the mixture so the coating sticks everywhere.

The coating is what gives the outside of the cookie that sweet, cinnamon-y crunch while the inside stays soft and chewy. If the layer is too thin, you lose that contrast and the cookies won’t look or taste as good.

If you run out of the cinnamon sugar mixture before all the dough balls are coated, just mix up a little more. It’s only sugar and cinnamon so it’s easy to make extra on the fly.

Don’t Skip the Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle. It works with the baking soda to give the cookie that slightly tangy flavor and the soft, chewy texture with the signature crinkled top.

If you leave it out or swap it for baking powder, the cookies will taste like plain sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon. They won’t have that distinct snickerdoodle taste that sets them apart.

You can find cream of tartar in the spice aisle at any grocery store. A small jar lasts a long time since you only use a teaspoon at a time.

Chill the Dough if It Feels Sticky

After you mix the dough, if it feels too soft or sticky to roll into balls, pop it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. This firms up the butter just enough so the dough is easy to handle and the balls hold their shape.

This also helps the cookies keep a nice round shape in the air fryer instead of spreading out too much too fast. Air fryers blow hot air directly onto the food, so dough that’s too warm when it goes in tends to flatten more than you want.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
• Air Fryer Churros
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Bites
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Cakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to preheat my air fryer before baking these cookies?

It depends on your air fryer model, but for this recipe it’s best to preheat it for about 2-3 minutes at 325°F before putting the cookies in. This helps them bake more evenly and gives you that nice set edge with a soft center.

If you skip preheating, your first batch might need an extra minute or two, so just keep an eye on them.