Thin, chewy, and packed with nutty flavor. These brown butter snickerdoodles are rolled in cinnamon sugar twice. They stay soft for days (if they last last long).
I’ve been making this recipe since 2013 (and they continue to be a favorite!). These cookies are deceptively thin, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re crispy. They’re soft and chewy!
If you haven’t browned butter before, this is a great place to start. It’s a simple technique that transforms plain butter into something nutty, fragrant, and almost caramel-like. It’s the whole reason these cookies taste they way they do.
Recipe Highlights
- Brown butter base gives these a more complex flavor than standard snickerdoodle cookies
- Double-rolled in cinnamon sugar – first before baking and second round afterwards
- Stays chewy!
- Freezer-friendly dough – scoop, freeze, and bake straight from frozen
- Built for ice cream sandwiches – thin and sturdy to hold a scoop without falling apart
Ingredients & Substitutions
European-style butter: I use European-style butter (higher fat, lower moisture) because it browns beautifully and adds richness. Standard American butter works fine too; the flavor will be just slightly less rich.
No cream of tartar needed: This recipe skips it! Baking soda alone gives you that classic soft, chewy snickerdoodle texture without the tang. If you’re used to a tartar-based version, expect a slightly different (still delicious) result.
Egg yolks matter: The extra yolks are what keep these cookies chewy days after baking, so don’t skip them.
How to Brown Butter
Brown butter is fairly simple to make. Cube the butter so it melts evenly. Melt the butter over medium heat. Once butter had melted, continue to cook over medium-low heat.
The melted butter will foam up quite a bit during this time. Be careful and use a pot that has sides high enough to accommodate all the foam.
At this point, you should start to smell the nutty aroma of the browning butter. Brown specks will start to float up to the top once the foam has receded.
Carefully watch the butter because it can quickly burn and blacken. Swirl the pan a little bit to see whether the bottom of the pan has browned too much.
Once the butter smells super nutty and fragrant, its time to remove it from the heat. Pour the brown butter into another container and allow it cool to room temperature before using.
More Brown Butter Recipes:
Storage & Make-Ahead
Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer (dough): Portioned, unbaked dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes to the bake time.
Freezer (baked cookies): Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 8 oz unsalted European style butter, cut into large cubes
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar, (300 g), packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 2 large egg yolks, room temp
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour, (325 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Coating:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, (50 g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, (7 g)
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Cube butter so it melts evenly. Add to heavy bottomed sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until it foams, smells nutty, and small brown flecks form at bottom of pan. Pour into a separate container to cool completely to room temperature before using.
- Cream butter. Once brown butter has cooled to room temperature, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat together until creamy and smooth.
- Add eggs. Mix in the egg and yolks one at a time, then the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Dry Ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients in three additions on low speed. Mix until just combined.
- Portion and chill. Use a cookie scoop to portion dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and chill in the fridge (or freeze) until firm.
- Roll and bake. Preheat oven to 325℉. Roll chilled dough balls in cinnamon sugar coating mixture. Place coated balls on parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2-inches apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.
- Roll again. Cool in pan for 5 minutes to slightly firm up. Transfer to wire rack to cool further. Roll cooled cookies in cinnamon sugar mixture one again before serving.
Notes
- keep cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days
- unbaked frozen cookie balls keeps for up to 3 months. bake straight from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes to cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Please post the original recipe. This recipe has been changed. I know because I made your old recipe dozens upon dozens of times. It never called for cream of tartar, it also called for vanilla extract and for chilling the cookie dough balls before baking. I loved that recipe so very much it was nearly memorized. Sadly, I never printed it so please can you post the original as well? Thank you!
I have reverted the recipe card to the original recipe as requested. Thank you for being a fan of the original recipe! I appreciate the support.
Thank you so much. This recipe is unmatched! My favorite of all cookie recipes :)
Hi! How does one roll a baked cookie? Do you mean just place it in cinnamon sugar and flip it over for the other side too?
Hi, me again. Just trolling your site this afternoon it seems ;) These cookies are tops on my list to make. Snickerdoodles are my dad’s favorite. Obviously I also have a weak spot for them. Beautiful photos, as always!
Thanks! I can’t say no to a fresh oven baked cookie!
Also, am I able to add cream of tartar?
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them. My question is, does the butter need to come back to a semi-solid state after it is browned and cooled to room temperature? Or is it still completely liquid?
Thanks!
Hi Shannon, as long as the browned butter has cooled to room temperature it’s good to go. You just don’t want the butter so hot that it cooks the eggs while you’re mixing. Happy baking!
Can you make these cookies without a stand mixer?
Hi Kathleen, you can totally make these using a sturdy spatula (or hand mixer) instead of a stand mixer.