Get the Recipe: Nutty, Chewy, Toasted Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
These brown butter snickerdoodles are perfectly nutty and chewy thanks to brown butter in the cookie dough! No stand mixer is needed to make the recipe—all you need is a bowl and a spatula.
Ingredients
For Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, chopped into 1- to 2-inch chunks
- 2 ¾ cups (12.35 ounces or 350 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, straight from the fridge
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Snickerdoodle Topping
- ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Equipment
- a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop
Instructions
- First, brown the butter. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until it starts to foam. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan occasionally to prevent the milk solids in the butter from burning.Cook for 5 minutes, or until the butter smells nutty and is amber with dark flecks at the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the brown butter into a large bowl. Set it on a wire rack to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- Preheat the oven and prep the baking pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400℉. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients into the brown butter. Pour the sugar over the brown butter and use a rubber spatula to mix together the butter and sugars until moistened, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Make the snickerdoodle topping. Whisk together ¼ cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Assemble the cookies. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Roll each in the snickerdoodle topping, covering them completely. Place the coated cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- I like to bake the cookies one pan at a time. I find that doing so makes the best snickerdoodles, ensuring that none of them have overly burnt bottoms or raw centers. However, to save time, you can bake two sheet pans at a time. Position a rack in the upper-third position of the oven, and a second one in the lower-third position of the oven. Bake a pan on each rack, swapping their positions half way through the Bake Time.
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