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    Cambrea Bakes » Recipes » Cookie Recipes

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

    Published: April 25, 2022 Modified: Jan 24, 2023 by Cambrea Gordon. This post may contain affiliate links. *If you want tips, step-by-step shots, and videos, be sure to read the whole post below!

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    Jump to Recipe
    brown butter snickerdoodle cookies.
    brown butter snickerdoodle cookies.

    Brown butter snickerdoodle cookies have a caramel-like flavor from nutty brown butter, perfectly crisp edges, and extra gooey centers. This twist on a classic Snickerdoodle cookie recipe is made in one bowl with no mixer required!

    a stack of brown butter snickerdoodles.

    Snickerdoodle cookies are my personal favorite cookies to elevate! After my chocolate snickerdoodle cookies and pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies were a hit among readers, I knew another version was needed.

    These brown butter snickerdoodle cookies are a one-bowl recipe (no mixer required!) made with brown butter instead of regular butter.

    If you love browned butter, you'll love my popular toffee chocolate chip cookies, Nutella bars, espresso brownies, and brown butter strawberry peach pie!

    Jump to:
    • why you'll love these brown butter snickerdoodles
    • ingredient notes & substitutions
    • recipe instructions
    • expert baking tips
    • storage & freezing
    • faqs
    • other brown butter recipes to try next!
    • Recipe 📖
    • Reviews
    a snickerdoodle cookie with a bite taken out of it.

    why you'll love these brown butter snickerdoodles

    • One-bowl recipe: This is an easy, one-bowl cookie dough recipe with no mixer required (similar to our molasses crinkle cookies)!
    • Brown butter flavor: 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.
    • Soft and chewy: These cookies have gooey centers and perfectly crisp edges. They are even more chewy than my super chewy cookie butter cookies!

    ingredient notes & substitutions

    ingredients needed to make the snickerdoodle cookies.

    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.

    Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!

    recipe instructions

    Before you start, grab a large mixing bowl, whisk, two large baking sheets, and a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop.

    STEP 1: 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 (image 1 below).

    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 2: Whisk in the sugars. Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for one minute until combined (image 2 below).

    a process collage of the steps for making brown butter snickerdoodles.

    STEP 3: Whisk in the wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until just combined (image 3 above).

    STEP 4: 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 (image 4 above).

    STEP 5: Chill the dough. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes (image 5 below). This step makes the dough firmer and easier to scoop!

    STEP 6: Scoop! Scoop the chilled cookie dough with a large cookie scoop, and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray (image 6 below).

    a process collage of the steps for making brown butter cookie dough.

    STEP 7: Roll in cinnamon sugar. Roll each cookie dough ball between your hands, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated (image 7 above).

    STEP 8: Bake! Place them back on the baking sheet and return the pan to the fridge to chill for another 30 minutes minimum, or overnight for the best flavor (image 8 above).

    When you are ready, 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

    Do you measure the butter before or after browning?

    The butter should be measured before browning it!

    How do you know when Snickerdoodle cookies are done baking?

    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!

    Why are my Snickerdoodle cookies hard?

    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.

    Can brown butter snickerdoodles be made without cream of tartar?

    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!

    other brown butter recipes to try next!

    • chocolate chip blondies stacked on top of each other.
      Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • toffee chocolate chip cookie on a baking tray topped with extra toffee pieces.
      Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • strawberry peach pie in a pie plate with fresh berries.
      Brown Butter Strawberry Peach Pie
    • miso chocolate chip cookies in a pile on parchment paper.
      Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies

    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 📖

    a stack of brown butter snickerdoodle cookies with the top two cut in half to show the chewy texture.
    4.96 from 43 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

    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!
    Servings 12 large cookies
    Prep 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Cook 9 minutes mins
    Total 1 hour hr 29 minutes mins
    Course : Dessert
    Cuisine : American
    Author : Cambrea Gordon
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • large 3 tablespoon cookie scoop
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams!

    Ingredients 
     

    • 14 ½ tablespoon salted european butter 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 â…” 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
    • 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. Butter can have different percentages 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. 
    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.
    recipe 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.
    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.
    Chill the dough. Chilling keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, and it also gives them a better flavor and texture.
    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.

    Nutrition

    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.

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. T says

      December 08, 2023 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      Made these cookies and they were delicious, a new go to! I froze half the batch, do they need to sit out before baking to thaw or just add more time to the bake time?

      Reply
      • Cambrea Gordon says

        December 08, 2023 at 2:56 pm

        I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them! They should be fine baking frozen, I would add a few extra minutes to the bake time.

        Reply
    2. Monica says

      December 04, 2023 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for the first time over the weekend. I followed the recipe exactly. The only difference for me is that I made the cookies smaller than called for because they were intended for a cookie exchange and impractical to make extra large cookies. I adjusted and lessened the cooking time since smaller cookie. The cookies came out flat and thin and not as pictured. Even my family noticed and commented. Thinner cookies tend to be crispier as well, so I didn't get the soft, chewy consistency I was looking for. What could I do differently if I want a smaller cookie?

      Reply
      • Cambrea Gordon says

        December 04, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        Hi Monica, using a smaller scoop size should not make a difference in spreading. I have made this recipe multiple times and baked them as smaller 2 tbsp cookies with no issue. I would check to make sure your butter is cooled correctly to room temperature, if it is too warm when mixing the dough the cookies will spread more in the oven no matter their size. Also make sure the dough is being chilled long enough- overnight chilling is always my recommendation!

        Reply
    3. Elizabeth Johnson says

      November 28, 2023 at 6:15 am

      5 stars
      Can you double this recipe?

      Reply
      • Cambrea Gordon says

        November 28, 2023 at 8:42 am

        Definitely!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Cambrea is a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer. Here you'll find bakery-worthy sweet and savory kitchen-tested recipes that are unique twists on classics. Cambrea has been featured on Fox News, Shoutout Arizona, The Feed Feed, Domino Sugar, and more.

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