Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
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These Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies are flavored with nutty brown butter and generously covered in cinnamon sugar. They’re so delicious!
These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are the ultimate upgrade to regular snickerdoodles. They’re made with brown butter which gives them the most delicious rich and nutty flavor! They also have soft and chewy centers with crisp edges! These snickerdoodles are such a cozy cookie for the cold weather and holiday season!
More Snickerdoodles You’ll Love
- Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Snickerdoodles
- Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cookies structure.
Cream of tartar – works with the baking soda to make the snickerdoodles soft and chewy. Also gives them that signature snickerdoodle tanginess.
Baking soda – works with the cream of tartar to make the cookies rise.
Cinnamon – these snickerdoodles are coated in cinnamon sugar but also have cinnamon in the dough to give them more flavor!
Brown butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Granulated & brown sugar – sweetens the cookies.
Eggs – binds the ingredients and provides structure.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
What Is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is just regular butter that has been cooked until the water evaporates which allows the milk solids to become toasted. This process gives the butter a delicious nutty flavor (and smell) that makes any dessert extra delicious.
Can You Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar?
No! The key ingredient that separates snickerdoodles from plain old sugar cookies is the cream of tartar! It gives the cookies their signature texture and flavor.
How To Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
1. Brown the butter: Cut the butter into cubes and place into a small pot. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally. The butter will bubble and foam until it reaches a light brown color, has little browned bits on the bottom and smells nutty and delicious. This happens quickly so don’t walk away from it! Pour browned butter into a heat proof bowl then set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
2. Make the Brown Butter Snickerdoodles: in a small bowl whisk the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the brown butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
4. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract into the butter sugar mixture.
5. Add the dry ingredients all at once and fold until just combined.
6. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll in cinnamon sugar then place onto lined baking sheets (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Bake at 375°F for 9 minutes. Store Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.
Pro Tips For Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Don’t over mix the dough! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
- Don’t over bake them! They will still look a little raw when they come out of the oven but will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet.
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Cookie scoop (I use a 3 tablespoon scoop)
Ingredients
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 226 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Cut the butter into cubes and place into a small pot. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally. The butter will bubble and foam until it reaches a light brown color, has little browned bits on the bottom and smells nutty and delicious. This happens quickly so don't walk away from it! Pour browned butter into a heat proof bowl then set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a small bowl whisk the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the brown butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract into the butter sugar mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once and fold until just combined.
- Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll in cinnamon sugar then place onto lined baking sheets (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Bake cookies for 9 minutes.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/2 tsp salt.
- Store Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.
