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.
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This easy recipe for brown butter snickerdoodle cookies will make you the star of any cookie exchange. I was inspired to make these from the snickerdoodle party cookies I tried at a holiday work party! They are familiar enough with some unique twists on traditional snickerdoodle cookies to make them stand out from the crowd! I promise these will be your new go-to cookie any night of the week. It's the absolute best snickerdoodle recipe!
Toss a little cardamom and chocolate bits into the batter of my snickerdoodle bread recipe for a loaf cake version of these cookies!
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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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
Sure! The cookies will turn out very similar to the original recipe, but they won't have that characteristic zing from the cream of tartar.
Snickerdoodles are a spiced sugar cookie that is typically rolled in cinnamon sugar before being baked. This chewy snickerdoodles recipe adds a spin by adding cardamom to the classic cinnamon sugar mixture. The original cookies were likely first created in New England in the 1800s.
No, but you're welcome to! Chilling the dough will help enhance the flavors even more. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, just let it soften at room temperature before scooping, rolling in cinnamon/cardamom/sugar, and baking.
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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Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Browned Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups or a food scale
- Pot or pan
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 14 tablespoons (196 g) unsalted butter browned and cooled
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar packed
- 2 large (2 large) eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (1½ teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon (4.5 g) salt
- 1½ teaspoons (3 g) ground cardamom
- 1½ teaspoons (3 g) ground cinnamon
- 2 oz (58 g) your favorite chocolate bar chopped into tiny bits
For rolling:
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (2-4 g) ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon (2-4 g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the bottom turns brown and it gives off a nutty aroma.
- Pour the butter into a large heat-resistant bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
- Add the sugars to the butter and cream together for 2 minutes.
- Into the bowl with the sugars and butter, add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Mix after each addition.
- Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just enough to combine everything.
- Add the chocolate bits and mix to incorporate them into the dough.
- Let the dough sit while preparing the sugar mixture and lining cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1-2 teaspoon cardamom, and 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on your flavor preference).
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and then roll into the sugar mixture so that the entire dough ball is covered in the sugar/cardamom/cinnamon.
- Bake the cookies at 350°F for approximately 9-11 minutes. The bottoms and edges should be just slightly tan. If you prefer a crunchier cookie, bake for an additional minute or so, until the bottoms are a darker golden.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
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Janae says
This is officially my favorite cookie recipe ever! Definitely make it - you won't regret it. They have so much flavor!
Kayla Burton says
Yay this made my day!! Thank you, Janae! I'm so happy you love them 😀
Chris says
Snickerdoodles have been my favorite cookies for as long as I can remember. I've tried a lot of them throughout the years. When I tried these, I was completely blown away. The cardamom and cinnamon aroma fills the air as you take that first bite. The small chunks of chocolate dissolve on your tongue as the perfect amount of sweetness and spice dance across your taste buds. If you're looking for the perfect cookie, look no further.
Kayla says
Yay, I appreciate your kind words 🙂 so glad you love these snickerdoodles!