My brown butter snickerdoodle cookies take a timeless classic and make it even better. Browning the butter gives these cookies a nutty, toasty flavor that pairs perfectly with their soft, chewy centers and cinnamon-sugar coating.
If you love these, you'll probably also love my brown butter chocolate chipless cookies for a simple chewy cookie, my brown butter sugar cookies for another nutty favorite, and my brown butter oatmeal cookies for something with a bit more texture.
Quick Look: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
⏱️ Ready In: about 1 hour 40 minutes (including optional chill)
🔥 Bake Time: 10–12 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 18 cookies
✨ Calories: 192 per cookie
🥄 Main Ingredients: browned butter, cinnamon sugar, brown sugar, cream of tartar
🌿 Dietary: Vegetarian
💛 Why You'll Love It: nutty browned butter meets the classic cinnamon-sugar snickerdoodle
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Brown butter depth. Browning the butter adds a nutty, caramel-like richness that takes a classic snickerdoodle up a notch, just like my brown butter chocolate chipless cookies.
Soft and chewy. Pillowy centers with that signature snickerdoodle tang from cream of tartar.
Cozy cinnamon-sugar coating. A generous roll in cinnamon sugar gives every bite that nostalgic, holiday-season flavor.
No chilling required. The dough is ready to scoop right away, though a short chill makes it even easier to handle.
Year-round favorite. Cozy enough for Christmas swaps, easy enough for a Tuesday — like my sourdough snickerdoodle cookies or sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodles.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Expert Tips
- What Makes This Recipe Special?
- Brown Butter Snickerdoodle FAQs
- Snickerdoodle Troubleshooting Guide
- Storage
- Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider
- Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough:
- Unsalted butter — browned for that nutty, toasty depth.
- Brown and granulated sugar — brown for chew and depth, white for structure.
- Egg and egg yolk — the extra yolk adds richness and chew.
- Vanilla extract — rounds out the flavor.
- All-purpose flour — the structure; spoon and level, or weigh it.
- Cream of tartar — the snickerdoodle signature, for that subtle tang.
- Baking soda and kosher salt — for lift and balance.
For rolling:
- Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon — the cozy cinnamon-sugar coating.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
Dairy-free butter: Use a plant-based butter (note: it won't brown the same way).
Sugar: Use all granulated for a lighter flavor, or all brown sugar for extra chew.
Gluten-free: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works.
Egg-free: Substitute a flax egg or egg replacer.
Extra spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the rolling sugar — the same cozy spice in my chewy sourdough gingerbread cookies.
Stuffed: Wrap the dough around a caramel or piece of chocolate before baking.
Snickerdoodle bars: Short on time? Try my snickerdoodle cookie bars instead.
How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Disclaimer: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.
Step 1: Brown butter + mix: Brown the butter, then beat in sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
Step 2: Add dry ingredients: Stir in dry ingredients and chill the dough for 30–60 minutes. (Chilling is optional)
Step 3: Roll + bake: Roll in cinnamon sugar and bake at 350°F until golden at the edges.
Use a large round cookie cutter to scoot the hot cookies around on the pan to make them perfectly round if desired.
Step 4: Cool: Cool on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.
Expert Tips
1. Watch the butter closely. It goes from golden to burnt fast — stir constantly and pull it the moment it's amber and smells nutty.
2. Let the butter cool. Cooling the browned butter 10–15 minutes keeps it from cooking the eggs when you mix the dough.
3. Don't skip the cream of tartar. It's what gives snickerdoodles their signature subtle tang and chew.
4. Pull them slightly underdone. Take them out when the edges are golden and the centers still look soft — they set as they cool for a chewy texture.
5. Scoot for round cookies. Swirl a round cookie cutter around each warm cookie for bakery-perfect edges.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
A classic snickerdoodle is all about that soft, tangy crumb and cinnamon-sugar shell — and this version keeps all of that while adding one transformative step: browning the butter. Toasting the butter's milk solids gives the dough a deep, nutty, caramel-like flavor that makes these taste richer and more complex than the snickerdoodles you grew up on, without losing any of the nostalgia.
The cream of tartar still delivers that signature tang and chew, and the cinnamon-sugar coating brings the cozy, holiday-season flavor. It's a small technique with a big payoff — the same brown-butter magic behind my brown butter sugar cookies and chewy brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
For more fall flavor, try my chewy pumpkin cookies, chocolate chunk pecan cookies, or triple chocolate chunk cookies.
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle FAQs
It adds a nutty, caramel-like depth that makes these taste richer than a standard snickerdoodle, without changing the classic texture.
No, you can bake right away. A 30–60 minute chill just makes the dough easier to scoop.
It gives snickerdoodles their signature tang and chewy texture. Don't leave it out.
Usually the browned butter was still warm, or the dough was too soft. Let the butter cool, and chill the dough if needed.
Snickerdoodle Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread too thin | Warm butter or soft dough | Cool the butter; chill the dough 30–60 min |
| Burnt or bitter butter | Browned too long | Stir constantly; pull when amber and nutty |
| Dry, cakey cookies | Overbaked or too much flour | Pull when centers look soft; weigh the flour |
| No tang | Skipped cream of tartar | Don't omit it — it's the snickerdoodle signature |
| Coating fell off | Dough too dry on the surface | Roll generously right before baking |
Storage
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
Refrigerator: Keeps up to a week.
Freezer: Freeze cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Other Sourdough Discard Recipes to Consider
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Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen Scale
- Cookie scoop
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 255 g all-purpose flour 2 cups + 2 tbsp
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 170 g unsalted butter ¾ cup, browned and slightly cooled (145-150g after browning)
- 150 g brown sugar packed (¾ cup)
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For rolling:
- 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Immediately pour into a mixing bowl and let cool 10–15 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine butter and sugars: Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter and beat until combined.
- Add egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
- Make the dough: Stir in the dry ingredients just until no streaks remain. No need to chill these, but you can put them in the refrigerator for 30-60 mins if you want to make them a little easier to scoop.
- Scoop and roll: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment. Mix cinnamon and sugar for rolling. Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon portions, roll in cinnamon sugar, and space 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Ines says
Love your sour dough discard banana muffin so yummy. Thank you
Audrey says
Thank you!!