These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are crisp, soft, chewy and SO delicious with the extra special addition of brown butter. You do not want to sleep on this recipe!
Even though it’s fall (despite the weather being non-cooperative), I am trying to think outside of the typical pumpkin vs apple recipe box and give you guys other cozy and warm fall flavors. I feel like every year, the internet is dominated with pumpkin and apple recipes, and it seems like it is all the same stuff we’ve seen before.
And while yeah, I will happily engorge myself on apple pie bars and pumpkin bread, I kinda want something different? So if there’s a blatant lack of pumpkin and apple recipes this fall, it’s because I kind of want to bring some other special warm and cozy flavors to the mix.
I gotta say, these Brown Butter Snickerdoodles may usurp pumpkin and apple for the fall title.
How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are very easy to make and are made extra special with the addition of brown butter. What is brown butter, you may ask? It happens when you melt butter past the melting point and it begins to brown and caramelize. Little bits of fat in the bottom of the pan will toast and brown, creating this addictive nutty, toasted goodness that adds tremendous depth of flavor to your baked goods.
Because this recipe has melted browned butter in it, these snickerdoodles are a little more on the crisp and chewy side than a soft, pillowy snickerdoodle that we’re used to. But the compromise is worth it for that richness the brown butter imparts!
You’ll combine brown butter with some softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a stand mixer, then add in an egg and egg yolk. Stir in some vanilla extract, followed by your dry ingredients, which are baking soda, salt, cream of tarter, and flour.
Once the dough has come together, you’ll roll the dough into Tablespoon-size balls and dredge it in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place the dough balls 2″ apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until set and golden.
How to Make Brown Butter
Brown butter is easy to make, but it happens quickly, so don’t plan on stepping too far from the pan.
In a saucepan, add your stick of butter over medium-low heat. Cook until it has melted. Now is the crucial time you don’t want to step away, because once it burns, it’s useless. The melted butter will soon begin to pop, fizzle and bubble violently; this is normal. Gently swirl the pan to prevent scorching. After about 5 or so minutes, you’ll begin to notice some foam, and beyond the foam you’ll notice some bits on the bottom of the pan begin to brown. Swirl the pan to discourage burning. When the butter is amber in color and smells nutty, remove from heat. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all those browned bits!
These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are light, crispy, chewy and have soft middles with a lovely rich flavor! You’re going to swoon over them!
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and divided
- 1¼ cups granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cream of tarter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First, prepare your brown butter: In a small saucepan, add in 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter over medium-low heat and allow the butter to melt. Once it has melted, do not stray far from the stove as the browning process happens quickly! The melted butter will bubble, pop and sizzle violently; this is normal. After about 5 or so minutes, it may become foamy. Swirl the pan occasionally to discourage burning. You'll begin to notice some browned bits on the bottom of the pan; continue swirling the pan and remove from the heat when the butter is amber in color and smells nutty.
- Pour the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer with the remaining 4 Tbsp softened butter. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to help further soften the remaining butter. Then, add in the sugars and beat with the paddle attachment until combined, about 1 minute. Add in the egg, followed by the egg yolk, mixing well, followed by the vanilla. Lastly, add in your baking soda, cream of tarter, salt, and flour and mix until just combined; set aside. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the remaining granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a Tablespoon-size cookie dough scoop, portion out dough balls one at a time. Drop a rounded dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss gently to coat. Place the dough balls 2" apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking time to ensure even baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies may appear puffy and deflate; this is normal as they are a crisper cookie than a traditional puffy one. If you have any leftover cinnamon sugar, sprinkle it over the still-warm cookies.
These snickerdoodles may or may not be life-changing… but I’ll let you be the judge 🙂
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
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