Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Nutty brown butter and a thick cinnamon-sugar crust give the classic snickerdoodle a deeply caramelized upgrade.
Prep: 20 · Cook: 12 · Total: 35 · Serves: 24 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.9/5 (578 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Snickerdoodles are a classic American cookie with roots in New England, where cream of tartar was commonly used as a leavener before baking soda became widespread. Browning the butter is a simple modern upgrade that adds a toffee and hazelnut note without changing the cookie's essential character.
Story
I started making snickerdoodles every December when my daughter was old enough to help roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar, which she took very seriously and still does. The brown butter version happened by accident one year when I forgot the butter was on the stove and walked away. Came back to find it golden and nutty-smelling and just went with it. That batch disappeared faster than any cookie I have ever made and I have been doing it that way every year since. We always make a double batch and freeze half so we have cookies through January without turning on the oven.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch it carefully as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Fold with a spatula until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (the dough will be easier to roll).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon balls and roll each generously in the cinnamon sugar, coating all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look just slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Chef Tips
- Use a light-colored pan to brown the butter so you can actually see the color change. Dark nonstick pans make it impossible to judge.
- Pull the cookies when the centers look underdone. They firm up on the hot pan and over-baking makes them crispy rather than chewy.
- Let the brown butter cool enough that it does not scramble the eggs when you add them.
- For thicker, puffier cookies, refrigerate the shaped dough balls for 30 minutes before baking.
Cook's Notes
- **Brown butter tip:** Butter goes through several stages: foamy, then clear and bubbling, then golden with brown milk solids at the bottom. You want that last stage. The moment it smells like toffee and hazelnuts, pull it off the heat.
- **Cream of tartar:** Do not substitute baking powder. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their slightly tangy, chewy quality. It is worth buying a jar if you do not have it.
- **Storage:** Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Place a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft. The bread dries out so the cookies do not.