If you’re a fan of soft, chewy cookies with cozy cinnamon flavor, our brown butter snickerdoodles are about to become your new favorite treat. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that takes classic snickerdoodles to a whole new level, while a simple vanilla glaze makes them even more irresistible.
These cookies have crisp edges, soft centers, and a delicious cinnamon sugar coating that everyone loves. They’re perfect for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, afternoon coffee breaks, or whenever you’re craving a homemade cookie that tastes a little extra special.
If you love the nutty, deep flavor of brown butter, be sure to try our brown butter chocolate chip cookies and peach cobbler cupcakes with brown butter frosting.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, nutty brown butter flavor
- Soft, chewy centers with lightly crisp edges
- Rolled in classic cinnamon sugar
- Finished with a sweet vanilla glaze
- Easy enough for beginner bakers
- Great for holidays, parties, and cookie exchanges
- Freezer friendly
Key Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and their exact amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Brown Butter: Browning the butter gives the cookies a rich, nutty, caramel-like flavor that takes them to the next level.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: This combination creates cookies that are soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges.
- Cornstarch: Helps make the cookies extra soft and gives them that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Coats each cookie in a sweet, crunchy layer that adds warm cinnamon flavor and a little sparkle.
- Egg & Egg Yolk: Binds the dough, while the extra yolk adds richness and helps create the cookies’ soft, chewy texture.
Variations
- Add Fruit: Top the cookies with fruit filling to make variations like these peach cobbler brown butter snickerdoodles.
- Add Pumpkin: Add pumpkin puree to create pumpkin snickerdoodles.
- Bite-Sized: Make a small cookie scoop and reduce baking time to make mini snickerdoodle cookies.
- White Chocolate Snickerdoodles: Add white chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
- Salted Snickerdoodles: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the glaze.
- Extra Fall Flavor: Add pumpkin spice to the cinnamon sugar.
- Nutty Snickerdoodles: Add finely chopped pecans for extra flavor and crunch.
- Traditional: Skip the glaze for more traditional cookies.
How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Step 1: Cook the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown bits form at the bottom and the butter is deep amber. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cool completely.
Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients into the brown butter. Then, mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Chill.
Step 3: Whisk the glaze ingredients and set aside until the cookies are baked and cooled.
Step 4: Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to make dough balls. Then, roll them in cinnamon sugar.
Step 5: Place the balls on a baking sheet and bake until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the cooled cookies and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Watch the butter carefully while browning. It can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly.
- Allow the butter to cool before adding the eggs.
- Chill the dough to help prevent spreading.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies will continue setting as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the glaze.
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles FAQs
Brown butter snickerdoodles are a twist on the classic cookie, made with browned butter for a rich, nutty flavor. They’re rolled in cinnamon sugar and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze for an extra special touch.
Browning the butter creates deep caramel-like, toasted flavors that make the cookies richer and more flavorful than traditional snickerdoodles. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference.
Chilling the dough firms up the browned butter, which helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It also creates thicker, chewier cookies with better texture.
Yes! The cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking, making it perfect for holiday baking or preparing ahead for parties.
The cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden but the centers still appear soft. Avoid waiting for the centers to brown, as this can lead to overbaked cookies.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If glazed, allow the icing to set completely before stacking the cookies.
Absolutely. Both the baked cookies and the unbaked cookie dough freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze dough balls individually so you can bake a few fresh cookies whenever you like.
Dry cookies are usually the result of overbaking or adding too much flour. Bake just until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll continue setting as they cool.
Fall Comfort Food Pairings for Snickerdoodles
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Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup coarse sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Cookies
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Continue cooking butter over medium heat until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan and butter has become an amber color.
- Pour browned butter into a large mixing bowl and let cool completely.
- Once butter has cooled, add in brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and corn syrup. Whisk until fully combined.
- Next, add in flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate dough for 30-45 minutes.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
Vanilla Glaze
- Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Using a 1- inch cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and then roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to get slightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Let cookies cool completely, then drizzle with vanilla glaze and enjoy.
Notes
- Watch the butter carefully while browning. It can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly.
- Allow the butter to cool before adding the eggs.
- Chill the dough to help prevent spreading.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies will continue setting as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the glaze.
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