What does brown butter do to cookies?

Brown butter adds a nice nutty, warm flavor to the cookies. It's a unique taste that adds more depth of flavor instead of just melting the butter.

Do I have to brown the butter to make this recipe?

You don't have to, you can just melt it. However, if you choose not to brown the butter use 180g of flour instead of 170g to prevent them from spread too much.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter to make the snickerdoodles?

You can use either! I typically bake with salted butter because I've found it rounds out the flavor and keeps baked goods from too sweet.

What is cream of tartar used for?

In cookies, cream of tartar prevents the sugar from crystalizing when baking which, therefore, results in a more chewy cookie.

I don't have cream of tartar, what should I do?

If you don't have cream of tartar you can leave it out. The cream cheese adds that traditional 'tang' commonly found in snickerdoodles, so you won't miss it!

What is a snickerdoodle cookie?

A snickerdoodle is essentially a vanilla sugar cookie that's rolled in cinnamon sugar. It's traditionally made with cream of tartar which gives it, it's signature tang.

BEST Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

brown butter snickerdoodles piled on a white platter.

Print Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are next level AMAZING. They're soft-baked and buttery with a warm nutty flavor coming through from the brown butter and cinnamon. Best of all, this one bowl recipe takes 35 minutes, and is perfect to bake all holiday season.

Author: Nicole Radcliffe
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Yield: 16 Cookies 1x
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

113g brown butter- cooled for 10 minutes
56g softened full fat cream cheese
100g granulated sugar
100g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg- room temperature
170g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Cinnamon Sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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Instructions

First, brown the butter. To a medium sized saucepan add the butter and place over medium heat. As it cooks, the butter will crackle and begin to foam, be sure to swirl the pan or whisk often to prevent it from burning. After a few minutes the butter will start to turn an amber brown in color and give off a nutty smell. Once browned, immediately transfer the brown butter and all the brown bits to a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. (here's a more in depth tutorial on browning butter!)
While cooling, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
After the brown butter has cooled for 10 minutes, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add in the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to stir everything together.
Next, add the vanilla extract and the egg to the butter mixture and again, stir well.
Finally, add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to gently fold all ingredients together until just combined.
In a small bowl, combined the sugar and ground cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out some of the dough, use your hands to roll it into a ball, then roll the dough ball in the cinnamon sugar.
Place the dough onto your parchment lined baking sheet and repeat STEP 7 with remaining cookie dough, placing the balls 2 inches apart.
Lastly, bake the brown butter snickerdoodles for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges just slightly start to turn golden brown.
Carefully remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on it for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Brown the butter: I say this to remind you to keep an eye on the color! Brown butter can quickly burn if it's not watched, and that won't taste good in a cookie.
Cool the brown butter: You'll need to cool the butter for 10 minutes before using it. That way it won't melt the sugars or scramble the egg!
Don't over mix: When making the batter, try not to over mix it. Stir just until the dry ingredients are combined.
Use a cookie scoop: To scoop out even sized cookies use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
Don't over bake: Brown butter snickerdoodles are meant to be soft and chewy, not super crispy. SO watch when baking and remove from the oven as soon as the edges start to turn light brown.
Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Find it online: https://www.coleinthekitchen.com/best-brown-butter-snickerdoodles/