Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

These soft and chewy brown butter snickerdoodles are rich and buttery, with a deep caramel-like and nutty flavor from golden brown butter, and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a delicious spiced crunch. It's a mouth-watering twist on the classic cookie!

Brown butter really does make everything taste better, like my brown butter chocolate chip cookies. And it's no different in the case of this brown butter snickerdoodles recipe. They are guaranteed to be a hit year-round.

Cream of tartar is the magical ingredient that makes snickerdoodles different than hard and crunchy sugar cookies, by making them softer and chewier. If you don't have cream of tartar on hand, you can substitute baking powder (see the "Substitutions" section below).

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why These Snickerdoodles are the Best
• 🧈 Ingredient Notes
• 📝 Variations & Substitutions
• 🥄 How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
• 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 🤔 How to Freeze Cookie Dough for Later
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍪 More Cookie Recipes
• Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

⭐ Why These Snickerdoodles are the Best

• Nutty and rich brown butter gives these snickerdoodle cookies a decadent twist, with a deeper and more caramel-y flavor
• Homemade cookies with a soft and chewy inside, slightly crisp edges, and rolled in cinnamon-sugar for a delicious crunch
• You can make the brown butter ahead of time, or even make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of time
• Instructions provided on how to freeze cookie dough for baking later
• Freezer-friendly cookie recipe

🧈 Ingredient Notes

• Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter helps you control the amount of salt in your baking.
• Cream of tartar - This is the "magical" ingredient used in snickerdoodles. It gives them their slightly tangy flavor, provides structure, and works together with baking soda to act as a leavener.
• Ground cinnamon - Adds warm subtle spice, and it's what gives snickerdoodles their signature flavor.
• Sea salt - Adding salt to baked goods helps to enhance the flavors. Never skip it!
• Granulated sugar - Provides structure for the cookies, as well as slightly crisp edges.
• Light brown sugar - It gives a deep molasses flavor and chewiness to our cookies.
• Eggs - Be sure to use room-temperature eggs. When eggs are room temperature, they are easier to beat, which creates light and airy cookies. If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and this will do the trick.
• Vanilla extract - Adds rich flavor to baked goods

📝 Variations & Substitutions

• Make gluten-free: You should be able to substitute your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend using a 1:1 ratio, but I have not recipe tested this. I don't recommend using almond flour, as it contains moisture, and will completely change the texture of the cookies.
• Baking powder. If you are out of cream of tartar, skip the baking soda altogether, and instead use 3 teaspoons of baking powder. This will replace the cream of tartar AND baking soda.
• Spice. To give your cookies more of a "fall spice" flavor, add ¼ teaspoon of ginger, nutmeg, or allspice.

🥄 How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

*See recipe card below for printable instructions

Brown your butter:

Add butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once butter is melted, start whisking continuously and cook for around 8 minutes, until mixture starts to get foamy and becomes a deep amber color. You should hear some crackling noises and smell a nutty aroma.

Remove from heat, making sure to get all of the brown bits, and transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes, or place in the fridge for faster cooling.

Make the rolling mixture:

Add the granulated sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl, and use a fork to combine mixture well. Set aside.

Make cookie dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Once your brown butter is cool, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer). Pour in granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add eggs and vanilla extract, and beat on medium speed for another minute, until well-combined. Use rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again.

With mixer on low, slowly pour in the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. Don't overmix. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Using a cookie scoop or large spoon (I used 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie), roll cookie dough into balls, then roll them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. You should fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes. They will look quite puffy when you take them out of the oven, but give the baking sheets a few taps on the counter to help them deflate and create the perfect wrinkled texture.

Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Make brown butter ahead of time: You can make the brown butter several days ahead of time. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before using so that you can properly cream it when it's time to be mixed in.
• Cool brown butter. If you brown the butter the same day as making the cookies, be sure to let it cool for at least 30 minutes after you make it. You want butter that is room temperature. If it's still warm when you use it, you could potentially cook the eggs - not a desired outcome!
• Use the "spoon and level" method of measuring flour for accuracy (never pack flour into a measuring cup). To use this method, spoon flour into a measuring cup until it's full, then level it off using the back of a knife.
• How to freeze cookies: After completely cooled, place cookies in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Don't overbake. Take cookies out of the oven after 10 minutes, even if they look under-baked. They will continue to cook on the baking sheet after being removed from the oven.
• Chill cookie dough. Chilling your cookie dough before baking helps to solidify the fat and allows them to be absorbed into the flour, resulting in cookies with a thicker and chewier texture.
• Use a cookie scoop. If you want cookies that are all the same size, a cookie scoop is a great tool to use!

🤔 How to Freeze Cookie Dough for Later

I like to always have cookie dough in the freezer. This way, I can bake a fresh batch of cookies to bring to a friend, or to serve for dessert if we're having guests over. Storing cookie dough in your freezer takes up less space than baked cookies, so it's a win-win!

To freeze cookie dough, place balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Next, transfer them to a large freezer bag and seal well. This can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to bake cookies, bake them directly from the freezer, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍪 More Cookie Recipes

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