Brown butter snickerdoodle cookies have a caramel-like flavor from nutty brown butter, perfectly crisp edges, and extra gooey centers. They are the most decadent twist on a classic snickerdoodle cookie recipe that everyone will love!

Snickerdoodle cookies are my personal favorite cookies to elevate!
After my chocolate snickerdoodles and pumpkin snickerdoodles were a hit among readers, I knew another version was needed.
These brown butter snickerdoodle cookies are an elevated version of the classic cookie but are made with brown butter instead of regular butter.
Browned butter gives any dessert a rich caramel-y depth of flavor which is why I put it in everything from cookies to bars and even brownies!
They have a perfectly soft and chewy texture, and are very easy to make in one bowl with no mixer required!
For more brown butter recipes, try Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Molasses Crinkle Cookies, and Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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why you'll love this recipe
- This is an easy, one-bowl cookie dough recipe with no mixer required!
- They have all of the same flavors as a classic snickerdoodle cookie, like cinnamon sugar and a tangy flavor, but with a richer depth of flavor from the browned butter.
- These are soft and chewy cookies with gooey centers and perfectly crisp edges!
ingredient notes
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
- European butter: European butter gives this recipe the best, richest flavor compared to regular butter because of the higher fat content. I don't recommend substituting regular butter, but if you do, add an extra two tablespoons.
- Cream of tartar: The cream of tartar gives these cookies their classic tangy flavor. You can substitute it with lemon juice or vinegar if you don't have any on hand!
- Light brown sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar if you don't have any light brown but the cookies will have a darker color to them.
recipe instructions
Before you start, grab a large mixing bowl, whisk, two large baking sheets, and a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop.
STEP ONE: Brown the butter. Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. While it cooks, the butter will crackle, pop, and bubble vigorously which is normal!
Once the bottom is covered in amber-brown bits of milk solids and it smells nutty, quickly scrape all of the butter into your mixing bowl.
Set it aside to cool to room temperature. In my kitchen, the browning process takes about 9-11 minutes, then 20-30 minutes to cool to room temperature.
STEP TWO: Whisk in the sugars. Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for one minute until combined.
STEP THREE: Whisk in the wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until just combined.
STEP FOUR: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until just combined.
STEP FIVE: Chill the dough. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This step makes the dough firmer and easier to scoop!
STEP SIX: Scoop! Scoop the chilled cookie dough with a large cookie scoop, and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
STEP SEVEN: Roll in cinnamon sugar. Roll each cookie dough ball between your hands, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated.
STEP EIGHT: Bake! Place them back on the baking sheet and return the pan to the fridge to chill for another 30 minutes minimum, or up to overnight for the best flavor.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Bake the cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart for 9-10 minutes, or 11-12 minutes if baking the next day. The edges will be lightly golden brown and the middle will look puffy when they are done baking. Let the tray cool on a wire cooling rack before removing it, then enjoy!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Cool the butter to room temperature. Once the butter is browned, you must let it come to room temperature before whisking in the sugar. Otherwise, the hot butter will melt the sugars and the cookies will spread in the oven.
- Chill the dough. Chilling keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, and it also gives them a better flavor and texture.
- Tips for browning butter: The most important tip when making brown butter is don't walk away from it! The butter can burn if left alone for too long so it's best to stand by to prevent this from happening.
storage & freezing
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for 3-4 days.
After rolling the cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar, place the dough balls on a sheet tray and place them in the freezer until solid, then transfer the dough to a freezer bag or sealed container until ready to bake!
faqs
The butter should be measured before browning it!
Look for the edges to be lightly golden brown with a puffy center. They will continue to bake on the hot pan out of the oven so it's okay if they are slightly underbaked. Don't wait until the edges are a darker golden brown or they won't be soft and gooey!
Hard cookies are usually caused by overbaking or using too much flour. Every oven is different and the baking time may be different for you in your kitchen. I recommend checking on them frequently while baking so they don't overbake. If you don't have a kitchen scale I highly recommend one! However, if you don't have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
Yes! You can substitute lemon juice in equal parts instead of cream of tartar. Without it, the cookies will not have the signature "tang" that all snickerdoodles have!
more recipes you'll love
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you're there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 ½ tablespoon salted european butter, cubed I used Kerry Gold * SEE NOTES *
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
- ½ tsp cinnamon for rolling
Instructions
- In a stainless steel pan, add the cubed butter and place it over medium heat. Stir the butter occasionlly until it looks foamy, smells nutty, and the bottom is covered in amber brown bits.14 ½ tablespoon salted european butter, cubed
- Take the pan off the heat and pour the butter into a large bowl. Make sure to scrape all of the butter and browned bits from the pan with a rubber spatula. You should have about 170 g or ¾ cup browned butter.
- Let the browned butter cool for about 20 minutes, or until it feels room temperature.
- Whisk the brown and white sugar into the butter.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup + 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar until just combined.1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- After chilling, scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon (66 g) sized portions and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on a lined baking tray and place them back in the fridge for at least another 30 minutes (or overnight for the best flavor!).
- Then preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Bake the cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle is puffy.If baking the next day, they may need to bake 1-2 minutes longer in the oven.
- Let cool completely on a wire cooling rack then enjoy!
Notes
- A European butter has a higher fat content making these cookies more rich and flavorful than regular butter. Butters can have different percents of water content so I recommend weighing or measuring how much butter you have after it's browned. My go-to high-fat butter brand is Kerry Gold or Plugra European Style Butter.
- If using regular butter, add an extra 2 tablespoon to the recipe before browning.
- For even more flavor, let the dough chill for 24 hours in the fridge before baking. They may need an extra 1-2 minutes when baking.
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- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Cool the butter to room temperature. Once the butter is browned, you must let it come to room temperature before whisking in the sugar. Otherwise, the hot butter will melt the sugars and the cookies will spread in the oven.
- Chill the dough. Chilling keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, and it also gives them a better flavor and texture.
- Tips for browning butter: The most important tip when making brown butter is don't walk away from it! The butter can burn if left alone for too long so it's best to stand by to prevent this from happening.
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Natascha says
Hands down the beeeest cookies in the world! 🙌🏻
Cambrea Gordon says
Amazing!! Thanks so much for the kind review Natascha!
Mackenzie says
BEST COOKIE RECIPE EVER!!!! We LOVE these snickerdoodles! They are so soft and gooey and come out perfect every time!
Cambrea Gordon says
That is amazing to hear! Thanks for the kind review Mackenzie!
Molly says
Wow...this might be my new favorite! I usually am not a snickerdoodle fan but holy crap they are amazing. You are gifted 😂
Cambrea Gordon says
Ahhh that's amazing, thanks Molly! 🙂
Odette says
This is the best cookie recipe i have ever tried! It is SO EASY, they came out exactly the same as the pictures and we literally cant stop eating them. We didnt have white sugar so i just used light brown sugar and they were still perfect. If you want something super simple, dont want to cream butter and sugar together, and want a crowd-pleaser that will have the whole family asking for the recipe- this is it. Thanks Cambrea ❤️
Cambrea Gordon says
Thank you SO much Odette! I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that!!
Cassidy says
This are incredible! I froze most of the batch but cooked a few to see how they tasted and I was so happy with how they turned out. Definitely a favourite at my house now.
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! So happy to hear that, thanks so much for the kind review Cassidy!
Skylar says
Can I chill the dough in the fridge for a day or 2 prior to baking with the same result ?
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Skylar! Definitely, they should turn out just fine 🙂
emilee says
Hands down the best cookies I’ve ever made! I’ve always been really disappointed by most snickerdoodle cookies because they’re never quite as soft and gooey as I’d like but not these!!! I can’t stop making them!!!
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! Thanks for the review Emilee!
Jeanette says
Made these cookies for the first time and they were sooo yummy. Everyone enjoyed them!
Mary R says
This is hands down the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe I’ve ever made. I am obsessed with how chewy and soft they are and have made them at least 5 times in the past month!
Bekkah says
I love brown butter anything so this recipe was a perfect twist. The crunchy but also chewy cookie is amazing texture. Love the difference it makes with the brown butter. Will be making these a lot!
Victoria says
Made these last night & what an amazing cookie!! Super easy to make yet loaded with goodness! Definitely going to be making these again!
Angel says
Oh my word I just made these and they are so darn perfect. I can’t wait to try your other cookies! 🤤
Farah says
What a great recipe - the brown butter’s an absolute star! Definitely coming back to this anytime I feel like snickerdoodles. I sprinkled a touch of sea salt right after baking as personal preference, but I felt the cookie itself already had a good amount of salt in it. Thank you for making this recipe:)
Cambrea Gordon says
I'm so happy to hear that, thank you for coming back to leave a review Farah! 🙂
Angel says
Best snickerdoodle cookies! Chewy and so tasty especially with browning the butter! My sister in law just asked for snickerdoodles for her birthday but she cant have gluten. I thought i could use this recipe but im wondering what gf flour i would use to substitute the all purpose flour. Thank you!
Cambrea Gordon says
I'm so happy to hear that! I haven't tried it personally, but I usually will try Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. I have heard many people have success using that as a substitution for all-purpose. Let me know how they turn out if you try it! 🙂
Angel says
Awesome, I will let you know when i make it next week! Thank you again 🙂
Catherine says
Hi! Firstly, you have been my go to for cookie recipes; I love them! I am GF and I personally find that Pamela's GF flour works wonderful with your recipes. Consistency doesn't change!
Cheers
Cambrea Gordon says
Ahh that's amazing to hear!! Enjoy! 🙂
Jenae Y. says
I made these for the first time yesterday. Not only was it Extremely easy it tasted so yummy. I will definitely make this again and will be frequenting this site for future goodies!
Cambrea Gordon says
So happy to hear that Jenae!
Marie says
My new favorite cookie. Really good flavor with the brown butter. Brown butter everything! Thanks for such a terrific recipe.
Cambrea Gordon says
Brown butter is truly the best! Thanks for the kind review Marie!!
Gergana says
These looks amazing, thats why I decided to make them. But mine didn't turned like this at all. I even measured them to be exactly 66g, but they didn't turned flat. They stayed like balls 😭
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Gergana, I'm sorry they didn't turn out as expected! Lack of spread when baking can be caused by a few different things. Even though the dough was measured to 66 grams, it likely means something went wrong when mixing the dough or measuring the ingredients.
- Did you measure the butter after browning it to make sure you had 3/4 cup or 170 g? If the butter was browned too much, that means you lost too much liquid.
- Was the butter solidified or liquid when you mixed it with the sugars? The butter needs to be completely liquid, but not hot before use.
- Did you use a scale to measure all of the ingredients? Too much flour can cause this problem.
- Was your oven temperature at a true 350 F? If the oven runs hot the cookies will bake and set too quickly and won't spread.
- Have you checked the freshness of your baking soda? If your baking soda is old or expired it can cause this problem.
Let me know if any of this is helpful!
Barbara says
Can these cookies be frozen after baking?
Cambrea Gordon says
I personally haven't tried it as they haven't lasted long enough but I'm sure they would be just fine!
Christie says
my favourite snickerdoodles recipe!! great flavour and texture! tastes like caramel and it stays chewy on the inside! LOVE IT
Cambrea Gordon says
yay!! thanks so much christie!
Sara z says
Perfect cookies! I made it according to the recipe, and they are amazing! Thanks.
Cambrea Gordon says
Thanks Sara! So glad you liked them 🙂
Brooke says
These are delightful! I’ve recently become obsessed with snickerdoodles and had to try this recipe — so delicious!
Cambrea Gordon says
YAY!! Thanks so much Brooke, I loved seeing them on Instagram they looked absolutely perfect 🥲
Connie says
Made these cookies last night and they were so dang good! I’m a baker at a cookie bakery and these were better than our own snickerdoodles (which I have always claimed as the best!). Delicious!!
Cambrea Gordon says
YAY!!! thanks so much for the kind comment Connie!
Tayler says
These are the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever had! The brown butter makes all the difference!
Cambrea Gordon says
I'm so happy to hear that Tayler, thank you!
Andrea says
These Snickerdoodles sound amazing. I love the addition of the caramel-nutty flavor of brown butter.
Janessa says
These brown butter snickerdoodles are absolutely delicious! I'll be making them again very soon- the batch disappeared!
Cambrea Gordon says
It's so hard not to eat the whole batch right?? Thanks for making them Janessa!
Caitlin says
These snickerdoodles are so soft and chewy, and the brown butter is seriously so good!!
Cambrea Gordon says
Omg the brown butter is the best part! Thanks for making them Caitlin!
Shadi says
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Cambrea Gordon says
So great to hear, thanks Shadi!
Tonya says
Wow these were SO GOOD! Never thought I would love any other kind of snickerdoodle other than the classic but you have completely changed my mind! Such an easy recipe, I will be making these again soon.