Soft and chewy snickerdoodles are the cookies I crave every Christmas. This recipe takes them up a notch with the addition of browned butter. The nuttiness from the brown butter adds a depth of flavor you can’t get with butter alone. It pairs beautifully with the warm cinnamon sugar that coats these delicious snickerdoodle cookies. They are the perfect cookie to bake up during the holidays!

I am very into brown butter. There’s something about the winter season that makes me want to add brown butter to every dish I make. It somehow turns butter into a more sexy ingredient. It is fairly simple to do, just requires a little patience and I think the outcome is really worth the wait. Just add butter to a saucepan over medium heat and let melt until browned. I don’t bother to cut the butter into smaller pieces. The butter will go through a few stages of transformation as it melts and the milk solids toast. They will turn a beautiful deep golden amber color and smell so nutty and rich. Be sure to stir often to make sure nothing burns. Toward the end of the process, the butter will get very foamy. Be stirring at this point to see how far along the browning is going. It is a quick process!

To ensure your snickerdoodles are perfect, undertake! I can’t stress that enough. The cookies will continue cooking on the pan once you take them out of the oven. Remove the cookies when the tops just start to set. They will be puffy at first, they will flatten as they cool.

Also, I highly suggest measuring out your ingredients with a scale. I think it is a lot easier than using measuring cups and the accuracy will always be perfect. Additionally, you can use a stand or hand-held mixer to make the cookie dough. Happy baking!

brown butter snickerdoodles

Servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 (282g) sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 (344g) cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat and melt until browned about 5-8 minutes. Cook, stirring often, until it reaches a deep golden color. You will know it’s browned by the warm and nutty smell. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and kosher salt and aside.
Add sugar to the bowl with browned butter and mix until combined.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time ensuring each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture becomes light, a more pale yellowish color.
Then slowly add the flour mixture and mix until the dough is just fully combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and portion the cookie dough into balls using a small cookie scoop or a generous, rounded tablespoon. Cover and let the cookie dough chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Roll each of the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar to evenly coat.
Arrange the cookie dough onto another baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping 2 inches in between each of the cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes. I like to slightly underbake mine for the perfect soft and chewy texture. Let cool on a cooling rack.
Store in a sealed airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Makes about 33 cookies.
2. You can freeze the cookie dough as well as the baked cookies. I love baking these cookies in advance and just throwing them into the freezer until I need them. They thaw quickly and will be just as fresh!
3. To freeze the cookie dough, place each dough ball onto a cookie sheet spaced out about half an inch apart (just make sure they aren’t touching). Once frozen, transfer to a sealed freezer container and continue with the remaining steps when ready to bake. The cookies may take a minute or two longer to bake from frozen.