Is there anything better than a really good snickerdoodle? These small batch snickerdoodles are chewy in the centers, crisp on the edges, and coated in lots of cinnamon sugar. And they're made with brown butter for a hint of toffee flavor. Ahhh they're so good!
For reasons that I can't even get into right now, I had a *moment* (a.k.a. meltdown) the other night where I thought it would be a good idea to re-organize my entire spice drawer at 1 a.m. There's nothing necessarily exciting about this story except that I found a bottle of saffron (!) and unearthed a container of long-forgotten cream of tartar.
I literally could not tell you a single thing to do with cream of tartar except make snickerdoodles. So obviously that's what I did. Like my SB peanut butter cookies or my #1 go-to small batch chocolate chip cookies, these are one of my most nostalgic and most favorite cookies.
And even though I made lots of snickerdoodles when I was in pastry school, my grandma's recipe remains the best. This recipe is based on hers except I browned the butter and added extra cinnamon. The result is an uber chewy, crisp on the edges cookie with warm, toffee, spiced flavor. Get on these stat!
Cream of tartar or nah?
I don't know how to tell you this friends, but you really can't make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar. It's literally what makes them snickerdoodles in the first place. That's cause the cream of tartar gives the cookies their signature 'tang'. It also helps the cookies spread and makes them chewier!
If you don't have cream of tartar, you're better off making sugar cookies and rolling them in cinnamon sugar instead.
Brown butter
Using melted butter
If you don't want to brown the butter, you can definitely use regular melted butter. But, you will need less. That's because when you brown butter, the water evaporates so you end up with a higher fat-to-water ratio.
If you use the same amount of melted butter as brown butter, the dough will be too soft and will spread a ton. So, instead of 60 grams (¼ cup) of butter, you will need 42 grams (3 Tablespoons) of butter instead!
Bake the cookies
Under-bake the cookies
The key to chewy snickerdoodles? You have to under-bake them! The cookies are ready when they're set on the edges but still look a little raw in the centers. Don't worry, they'll keep cooking on the hot pan!
Don't over-bake the cookies or they will come out crispy instead of chewy! Unless that's what you're going for, of course.
Storing the cookies
Place leftovers in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 1-2 days. Not going to lie, these cookies get hard more quickly because they don't have brown sugar. They're best eaten within 1 day!
Freezing - baked or unbaked
You can freeze either the cookie dough balls or the baked cookies. Here's how:
- Baked - place the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag lined with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Unbaked - freeze the cookie dough balls until they're solid 2-3 hours. Pop them in an airtight container or bag lined with parchment paper and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost for 1 hour before rolling in cinnamon sugar & baking.
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
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No Chill Small Batch Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- #20 cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 60 grams unsalted butter (¼ cup)
- 90 grams granulated sugar, divided (⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 60 grams all-purpose flour (½ cup)
- 5 grams cornstarch (½ Tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Bring it to a gentle simmer. It will foam up and sputter a little. Cook the butter, swirling the pan often, until it smells nutty and has brown bits at the bottom, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a medium mixing bowl and let it cool completely.
- Once the butter is cool, add 66 grams (⅓ cup) of sugar. Whisk until the mixture is thick and lightened in color, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and Kosher salt to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the cookie dough just until it comes together and there are no more streaks of flour.
- Mix the remaining 24 grams (2 Tablespoons) of sugar with the cinnamon. Using a #20 cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into 6 balls. (The dough will be a little soft.) Carefully roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar and place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit under-done. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!