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Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Brown butter snickerdoodles with a deep, caramel-like flavor and signature crinkly edges coated in cinnamon sugar. Brown the butter, chill until solid, then bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes for a classic chewy bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
brown butter + chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 30 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, browned and solidified
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Rolling coating
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 2.5 tsp cinnamon
  • nutmeg pinch

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown the butter and chill
  1. Brown the unsalted butter until golden, then let it cool and solidify. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, until it is scoopable.
Prep the oven and dry mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Set the pans aside for quick loading.
  2. Whisk the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly combined.
Make the cookie dough
  1. Beat the solidified brown butter with the granulated sugar until creamy. Beat until the mixture looks smooth and lighter in color.
  2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat to combine. Mix just until no egg streaks remain.
  3. Fold in the flour mixture until the dough comes together. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see dry flour.
Roll and bake
  1. Mix the rolling spices—granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg—in a shallow bowl. Stir until the coating is speckled and uniform.
  2. Scoop the dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls and roll generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Press lightly so the coating adheres thickly.
  3. Bake for 10–12 minutes at 375°F until crinkled and the edges are set. Look for deep golden tops with slightly soft centers.
Cool
  1. Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes after baking. Move them to a rack after they firm up at the edges.

Notes

For the best crinkle, make sure the browned butter is fully solid before mixing and chill time is close to 1 hour. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. If you prefer a lower-sugar option, try replacing part of the granulated sugar with a 1:1 baking sugar substitute, but keep the cinnamon-sugar rolling coating as written for the classic flavor and texture.