Cinnamon sugar is probably one of the most delicious inventions. I feel like it makes everything better, and snickerdoodles are all about it! They're made from soft, sweet vanilla sugar cookie dough rolled in cinnamon sugar for a warm spicy crunchy coating. Well, let me inform you that THESE snickerdoodles are NEXT LEVEL. My Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies have and incredibly rich, nutty buttery flavor and a super chewy texture with no cream of tartar in the recipe. That's right, you don't need cream of tartar to make these since it's not a very common ingredient anymore. The texture of these is as good as their taste, and I know you will fall in love with them.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Brown butter cookies - the addition of brown butter really makes these snickerdoodle cookies taste rich and nutty. They have a complex flavor that is highly addictive and satisfying.
- Chewy snickerdoodle cookies - these snickerdoodles are so nice and chewy! They are not dry like a lot of them can be.
- A hint of spice - a little bit of nutmeg in the actual cookie dough really enhances the brown butter flavor. It almost makes these cookies taste like cinnamon donuts!
- Cinnamon sugar - these cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunchy spicy coating. It's the main feature of snickerdoodles!
- No cream of tartar! - many recipes for snickerdoodle cookies require cream of tartar, but that is an ingredient that few people have stocked in their pantry. My recipe just uses regular baking soda and baking powder, and a secret ingredient to give that tangy flavor. Read below in the INGREDIENTS section to find out.
Can I Make Snickerdoodle Cookies Without Cream of Tartar?
Snickerdoodle cookie recipes traditionally use cream of tartar which is and acidifying agent. It is pure tartaric acid in powdered form that will react with baking soda (alkaline ingredient) to product gas bubbles that help the cookie dough spread and puff. Cream of tartar is an old-fashioned ingredient that most households don't carry, so my recipe does not use it. You can easily create the same if not similar effect with baking powder which is a combination of acid and base (bicarbonate of soda) ingredients already.
What you'll notice when you don't use cream of tarter is that the crinkly top on the baked cookies is not as defined and the cookies are a bit softer. You will not really notice a difference in taste since the cinnamon flavor is quite dominating. My recipe without cream of tartar uses a tiny bit of lemon juice to provide the acidity needed to quickly drive the reaction with baking soda and to introduce that bit of tangy taste.
INGREDIENTS
- Brown butter - for this recipe you can use salted butter or unsalted butter, but I prefer salted butter for the added richness it brings once the butter is browned. If you use unsalted butter, then double the added salt. You will also need to brown the butter which makes these cookies taste incredibly rich! It has a rich, nutty, butterscotch flavor that really adds so much depth and complements the cinnamon. The instructions for how to brown butter are here.
- Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor to complement the nuttiness and also gives them a chewy texture! Only use light brown sugar because dark brown sugar has twice as much molasses and it will overpower the brown butter flavor and will make these cookies too dark in color.
- Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help them crisp up for crunchy edges.
- Egg - one whole egg will set these cookies to perfection.
- Lemon juice - this may seem strange, but it helps add the tanginess that you'd normally get from cream of tartar. Also, the liquid helps replace some of the moisture lost by the butter browning process to make sure these cookies are bendy and chewy. You only need a level ½ teaspoon though. If you use more than that, the cookies will spread too much.
- Pure vanilla extract - snickerdoodle cookie dough is based on a vanilla sugar cookie, so the vanilla quality is important. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour - simple unbleached AP flour is ideal for making chewy cookies.
- Cinnamon sugar - the cinnamon sugar is the essence of snickerdoodles. Don't skip this part!
- Nutmeg - this is my secret! A pinch of nutmeg really enhances the flavor of the cookie dough.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Brown the butter. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then continue to cook while stirring occasionally until butter begins to bubble and crackle as the moisture boils off. Keep cooking with frequent stirring until it turns a deep golden color. A dense foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it into a large mixing bowl, then place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until cool and set to a firm yet pliable consistency. It should be soft and spreadable, not hard nor brittle.
- STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together to blend evenly.
- STEP 3). Mix butter and sugar. Add both sugars, vanilla and lemon juice to the cooled browned butter and mix with a spatula or whisk gently until combined. If the butter is cooled sufficiently, it will thicken a bit.
- STEP 4). Mix in egg. Add egg and mix well until incorporated and creamy smooth. The mixture will thicken and lighten up a bit.
- STEP 5). Add dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated.
- STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes. You can also skip the refrigeration step and the cookies will be slightly thinner and still amazing (see alternate photos below).
- STEP 7). Make cinnamon sugar. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- STEP 8). Roll. Scoop mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls, then roll them evenly in the cinnamon sugar. Apply some pressure so you get a nice even coating, and even roll them twice to get a lot of cinnamon on there.
- STEP 9). Bake. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden and still soft in the middle.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make them dry and crumbly, and too little will cause them to spread excessively.
- Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape.
- Let the dough chill in the fridge for up to one hour if you prefer thicker cookies.
- Measure the lemon juice precisely. Too much of it will cause the cookies to spread excessively.
RECIPE FAQ
Brown butter adds a richer depth of flavor to the cookie dough as the milk proteins and sugars react as they are heated to create flavorful savory compounds. Browning butter also removes all of the water from butter so that the cookies will have a more dense texture.
If you do not brown the butter, then the liquid:flour ratio will be off in the recipe. I highly encourage you to follow this recipe exactly to get the full flavor that is intended, but if you choose to not brown the butter, then I would recommend adding another tablespoon of flour. Follow the instructions here and watch the video to learn how.
Yes! I find the flavor is more rich with salted butter, but both will work. Unsalted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest doubling the added salt. So, that's ½ teaspoon of salt instead of ¼ teaspoon.
Cream of tartar is dried, powdered tartaric acid. It is the acid ingredient that reacts with alkaline baking soda to make gas that leavens baked goods. Baking powder already has a blend of acid and base (alkaline component) to leaven baked goods. The difference is that cream of tartar reacts very fast with baking soda since it is pure acid and may lead to a puffier cookie, but really... in such a dry cookie dough you will barely see a difference at all.
No, you actually don't. You can scoop and bake this dough right away, but if you prefer thicker cookies like the ones pictured above, I recommend chilling this cookie dough for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours since it will allow time for the flour to hydrate.
You cannot make a 1:1 substitution for cream of tart in any recipe since it is pure acid. Instead, you will need to follow a recipe specifically designed to work without it, such as this one. In this recipe I use a combination of baking powder and baking soda to get the amount of puff and spread I want for these cookies. Using all baking powder will yield a cakier cookie, but I prefer some chewiness which is why I use some baking soda as well.
The purpose of cream of tartar in snickerdoodles is to provide the acid component to react with baking soda and help the cookies puff and rise. Baking powder is a blend of baking soda and acid components so adding soda and acid separately isn't necessary. Cream of tartar does impart a slight tang from the intense acidity, but for this brown butter recipe, I prefer it without.
Of course, and I did! Brown sugar adds richness and more chewiness to this brown butter version that I love so much. I prefer light brown sugar in this particular recipe so that it doesn't overpower the brown butter taste.
STORING AND FREEZING
How do I store these cookies?
These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Can I freeze snickerdoodle cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these cookies. Once completely cooled, place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
If you love cookies, check out these recipes!
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Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp (125g) salted butter (you can also used unsalted butter - see notes in the FAQ section above)
- ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice (make sure it is a level ½ teaspoon)
- 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cinnamon sugar:
- 3 tablespoon (42g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It's easy!
- Make the cookie dough. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk well until evenly blended.
- Add both sugars, vanilla and lemon juice to the cooled browned butter and mix with a spatula or whisk gently until combined. If the butter is cooled sufficiently, it will thicken a bit. Add egg and mix well until incorporated and creamy smooth. The mixture will thicken and lighten up a bit.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate for just 20 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- NOTE: this recipe makes 12 large cookies or 16 smaller cookies.
- For larger cookies, use a 1.5 oz cookie scoop to portion dough, scooping up just less than the scoop's capacity (so, that's about 1.2 oz) and roll them into smooth balls. For smaller cookies, use a 1 oz cookie scoop. Roll them in cinnamon sugar, applying some pressure to make sure it sticks evenly. Then, roll them in cinnamon sugar again to get a nice heavy coating. Place them onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until lightly golden and soft in the center. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Let cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies individually to a wire rack to cool completely.
AK
Instead of lemon juice, can you use cream of tartar? Have you tested that?
christina.marsigliese
Hi AK! No I have not tested that, so I can't specify the amount. Maybe 1/2 a tsp.