Chewy Browned Butter Snickerdoodles (no-chill dough)
A twist on classic snickerdoodle cookies, it's an easy, reliable, and perfect year-round recipe. They have crisp edges, soft centers, and a rich cinnamon flavor.
Servings 20 cookies
Ingredients
Brown butter cookie dough:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar mixture:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Have ready cookie sheets and line with parchment if needed.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ¾ cup unsalted butter, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until it foams and brown bits form at the bottom, about 5–7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove excess foam from the surface.
- In a bowl, beat the browned butter with ⅔ cup white sugar and ⅔ cup light brown sugar until well combined.
- Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix until smooth; the mixture will be shiny.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Add to the wet mixture in 2 parts, and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- In a shallow, small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Scoop cookie dough, 1 to 2 tablespoons pieces, roll quickly into balls between your hands (they might be slightly irregular, that is fine), and roll to coat in the cinnamon sugar.
- Place in the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch of space between them, and refrigerate the cookie balls for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set, top is cracked, and centers look slightly underdone for chewy cookies, and 2-3 more minutes for crispier cookies. The time will vary depending on the size of your cookies.
- Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will crisp quickly as they cool, so you might prefer to put them in jars if not eating immediately.
Notes
Make ahead: The cookie dough can be scooped and frozen, so you can make it ahead and bake a fresh batch of cookies when the craving hits. Scoop the cookie portions and place them on a baking sheet; no need to leave much space between them. Freeze until rock solid, and then transfer to a bag to remove the cookie sheet and use less space in the freezer.
Brown butter: It can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a few days. Let it come to room temperature before using, like regular butter.
