Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Recipe

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 40 mins

Servings:

You won't need to sit by a fire to warm up on chilly evenings when you have a freshly baked batch of these brown butter snickerdoodles on hand. The cinnamon-sugar mixture in these cookies creates a delicious aroma through your whole kitchen while they bake.

The trickiest part of this brown butter snickerdoodles recipe is browning the butter. The brown butter, which adds a slightly nutty flavor, will have your guests asking: "What's different about these snickerdoodles cookies?" Who knew brown butter could be such a fun secret ingredient.

Learn how to make brown butter snickerdoodles. Whether you're looking for this season's bake sale winner or just craving a new late-night snack option, these cookies are sure to become a go-to recipe.

Why Should I Use Brown Butter for Cookies?

Browned butter is created by heating butter until nutty, browned bits form at the bottom of the pan, all in thanks to the Maillard reaction. These browned bits add rich, complex flavor to any recipe they're added to, including these classic snickerdoodles. Some of the liquid is also cooked off in the process of creating brown butter, leading to denser, chewier cookies.

Ingredients for Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

To make these snickerdoodles, you'll need:

Unsalted butter: For a chewy cookie with buttery richness.
All-purpose flour: The base of the cookie dough.
Cream of tartar: Acidic cream of tartar reacts with baking soda to give these cookies their spread.
Baking soda: Leavening to help the cookies spread and brown evenly.
Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
Light brown sugar: For a light note of molasses and additional moisture.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies.
Large eggs: Binds the dough.
Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.
Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon sugar coats the cookies for that classic snickerdoodle flavor.

Why Do Snickerdoodles Call for Cream of Tartar?

Snickerdoodles are cinnamon-sugar coated cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers. To help create this ideal texture, cream of tartar is paired with baking soda. The acidity of cream of tartar causes an instant reaction with the baking soda, causing the cookies to quickly spread for that crisp edge and tender middle. It also lends a slight tanginess to the flavor of the dough, balancing the sweetness of the cinnamon-sugar coating.

How To Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and continue to cook until lightly browned. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and chill until the consistency of softened butter.
Step 2. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Beat brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar into browned butter until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla to combine. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Cover and chill until firm.
Step 3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining sugar. Scoop cookie dough and roll to form balls. Toss into cinnamon-sugar to coat. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Step 4. Bake at 375°F until golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Tips for the Best Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

For the chewiest, most delicious snickerdoodles, keep these tips in mind:

Cool your browned butter: For a good creaming, make sure to cool your browned butter to a softened butter consistency. This will help trap air as the butter and sugar mixes together.
Room temperature eggs: For the smoothest batter, use room temperature eggs and add them one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix just to combine: Once the dry ingredients have been added, mix only just to combine. Overbeating the batter will cause a less tender result.
Use a scoop: For the most consistent cookies, use a portion scoop.
Coat generously: Make sure the cookies have a generous coating of cinnamon-sugar before baking for the tastiest results. If the coating won't stick, brush the chilled cookies lightly with water before rolling in the sugar mixture.
Bake just until golden: Avoid overbaking, which will result in a cakier cookies than chewy ones.

How To Store Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

These cookies can be made ahead and stored in a few different ways:

Refrigerate or freeze the dough: Make the dough ahead, scoop onto a baking sheet, and chill or freeze until firm. Transfer to airtight containers or zip-top bags. Refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, or bake straight from the freezer (the cookies may need additional baking time).
Store the baked cookies: Store the baked snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze for up to three months. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Can You Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles in Advance?

Once you've prepared the dough, you can store it in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Be sure to roll the dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before freezing. When you're ready to bake the dough from frozen, add two minutes of bake time to ensure they're fully cooked. If you're preparing a big batch of cookies, you can store the rest of the dough balls in the fridge while one set bakes.

More Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Cookie Recipes You'll Love

It just isn't the holiday season without these classic cookies:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Prepare baking sheets:

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside until ready to use.
Brown the butter:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium. Cook, whisking often, until butter begins to brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cool browned butter:

Carefully pour browned butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, and chill in refrigerator until set, but not firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (The texture of the chilled brown butter should be like softened butter.)

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Combine dry ingredients:

Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Cream browned butter and sugars:

Add light brown sugar and 1 cup of the granulated sugar to softened browned butter in bowl; beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla, and continue beating until well combined, about 1 minute.
Make batter, and chill:

Add flour mixture, and continue beating until just combined, about 1 minute. Cover and chill until firm, at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Prepare oven:

Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks positioned in upper and lower thirds of oven.
Make cinnamon-sugar mixture:

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl.
Scoop cookie dough, and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture:

Using a 3/4-ounce scoop or a kitchen spoon, scoop dough into 36 portions (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each), and gently roll each dough portion into a ball using your hands. Roll dough balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture, and place on prepared baking sheets at least 3 inches apart. Discard any remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Make-Ahead Option:

Dough balls can be kept frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month after being rolled in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake cookies:

Bake cookies in preheated oven until golden brown and edges are set, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through bake time (increase bake time by about 2 minutes if baking cookies from frozen). You can also bake cookies in batches and keep prepared dough balls in the refrigerator while each batch bakes.
Cool cookies:

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you substitute brown butter for regular butter in any recipe?

Once browned, the weight of butter changes due to the loss of some of the moisture content. Substituting brown butter into a recipe that doesn't call for it may require additional adjustments.
Why is it called a snickerdoodle?

According to the 1931 cookbook Joy of Cooking, the name snickerdoodle comes from the German Schneckennudel, a yeasted roll similar in makeup to a cinnamon bun.
Why are my snickerdoodles coming out flat?

Take the time to chill your cookies before baking for the ideal thickness. Room temperature cookie dough will have additional spread when baked. Avoid baking on a greased cookie sheet, which may cause additional spreading as well.
Why won't cinnamon-sugar stick to my cookie dough?

Make sure to wrap your cookie dough while chilling to avoid drying out the surface. If the cinnamon-sugar won't stick properly, brush the dough balls lightly with water before rolling in the mixture to coat.
Why are my cookies thick and puffy?

A heavy hand when measuring dry ingredients can lead to puffy or thick cookies. Make sure to spoon and level your flour when measuring for consistent results.

Learn More: How To Measure Flour Correctly And Why It Matters