As a professional pastry chef, I know how to win over anyone with dessert. My secret? Richy, nutty brown butter! Whether it’s gooey brown butter rice krispies, or one of my ultimate favorites, cinnamon rolls with brown butter filling, and of course, these brown butter snickerdoodle cookies!

Made with browned European butter for a rich, buttery flavor, these soft and chewy cookies are even more delicious than the classic. With their signature snickerdoodle tang and cinnamon sugar coating, this recipe is ridiculously easy to make—no chilling or mixer required. They’re perfectly chewy, gooey, and tender every time. Trust me, everyone will be asking if they came from a bakery!

Brown butter snickerdoodles broken in half to show the soft and chewy texture.

—5 Star Review!—
“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!” Mary R.

Let’s Bake Them!

A glass measuring cup with browned butter.

1

Brown the butter. Watch it carefully while it’s cooking…you don’t want it to be any darker than this amber color shown above, or it will have a bitter, burnt flavor!

A mixing bowl with the brown butter whisked into the sugar.

2

Whisk in the sugars. Before this step, it’s crucial to let the butter cool to room temperature. Butter that is too warm will lead to greasy cookies or cookies that spread too much when baking!

With over 500 five-star reviews, my chewy brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles are made with the same soft cookie dough as this recipe, which is why I had to make them!

A mixing bowl with the whisked butter, sugar, and eggs.

3

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla paste. When the mixture is thick and leaves a trail when whisked, stop mixing.

A bowl of the brown butter snickerdoodle cookie dough.

4

Fold in the dry ingredients. Afterwards, set the bowl aside for 15-20 minutes. This helps hydrate the flour and makes the dough easier to scoop!

Snickerdoodle cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.

5

Scoop the cookie dough, then roll in cinnamon sugar. For ease, use a large cookie scoop, rolling each one between your palms, then rolling them in the cinnamon sugar.

Brown butter snickerdoodles on a baking sheet after baking.

6

Bake the cookies. You’ll know they’re done baking when the edges are lightly crispy and golden brown, but the middles are soft and puffy.

I love how easy this recipe is, especially when I need dessert ASAP! My chewy brown butter chocolate chip blondies are just as easy, so make sure to try them next!

Ingredient Substitutions

European butter: A butter like Kerrygold is key to the cookies’ rich, buttery flavor. American butter can be used, but it won’t have the same flavor.

Vanilla bean paste: This ingredient is packed with more vanilla flavor than traditional vanilla extract. If you only have extract on hand, it can be used in equal substitution.

Brown butter snickerdoodle cookies on a wire cooling rack.

If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; 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!

Brown butter snickerdoodle cookies broken in half to show the soft and chewy texture.

Easy No Chill Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

4.95 from 40 votes
– by Cambrea Gordon
These soft and chewy brown butter snickerdoodles are the best elevated version of the classic recipe. Made with rich, nutty brown butter for an irresistible caramel-like flavor, cream of tartar for that signature tang, and crunch from the roll in cinnamon sugar. They have perfect gooey centers with light crispy edges, and the best part? No chilling, no mixer, and just 25 minutes of hands-on prep! They’re so good, everyone will be asking you if they came from a bakery!
Print Recipe Save Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 29 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 13 large cookies

Equipment

Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams!

Ingredients 
 

  • 14 1/2 tablespoons salted European butter, *See notes below*
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste, or extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon, for rolling

Instructions

  • In a stainless steel pan, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it looks foamy, smells nutty, and the bottom is covered in amber brown milk solids.
    14 1/2 tablespoons (202 g) salted European butter
  • 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 3/4 cup browned butter. Let the browned butter cool until it feels room temperature. The time it takes will depend on how warm your kitchen is; for me, this takes about 45-60 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Whisk the brown and white sugar into the browned butter.
    1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 g) light brown sugar
  • Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
    1 large (50 g) egg, 1 large (18 g) egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
  • Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Set the bowl aside for 15-20 minutes so the dough is easier to scoop.
    2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
    1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Scoop the dough into 3 tbsp (66 g) sized portions and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on one of the lined baking trays (only 6-7 cookies per tray). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown with soft and puffy centers.
  • Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies with a spatula to the rack to finish cooling.

Video

Notes

European butter has a higher fat content, making these cookies richer and more flavorful. Butter can have different percentages of water content, so I recommend weighing or measuring how much butter you have after it’s browned. I use Kerry Gold or Plugra European-style butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon to the added salt.
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
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 cookies will overly spread and be greasy!
Storage: Any leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Once rolled in cinnamon sugar, freeze the cookie dough balls solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be baked from frozen, but they need a few extra minutes when baking.
Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough one day in advance and keep it in the fridge until it is ready to bake. I don’t recommend refrigerating the dough longer than 24 hours!
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!

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4.95 from 40 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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62 Comments

  1. Forgot my star rating. 😉 See my comment and question on the next comment. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

    1. No worries at all, thank you for coming back to leave a rating! I’ll check out your next comment and get back to you there. 😊

      Reply

  2. Hi,
    Thank you for this incredible recipe. Have you ever tried as a gluten-free recipe? If so, what flour blend did you use?
    Thank you! Love this recipe.
    Julia

    Reply

    1. So happy you’re loving the recipe! I haven’t personally tested a gluten-free version, but I’ve heard from many readers that Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour works really well with it. Let me know if you give it a try! 💛

      Reply

  3. I have made this recipe multiple times and it’s a hit! Can I freeze the little balls in an air tight container for later cooking?

    Reply

  4. Would this recipe work for simple cutout cookies without spreading too much,? If so, what steps would I need to take?

    Reply

    1. Hi Melissa! I don’t recommend this dough for cutout cookies, they will spread a ton!

      Reply