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    Home

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

    March 28, 2023 by stylesweet 4 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    If you think you already love snickerdoodle cookies then you are going to freak out over these Brown Butter Snickerdoodles. They are full of the same nostalgia but packed with flavorful brown sugar and butterscotch flavors.

    A baking sheet full of brown butter snickerdoodles and edible flowers

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are a perfect year-round treat. The cinnamon-sugar coating tilts towards fall and holiday baking, but I promise you will enjoy these any time of year.

    What makes these snickerdoodle cookies worth trying is their incredible texture and flavor. Substituting some the granulated sugar for brown sugar gives them an incredible chewy center and adds loads of flavor.

    But of course it's the browned butter that really brings these cookies together. Melting the butter then toasting the milk solids gives the cookies a more developed, butterscotch-like flavor.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Tools and Equipment
    • Instructions for Baking Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • What is Brown Butter?
    • Steps for Browning Butter
    • Top Tips
    • What About the Cream of Tartar?
    • Brown Butter Snickerdoodle FAQs
    • Related
    • Join the Style Sweet Bake Club!
    • Recipe
    A platter of brown butter snickerdoodles with a sprinkle of edible flowers on a pink backdrop

    I was inspired by my pecan snickerdoodles to make these nut-free, all-season cookies. Brown butter is one of my favorite ways to boost flavor like in my brown butter cupcakes and brown butter frosting - these are no exception.

    Ingredients

    • Unsalted butter
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Kosher salt
    • Granulated sugar
    • Brown sugar
    • Large eggs
    • Vanilla extract
    • Ground cinnamon

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Tools and Equipment

    These are the primary tools you will need to bake these cookies:

    • Saucepan
    • Hand or stand mixer
    • Cookie sheets or rimmed baking pans
    • Mechanical cookie or ice cream scooper
    • Parchment paper
    • General kitchen tools (measuring spoons, cups, etc).

    Instructions for Baking Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

    These snickerdoodle cookies are very straight-forward. There is no need to chill the dough before baking.

    Browning the butter is an additional step, but it is totally worth it. The brown butter is transferred to a bowl where the remaining cold butter is added. They are stirred together and left at room temperature until cool and creamy.

    A tray full of unbaked cookie dough balls

    Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop for uniform cookie dough balls.

    A ball of snickerdoodle cookie dough rolling in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar

    Roll the scoops of the cookie dough into a smooth ball.

    Preparing snickerdoodles on a cookie sheet

    Toss the portioned and rolled dough balls in cinnamon and sugar.

    Freshly baked cookies coated in cinnamon sugar on a rimmed cookie sheet

    Give the baked cookies a quick smack on the counter after baking to gently deflate.

    Hint: the dough is pretty stiff; pat down dough balls before baking for the perfect chewy texture.

    Variations

    There are not many ingredients in these brown butter snickerdoodles that can be changed without altering their flavor or texture. Looking for something similar? Try these:

    Pecan Snickerdoodles

    Snickerdoodle Bars with cinnamon frosting

    Stacks of brown butter snickerdoodles on a white plate

    Storage

    Store baked and cooled cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container or zip-top bag. The cookies are best eaten within 4 days.

    You may freeze scooped cookie dough. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two of bake time. 

    Baked and cooled cookies can be stored in the freezer in an air-tight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months.

    What is Brown Butter?

    Brown butter is regular butter that has been melted and cooked until golden. As it cooks, the milk solids separate and toast to take on a warm, nutty flavor.

    Steps for Browning Butter

    Before making the cookie dough, start by browning unsalted butter. This extra step toasts the milk solids and adds extra flavor to the snickerdoodles. When done, the butter should be golden and smell nutty and fragrant.

    Melting butter in a saucepan

    Completely melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until golden brown.

    Brown butter that is golden with toasted milk fat

    When done, the brown butter will smell nutty and be beautifully golden with toasted bits of milk fat.

    Top Tips

    Browning the butter takes 5 to 8 minutes. Do not boil too vigorously or too much of the water content will evaporate off. 

    Stir the melting butter occasionally to keep things from burning. When done, pour into a clean bowl with the remaining butter, including the brown bits. Do not scrape any of the milk solids off from the bottom of the pan.

    Adding cold butter to the warm brown butter helps bring its temperature down quickly. Stir together until the whole lot if soft and cool.

    What About the Cream of Tartar?

    Most snickerdoodle cookie recipes use cream of tartar. I personally do not like the tangy after taste, nor do the other members in my household.

    The baking soda needs acidity to complete the chemical reaction. So instead of cream of tartar, the recipe includes brown sugar.

    Are they true snickerdoodles if they don't use cream of tartar? Give them a taste and let me know!

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodle FAQs

    What is Brown Butter?

    Brown butter is regular butter that has been melted and cooked until golden. As it cooks, the milk solids separate and toast to take on a warm, nutty flavor.

    Can I bake snickerdoodles with regular butter?

    Yes, you sure can, but they won't taste the same. Use a total of 1 cup softened butter.

    Can I freeze snickerdoodles?

    You may freeze scooped cookie dough. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two of bake time.

    Can snickerdoodle dough be refrigerated?

    Yes! You can refrigerate the dough (scooped or in a bowl) for up to about 2 days. Take the dough out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Gently flatten the balls of dough before baking.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like these brown butter snickerdoodles? Try these:

    • A few sliced cookie bars with cinnamon icing on top
      Snickerdoodle Bars with Cinnamon Icing
    • Baked pecan snickerdoodles on parchment paper
      Pecan Snickerdoodles
    • Banana bundt cake with chocolate glaze on top
      Brown Butter Banana Cake
    • A stack of Crispy chocolate chip cookies with rainbow m and m's
      Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&M's
    Pumpkin Coffee Cream Cheese Cake

    Join the Style Sweet Bake Club!

    Get exclusive recipes and articles sent straight to your inbox. Become a subscriber today! Click to join.

    Please leave a star review if you loved this recipe! Make sure to share your recipes and tag me on Instagram @stylesweetdaily. 

    Recipe

    A baking sheet full of brown butter snickerdoodles and edible flowers
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

    Brown Butter Snickerdoodles that have a chewy center, crisp edges, and are packed with flavor!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time8 minutes mins
    Bake Time11 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: brown butter, easy cookies, snickerdoodles
    Servings: 22

    Ingredients

    • 1 ⅓ cups (300g) unsalted butter (approximately)* divided, diced
    • 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 tea baking powder
    • ½ tea baking soda
    • ½ tea kosher salt
    • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar divided
    • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 2 tea pure vanilla extract
    • 2 tea ground cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Place ½ cup (113g) of butter in a light-coloured saucepan and melt over high heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low.Stirring every so often to keep the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan, continue to cook the butter until it turns an amber-colored brown and the milk solids have darkened. This will take 5 to 8 minutes. It is done when the brown butter smells nutty and toasty. Pour the brown butter into a heat-safe container and weigh it.
    • Add enough of the remaining diced butter to the warm brown butter to equal 227g total butter (1 cup). Stir to melt the butter until combined. Allow the butters to rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until they are smooth, creamy, and the consistency of softened butter.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and ¼ cup granulated sugar and set aside.
    • Using an electric mixer (stand or hand mixer), mix the softened butter together with the remaining granulated and brown sugars until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.
    • Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. In two additions, add in the half of the flour mixture at a time. Mix on low until incorporated then add in the remaining half. Mix until combined.
    • Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough into equal sizes (about 3 tablespoons each) and roll into balls.
    • Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mix and place on the prepared baking sheets, at least two inches apart. Gently pat the dough balls down with the palm of your hand.
    • Bake for about 11 minutes. The centers should be puffy and the edges just set and slightly browned around the edges. For a chewier center, rap the bottom of the baking sheet on the oven rack to encourage the cookies to flatten slightly.
    • Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.

    Notes

    Make sure that the butter is not too soft or melted before you start mixing.
    When browning the butter, some of the water content will evaporate off. To accommodate for the loss, weigh the brown butter. From there, add enough cold butter to form a full cup (227g).
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mya

      April 05, 2023 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Me and my kids loved these so much! Will make again.

      Reply
    2. Callie

      April 07, 2023 at 12:20 am

      5 stars
      Best snickerdoodles I’ve had in a long time. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • stylesweet

        April 11, 2023 at 2:30 pm

        Hi! Thank you for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Kristin

      April 20, 2023 at 6:21 pm

      5 stars
      I made these snickerdoodles and they turned out perfect! The browned butter adds so much more flavor than regular snickerdoodles. The texture was everything I was looking for too - chewy in the middle and a little crisp on the outside.

      Reply

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    Tessa Huff

    Hi, I'm Tessa Huff! I am the cookbook author of Layered and Icing on the Cake. I bake, develop recipes, and photograph food from my home studio in North Vancouver, BC.

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