These brown butter snickerdoodle cookies are nutty with an incredible depth of flavor. No one will be able to turn down one of these mouthwatering cookies.
Why you'll love them
Snickerdoodles are one of those cookies that never go out of style. Soft textures, a slight tang, and warm cinnamon make these cookies a crowd pleasing favorite. Adding browned butter takes them to a whole new delicious level. It adds nuttiness and an incredible depth of flavor that complements the cinnamon sugar coating. Basically, brown butter snickerdoodle are the mouthwatering cookies of your dreams.
The importance of cream of tartar
A lot of people ask why you need to use cream or tartar in snickerdoodles and if you can skip this ingredient. (and yes, there is cream of tartar in these brown butter snickerdoodles). Cream of tartar actually does a lot in snickerdoodles. They activate the baking soda, add tanginess, and chew. Without the cream of tartar, these brown butter snickerdoodles would be sugar cookies. Still delicious, but not a snickerdoodle. Don't skip out on cream of tartar, please.
Key ingredients
The ingredients for the cookies are very simple and are usual staples in the kitchen. Let's review a few of the key ingredients.
- Butter - You don't need to splurge on high quality butter for this recipe if you don't want to. Store brand butter works just as well here when making browned butter. I recommend unsalted butter.
- Flour - All-purpose flour gives you the best texture for the cookies. If you want to make them a little more wholesome, you can use white whole wheat flour instead.
- Cream of tartar - As mentioned, cream of tartar is an important part of making snickerdoodles. I don't recommend any substitutions for it in this recipe, but you can omit it if you don't mind a slightly different texture and flavor profile.
How to make
- Cook the butter in a saucepan until it browns. Leave it to solidify
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl, then set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together. Add in the egg.
- Mix in the flour. Portion out and roll in cinnamon sugar
- Bake and enjoy!
The best part about these brown butter snickerdoodle cookies is they only get better with age. They keep soft, but get chewier and the brown butter flavor becomes more prominent. There is nothing better than sneaking down and having one or two in the morning as a pre-breakfast snack.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can freeze the pre-portioned cookie dough balls and bake them from frozen, they'll just need an extra 1 - 2 minutes baking time. You can also freeze baked cookies. Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.
You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to add more dimension to the cookie dough. Other spices like cardamom and ginger also make great additions.
Recipe Card
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 18 tablespoons butter
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon gound cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
For the Coating
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the butter to a saucepan and heat on medium-high heat. Allow the butter to melt and then stir continuously until the butter begins to brown in color and smells nutty. Remove from heat and cool the butter in the refrigerator until the butter is solidified, but still soft.
- In medium bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat well for about 2 minutes.
- Gently add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold in until there are no streaks of flour.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least an hour.
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Make balls of cookie dough using two tablespoons of dough per ball. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on your baking sheets at least two inches apart.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Chris says
Do these snickerdoodles bake up thick or thin?
Amanda Powell says
In the middle, closer to thicker
Chris says
They are moderately thick. Crisp on bottom and edges but soft and chewy in the center. I dipped the top in the sugar mixture after baking.
Sabine says
I love Snickerdoodle Cookies 🙂 i bake them every other week, sooo yummie. Your pictures are very nice, looks delicious 🙂
Amanda says
They taste even better. I hope you get to try this brown butter version soon!