Browned Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

These Browned Butter Snickerdoodles were inspired by one of my favorite ingredients - browned butter! The nuttiness of brown butter is paired with cinnamon, cardamom, chocolate, and some zing from cream of tartar to create a unique variation on a classic, soft snickerdoodle cookie.

Why We Love This Recipe

• If you don't know how to make snickerdoodles yet, this easy recipe will make you look like you've been making them forever!
• They don't require any chilling and can be whipped up in 30 minutes!
• The cardamom adds a great depth of flavor to the traditional cinnamon in this chewy snickerdoodles recipe.
• The tang of cream of tartar is the perfect balance to the rich sweetness of these browned butter cookies.
• It's the perfect combination of chocolate chip cookies and toffee snickerdoodles.
• They're full of the same delicious flavors as my Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Rolls!
• They're delicious with a cup of coffee! And if you like this combination, I highly recommend my Salted Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients

• Browned butter - brown butter starts with regular unsalted butter that is cooked over medium-low heat until the milk solids start to caramelize and turn brown. The result is a toasty, caramel flavored butter flecked with little brown bits. You can use it in many baked goods as well as in savory dishes - the nutty flavor is good with most things!
• Cream of tartar - a white powder typically found in the baking aisle, cream of tartar is made from tartaric acid which is a byproduct of winemaking. It is often used to stabilize meringues, and here is adds a tangy flavor to counteract the sweetness of these cookies.
• Chocolate bar - this is an optional ingredient for chocolate lovers to add a more complex flavor profile to these spiced cookies! I recommend a high quality bar with toffee bits, like Ghirardelli's Intense Dark Toffee Almond bar. The flavors compliment the brown butter beautifully and will turn this snickerdoodle recipe into browned butter toffee chocolate chip cookies!

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Make bakery-style jumbo brown butter snickerdoodles by using a large cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons of dough and adding a few minutes to the baking time.
• Try a fall version of these cookies by swapping pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon and cardamom.
• For extra toffee flavor, substitute chopped chocolate covered toffee bits in place of the chocolate bar.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: In a medium pan, melt butter over medium heat until it starts to brown on the bottom of the saucepan and smells toasted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof small bowl to cool.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla to combine.

Step 4: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the chopped chocolate bar until evenly incorporated.

Step 5: Roll the cookie dough into balls and coat in the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom mixture. Place cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.

Step 6: Bake the snickerdoodles at 350°F for 9-11 minutes until the crisp edges are beginning to turn golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Expert Tips

Tip #1 - Using a lightly colored pan such as enamel or metal is helpful to be able to see when the butter begins to brown. It can begin to get dark quickly, so being able to see is very helpful. If you are using a non-stick pan, just be sure to keep a very close eye and rely on the nutty aroma of the brown butter to know when it is done.

Tip #2 - The brown butter should cool to room temperature before you beat it with the sugars. This helps the ingredients combine better and ensure soft, chewy snickerdoodles that don't spread too much.

Tip #3 - Using a cookie scoop helps create uniform cookies that bake evenly. But if you don't have a cookie scoop, you can use a spoon to approximate 1 tablespoon of dough. There may be a little bit of variation in size, but these will still be your favorite cookies!

Tip #4 - For perfectly round cookies, place a slightly larger circular object (like a pint glass, sifter, or biscuit cutter) around the cookies and scoot them into a round shape while they're hot out of the oven.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Room Temperature: These brown butter snickerdoodles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. Add a slice of bread to the container to prevent the cookies from drying out!

Refrigerator: I don't recommend storing the baked cookies in the refrigerator, but the cookie dough can be covered and stored here overnight.

Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cooled cookies in plastic wrap and a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month.

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