If you’re craving the best snickerdoodle cookies, these Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are the upgrade you need y’all. Browning that butter up adds a rich, nutty flavor that takes this classic cookie to the next level. Trust me, boo, once you taste these, you’ll be hooked. The blend of browned butter and a cinnamon-sugar coating makes each snickerdoodle cookie crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Boss moves!
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I have the best cookies for you today – Brown Butter Snickerdoodles! Plus, making these cookies is so easy, and they hit HARD in the flavor department. All ya gotta do is start by browning the butter to bring out that deep, toasty flavor use it in your dough. Then, roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon sugar for that iconic snickerdoodle taste, and bake until just right. Y’all, get ready to fall in love with snickerdoodles all over again—these cookies are bomb!
The Lowdown On These Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Contains gluten, dairy, and eggs.
Key Flavor: Nutty, rich brown butter
Skill Level: Easy
- Nutty Flavor: The brown butter adds a deep nutty flavor that takes these cookies to another level.
- Perfect Texture: This cookie have the best texture! Between chewy centers and a slightly crisp edge.
- New Take On A Classic: The addition of browned butter updates the classic snickerdoodle, making this cookie new-school!
- All Occasion Cookies: The ease of making them makes them suitable for any day you’re craving cookies but their terrific flavor and texture makes a cookie great for entertaining.
- Simple Cookie Recipe: This recipe relies on simple ingredients that are easy to find (or you might already have in your kitchen) and mix up quite easily.
Ingredients to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
- Unsalted Butter: This is the base of brown butter, which will be cooked to a golden brown to infuse the cookies with a rich, nutty flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: A sweet foundation for the cookies, it dissolves well and contributes to the crisp edges and chewy centers. It’s also used for rolling the cookie dough balls before baking, giving them a sweet, sparkly crust.
- Large Eggs: They act as a binder, providing structure and richness to the cookie dough.
- All-Purpose Flour: The primary building block for the cookies, giving them structure and substance.
- Cream of Tartar: This acid helps to activate the baking soda and gives snickerdoodles their classic tangy taste and soft texture.
- Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and become light and airy.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, floral note that complements the chai spices and brown butter.
- Ground Cinnamon: Added to the cookie dough and combined with the sugar for the rolling mixture, contributing a warm, spicy sweetness to the outer layer of the cookies.
How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Make the Brown Butter
- Melting the Butter. Place the butter in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
- Browning It. Continue to cook, allowing it to slowly brown until it turns a dark golden color with specs throughout. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Mix the Wet Ingredients. Whisk together the cooled butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Mix and Chill. Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm but still workable.
Roll the Cookies
- Make the Sugar Mixture. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Stir It Up. Mix until well combined.
- Roll the Cookies. Roll the dough into small balls.
- In the Sugar. Roll in the sugar mixture coating each ball.
Baking the Cookies
- On the Baking Sheet. Place the sugared cookie balls on a baking sheet.
- In the Oven. Bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Tips For Making The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
There’s something incredibly comforting about a perfectly made chewy snickerdoodle. But gettin’ that ideal chewy texture can sometimes be a bit elusive. Fret not! Below are some insider tips for making your snickerdoodles the chewiest and most amazing you’ve ever tasted.
- The Right Ingredients: Start with room temperature ingredients, particularly when it comes to your butter and eggs. This ensures your mixture will combine correctly for a uniform texture, setting the stage for chewiness.
- Cream of Tartar is Key: Don’t skip this ingredient! It’s what gives snickerdoodles their distinctive tang and reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cookies, contributing to their dense, chewy texture.
- Chill the Dough: Patience is a virtue when it comes to cookies. Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking allows the ingredients to meld, prevents spreading, and ensures a thicker, chewier cookie.
- Under-bake Just a Tad: To keep your snickerdoodles chewy, take them out of the oven when they are just barely set in the middle but still soft. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Browning the Butter: It is crucial that you carefully watch your butter as you brown it so it does not burn. Do not leave it unattended.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Chai Spice: Swap the ground cinnamon with chai spice for a more complex flavor with hints of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves.
- Gluten-Free Cookies: For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular flour.
- Skip the Brown Butter: So much flavor comes from the brown butter so I don’t recommend skipping it, but I understand that there could be many reasons to pass on this step and use melted butter instead.
- Adding Other Flavors: For a seasonal flavoring replace the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or gingerbread spice.
What to Serve with Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Enjoy for an afternoon snack or after-dinner treat while you sip on a French Hot Chocolate, Hot Buttered Rum, or Spiced Apple Cider.
- Add them to a cookie tray for the holidays or to take to a potluck. They make the perfect companion to Key Lime Cookie Cups and Chocolate Turtle Cookies.
- Spread them with Cookie Butter Ice Cream to make your own delicious homemade ice cream sandwich!
How to Store Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Fresh snickerdoodle cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, helping them maintain their chewiness. When stored properly, they’ll last up to a week.
How long will Snickerdoodle last in the fridge?
Store Snickerdoodle cookies even longer in the fridge. The texture may toughen a bit when stored this way, but they will ultimately stay fresh longer this way. Remove them the fridge and let them sit at room temperature to soften back up.
Can I freeze brown butter Snickerdoodle cookies?
Freeze Snickerdoodle cookies in a freezer-safe resealable bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. This is perfect for planning ahead for your holiday baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Excessive spreading can be caused by the butter being too warm. Ensure your dough has chilled long enough before baking to allow those fats to resolidify and hold their shape.
Brown butter is ready when the color has turned a caramel color and you can see browned bits at the bottom. These bits are toasted milk solids within the butter. When you’re not sure it’s best to under brown than over brown, this can easily lead to burned butter.
If you followed the recipe without making any substitutions then the likely cause is that they are over-baked. It’s key to remove these cookies from the oven before this point. They should remain slightly soft in the middle (but not doughy) and don’t expect overly brown edges. The bottom should be golden brown and the edges should appear set.
These brown butter snickerdoodles take your classic cookies into cookie heaven! They’re perfect for an afternoon treat for the kids when they get home from school or a simple cookie to bake for your next gathering. The browned butter adds richness and nuttiness everyone is sure to love!
More Brown Butter Desserts That You’ll Love
- Butterfinger Brown Butter Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze!
- Brown Butter Maple Blondies
- Ginger Brown Butter Blondies
- Spiced Apple Cider Recipe with Brown Butter Frosting
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the rolling mixture:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Browned Butter:
- Melt butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook butter and allow it to slowly brown until it turns a dark golden color with specs throughout.
- Turn off heat and allow it to cool completely.
For the Cookie Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next add cooled butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla to a medium sized bowl and whisk ingredients together.
- Next whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the wet mixture until smooth. Place the final dough in the refrigerator to cool for about 30 minutes until firm but still easily workable.
- Whisk together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Scoop balls of dough using #40 scoop (or 1 1/2 tablespoons) of dough then dip them in the sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet, each an inch apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until baked through but still chewy and serve. I love them warm!
Notes
- The Right Ingredients: Start with room temperature ingredients, particularly when it comes to your butter and eggs. This ensures your mixture will combine correctly for a uniform texture, setting the stage for chewiness.
- Cream of Tartar is Key: Don’t skip this ingredient! It’s what gives snickerdoodles their distinctive tang and reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cookies, contributing to their dense, chewy texture.
- Chill the Dough: Patience is a virtue when it comes to cookies. Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking allows the ingredients to meld, prevents spreading, and ensures a thicker, chewier cookie.
- Under-bake Just a Smidge: To keep your snickerdoodles chewy, take them out of the oven when they are just barely set in the middle but still soft. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Browning the Butter: It is crucial that you carefully watch your butter as you brown it so it does not burn. Do not leave it unattended.
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You were not kidding about making amazing cookies! This is the second recipe I’ve tried from your site and they are a hit (especially with my co-workers)!
Hooray I’m so glad you enjoy them!!
I can’t find Chai spice. Do you have a substitute or a suggestion of what to use in place? Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, you can definitely make your own. I found this recipe for Chai spice here: http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/wholefoodsdesserts/r/chaispice.htm
I just made these. I cut back the amount of flour and even then it was very dry and crumbly but after molding balls and letting the dough warm up in my hand a bit they stayed together. I baked for 6 minutes, squished them down with a spoon (they stayed in a ball otherwise) and baked another 2 minutes. Despite the dough being quite difficult to work with, these are beautiful! Truly a delightful cookie. Cheers!
Hi Amber, thanks so much for writing to me about your experience of baking the cookies. I’m sorry about your difficulty using the dough but I didn’t have the same difficulty for some reason so I wonder what happened. None the less, I am glad the cookies turned out so lovely! It is definitely a yummy cookie indeed.
Wow, these look absolutely delicious! I adore Snickerdoodles and the chai factor makes them sound even more amazing!
xo
Alison
Snickerdoodles? Why are they called that? What are their origins? I see that there aren’t any Snickers (as in the candy bar) in them. Just curious.
a great fall cookie to have in the car for when the munchies kick in! Love them. Great recipe.
Bren @ Flanboyant Eats
http://www.FlanboyantEats.com