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Brown butter snickerdoodle cookies with a cinnamon-sugar coating arranged on a wire cooling rack, with a glass of milk beside them.
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Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Chill Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 32 mins
 
Servings: 20 cookies
Author: Gemma Stafford
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) butter , diced
  • 2 large eggs , at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) plus ¼ cup (2 oz/56 g) granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup (4 oz/115 g) dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ oz/319 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
To Brown the Butter
  1. Melt the butter in a wide, shallow, light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat.
  2. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.
  3. Immediately transfer the browned butter to a medium heatproof bowl and let cool for 20 minutes.
To Make the Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Dough

  1. Whisk the eggs, ¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt into the browned butter.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda, then fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.

  3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup (2 oz/56 g) granulated sugar with the cinnamon.

  4. Roll 2-tablespoon portions of dough (about 1 ½ oz/45 g) into balls, then roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar until generously coated.

  5. Transfer to a small tray, cover with cling wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
To Bake the Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) fan assist. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  3. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed but still slightly underbaked in the center.
  4. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Serve and Store the Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
  1. Enjoy with a cup of coffee! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
  • Watch carefully. When browning the butter, be sure to take it off the heat once it's medium brown and smells nutty, or else it could burn.
  • Let cool for the full 20 minutes until not hot. If the butter is too hot, it will partially cook the eggs.
  • Scoop before chilling. Browned butter cookie doughs can get quite hard when cold, so scoop the cookie dough balls before chilling.
  • Chill to prevent spreading. Be sure to chill the dough for at least two hours before baking, or the cookies will spread too much while baking.
  •  Chill overnight for deeper flavor. These cookies get better with age, and an overnight rest will hydrate the dough, which fully develops the flavor and creates the best texture.
  • Conventional oven instructions. If your oven does not have a convection setting, increase the temperature to 350° F (180°C) and bake one tray of cookies at a time.
    • A convection oven circulates the air for more even baking, so using a slightly higher temperature in a conventional oven and baking one tray at a time will help the cookies crisp up correctly.
  • Coat generously. Roll the dough balls generously in cinnamon sugar for the classic crackled, sparkly finish.
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