Brown butter takes classic Snickerdoodles to a whole new level by adding a nutty flavor to the cookie while still preserving that crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside consistency we all know and love. These Brown Butter Snickerdoodle cookies are ideal for the holiday season or, let's be honest, any time of year!
I love a good classic. And while the sugar cookie typically gets my vote for my favorite Christmas Cookie, snickerdoodles are a solid second. I love the sweet and spicy cinnamon sugar exterior, the chewy texture with just a bit of crunch, and the way they taste piled high with a big scoop of vanilla. (Um, yes. You have to try it.)
I updated the classic Snickerdoodle recipe here just a bit by using brown butter and adding a smidge of maple syrup. It gave it just that little extra something to make it special, gave the old girl just a little bit more flavor, and played nicely against the tang of the cream of tartar.
Making this brown butter snickerdoodle recipe is a snap and won't take you more than an hour this holiday season. Plus, everyone will love you, because who doesn't love a snickerdoodle? (Only crazy people.)
(Looking for more delicious treats? Try my Brown Butter Ooey Gooey Bars, or these Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats!)
In This Post
Key Ingredients
This is your classic Snickerdoodle cookie, with just a few upgraded ingredients. Here's what you'll need.
- Butter. It's amazing how browning butter can transform it into this superstar ingredient. Browned butter takes this chewy snickerdoodle cookie to the next level and adds a delicious nutty flavor to the cookies. It's amazing what a huge difference it makes in the taste of these cookies.
- Flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda. The basics needed for most cookie recipes. I used a mixture of white and brown sugar for this one since I love the caramelly flavor the brown sugar adds to these.
- Vanilla extract & maple syrup. These add depth and a hint of warmth, making the cookies taste even more special. (The maple also gives these snickerdoodles a slightly richer flavor than your classic snickerdoodle cookie and pairs really well with the brown sugar and browned butter.)
- Cream of tartar. A key ingredient in traditional Snickerdoodle cookies. Cream of tartar is what gives Snickerdoodle cookies a slight tang and helps with that classic chewy texture.
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture. The signature coating that gives snickerdoodles their sweet and spicy exterior.
How To Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Making this is not hard, but does require just a bit more time because you need to brown the butter. Here's how to do it.
- Brown the butter. I like to slice the butter into even squares to ensure the butter melts evenly. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter squares over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter turns golden brown and the milk solids start to brown on the bottom of the saucepan (this will take about 5-8 minutes - you should see brown bits at the bottom of the pan). Remove the butter from heat and allow the browned butter to cool and solidify-this should take about 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Once the brown butter is cooled and solidified (but still soft), transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of the granulated sugar (reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons for later) and the brown sugar, then cream them together using an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup, and mix everything until it's well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on medium-low heat until everything is fully combined.
- Roll the dough into balls. Use a large cookie scoop or measuring cup to portion out tablespoons of dough. Roll each portion into cookie dough balls.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Coating. In a small bowl, combine the reserved sugar with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to make your cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. (Note - I love making a big batch of cinnamon sugar mix to store in a jar for use in baking, on cookies, on toast - you name it!)
- Bake. Place the dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (You'll likely need two trays.) Be sure to space them out (around 6-8 cookies per cookie sheet) as they will spread. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5-8 minutes until the edges are crisp and the centers are soft. Allow the brown butter snickerdoodles to rest for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
A Few Tips For Making These Cookies
- You'll think that you have enough room to fit a bunch of cookies on one standard baking sheet. But, word to the wise - these suckers spread like crazy. I'd advise starting with only 6 and seeing how that does for you.
- You also may be tempted to flatten the dough down to create a flatter cookie. You can do this, but it's not really necessary. As mentioned before, these Snickerdoodle cookies really spread out and come out pretty much perfect without messing with the dough balls at all.
Variations and Substitutions
Want to change it up? Here are some ideas.
- Omit the brown sugar. Only have white on hand? No problem. You can sub out the brown sugar for white here and the recipe will work great.
- Add some extra spices. You can add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the cinnamon-sugar mixture to give these cookies a little extra spice.
- Omit the maple syrup. If you don't have maple syrup or don't like it (whaat?) feel free to just omit it.
- Smaller cookie size. Use a smaller cookie scoop for a mini version, reducing the baking time slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
It may take just a bit more time, but browned butter really takes these cookies from wow to WOW! Browning the butter adds a nutty flavor that enhances the overall flavor of the cookies, giving them more depth compared to traditional snickerdoodles. (And makes them the BEST Snickerdoodles, IMHO.)
Yes! You can make the dough in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Store brown butter Snickerdoodle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their signature slight tang and chewy texture. It reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise.
Absolutely! You can freeze the dough balls before rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar just before baking. When ready to bake, you have a couple of options. You can allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge (or at least for a couple of hours) and then bake as directed. Or, if you want to bake straight from frozen, you can preheat the oven to 380 (a bit less than what the recipe calls for), then bake the cookies for about 7-10 minutes - a tad longer than what the original recipe calls for. Note that if baking directly from frozen, you may have a little trouble getting the cinnamon sugar to stay on the cookies. If that happens, just let them thaw for 20 minutes or so, then try again.
I love these Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies. Their nutty taste, chewy interior, and crispy edge make these completely irresistible. Whether you're baking for the holiday season or simply because you're craving something sweet, these cookies deserve a spot in your lineup.
If you make them, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. And don't forget to tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram so I can see your masterpiece!
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate-Dipped Orange And Almond Shortbread Cookies
- The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- Date Cookies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies With Walnuts
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Grandma's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Recipe
Soft and Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup optional
- 2 ¾ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the butter into even squares to ensure even melting. Place the butter squares in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir the butter squares as they melt, and continue stirring for about 5-8 minutes until the butter has turned a golden brown color and the milk solids start to toast on the bottom of the pan. Browned butter should give off a very rich, nutty aroma. Allow the butter to cool and solidify before continuing with the recipe (this should take about 20 minutes in the fridge).
- Once the butter has solidified, add it, along with 1 cup of white sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar to a large bowl (reserve the extra 2 tablespoon of white sugar for later). Using an electric mixer, or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add in the 2 eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well.
- Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Roll dough into balls about 1.5 inches thick, and roll each ball into the mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
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Reilly says
Hi! I made these and they turned out great! However, I have a few questions. The white sugar says 1C on the recipe but 1.5C in the instructions, wasn’t sure which to proceed with.
Also, how big should the dough balls be? A tablespoon? Walnut sized? I had 3 pans and did 3 different sizes but had to bake for varying times and they all came out kind of different. Delicious nonetheless!
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks for your comment Reilly! It's 1 cup of white sugar and .5 cup of brown sugar. I wrote the recipe to mean add 1.5 cups of the white+brown sugar and can see how that was confusing. I've updated the instructions hopefully it is clearer now. And I made my dough balls around 1.5 inches thick. Hope that helps!