Description
These chai-spiced snickerdoodles get a grown-up upgrade with brown butter and warming chai spices. The result: pillowy centers, slightly crisp edges, and that irresistible cinnamon-sugar coat. Perfect for holiday cookie trays or anytime you want cozy cookie vibes.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 375 g)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar (about 267 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar for Rolling
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (about 70 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Brown the butter: Place one stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt, swirling or stirring occasionally. The butter will foam, then the milk solids will turn golden-brown and you’ll smell a nutty aroma—watch closely and remove it from the heat right away. Pour into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, all the ground spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, black pepper), and salt. Set this dry mix aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or using a hand mixer and a large bowl), combine the remaining stick of butter, the cooled browned butter, and the 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition so they incorporate fully. Stir in the vanilla extract, and scrape down the bowl with a spatula as needed to keep everything even.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, folding or mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop as soon as the flour disappears—overmixing will make the cookies tough.
- Make the rolling sugar by stirring the 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Shape the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar so it’s fully coated, and space them about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake for roughly 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The bottoms should be light golden while the tops remain pale; if cookies look too flat, give them another 1–2 minutes in the oven.
- Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after removing from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage & Make-Ahead
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw before serving. Dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen—if frozen, thaw to room temperature before rolling and baking.
- Notes & Tips
- Keep a close eye while browning butter; it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
- Two eggs make these cookies extra tender and slightly more cake-like than the single-egg versions.
- This recipe is adapted from a classic snickerdoodle base; the chai spice and brown butter are the main twists.