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This recipe takes snickerdoodles to the next level! Made with brown butter and a salted caramel core, each bite is a sweet and nutty dream!
When it comes to dessert, you can never go wrong with a batch of homemade cookies! If you love snickerdoodles as much as I do, you’ll have to try these cream cheese snickerdoodles or snickerdoodle bars next!
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles With Salted Caramel Filling
These cookies are seriously amazing. Snickerdoodles have always been one of my favorite cookies, it brings back so many memories when I was little helping my mom make them in the kitchen for a Sunday treat. My favorite part was rolling the cookie balls in the cinnamon sugar. I really didn’t think it could get any better than traditional snickerdoodles, but I’m pretty sure this recipe for brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles has changed my mind.
I mean, you really can’t go wrong with brown butter. And to make these snickerdoodles even better, they have a salted caramel core! The ooey-gooey center and nutty flavor from the brown butter makes these cookies some of the best that I’ve ever tried. I know that you guys will love these just as much as I do! Also, I will not be held responsible for any brown butter addictions that may develop. (But you should definitely try these brown butter blondies or zucchini bars with brown butter frosting next.)
Cookie Ingredients
These delectable cookies are a perfect combination of rich flavors and textures. The brown butter and salted caramel add a delightful twist to the classic snickerdoodle recipe. You’ll love them! Here is everything you’ll need to whip up a batch. (Measurements can be found below in the recipe card.)
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the brown butter snickerdoodle cookie dough.
- Baking Soda: This helps the cookies rise and become nice and fluffy.
- Cream of Tartar: Gives the cookies a tangy kick and that chewy texture!
- Ground Cinnamon: The warm spice that adds flavor to the dough and the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall taste. Look for the chunky kind for some extra texture.
- Unsalted Butter: We’re gonna brown this bad boy to give the cookies a nutty, caramelized flavor. If you only have salted butter, just use less additional salt.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a rich caramel undertone to the dough. Light brown sugar also works, but it will change the flavor of the snickerdoodles slightly.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens things up and contributes to the texture. It’s also used for the cinnamon sugar mixture that the dough is rolled in!
- Large Egg: Keeps things together and adds moisture.
- Egg Yolk: Makes the cookies extra rich and tender.
- Vanilla Extract: I recommend using pure vanilla extract or making your own blend of vanilla extract so your cookies have the best flavor.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Keeps the cookies moist and tender. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, sour cream works too.
- Caramel Squares: These little nuggets of gooey goodness melt into pockets of pure caramel bliss.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Sprinkle this on top of the finished brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles!
How to Make Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles
Fire up the oven, because it’s time to make the best brown butter snickerdoodles of your life! These brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles are so easy to make, and even easier to devour. Be sure to grab a few for yourself, because if your family is anything like mine, these cookies will be snatched up in seconds!
Preparing the Cookie Dough
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and set aside.
- Brown the Butter: To brown the butter, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will start to form along the bottom. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Caramel Pieces: While the butter is cooling, cut the caramel squares into quarters.
- Sugar Mixture: In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. (The 1/4 cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies). Mix until blended and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Baking
- Preheat Oven, Prepare Cookies: Once you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place 1-2 caramel squares inside, wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll back into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered so that the caramel won’t stick to the pan.
- Roll in Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I used course sea salt)
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then transfer your brown butter snickerdoodles to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making the Best Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Check out these simple tips to make your brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles taste even better. I’ve also included some fun variations for you to try!
- Get Your Butter Nice and Toasty: Take your time when browning the butter, letting it turn a beautiful golden color and giving off a nutty smell. This gives your cookies an incredible caramelized flavor. Just watch out so you don’t accidentally burn the butter – that’s a flavor we want to avoid!
- Don’t Overbake: I like to pull my cookies out of the oven while the centers are still a little soft. The cookies will continue to cook on the pan for a minute or two, and then you’ll end up with the perfect texture.
- Mix Up the Caramel: Don’t feel restricted to plain caramel squares. Go wild and try different caramel fillings! Homemade caramel sauce, butterscotch chips, or even flavored caramel candies like salted caramel or espresso caramel. Just make sure to chop them up into small bits so they melt evenly.
- Extra Mix-Ins: If you want a little extra oomph, throw in some mix-ins like chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds) or chocolate chips. These will give your brown butter snickerdoodles a satisfying crunch or bursts of melty goodness.
If You Have Leftovers:
Keep your brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay good for about a week! For that just out of the oven effect, pop them in the microwave until warmed through before you enjoy them again.
More Brown Butter Dessert Recipes
If you’re a lover of brown butter like me, then these are a few recipes you need to try out! The brown butter adds an extra rich and nutty element to each dish, making them absolutely delicious.
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Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup caramel squares cut into 1/4’s
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Coarse Sea salt for sprinkling on completed cookies
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and set aside.
- To brown the butter, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will start to form along the bottom. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- While the butter is cooling, cut the caramel squares into 1/4's.
- In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. (The 1/4 cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies). Mix until blended and smooth.
- Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
- Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Once you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place 1-2 caramel squares inside, wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll back into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered so that the caramel won’t stick to the pan.
- Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place on a cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I used course sea salt)
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The recipe says it makes 24 “servings”. How many cookies are in a serving, or how many cookies will the above recipe make. I need to make about 150-200 cookies….
The Recipe makes about 24 cookies.
Just made these for Xmas. Followed the directions to a T but they look on nothing like the picture. The didn’t spread at all and are so dry! Any idea what I did wrong?
Take 2 – much better! At least they look right! I chilled the dough overnight and then made the balls with really cold dough. If you do this they won’t spread and they’ll be dry. Chill for 30 mins tops and then bake.
I have made these 4 or 5 times and they are always a HUGE hit with the family and our guests! As one person pointed out, the recipe instructions forget to tell you to add the salt into the batter. Also, our family likes them best with the salt halved. Otherwise, I follow the recipe. Never had any issue with the caramel being hard. Used Kraft caramels. Cut in 1/4th as the directions say (unless I made huge cookies, then I put in half a caramel, but cut into 1/4th). Also, we cook them on the quicker side of the suggestion, so they just barely start to look golden. The softer cookie is everyone’s favorite. A friend says they are also amazing slightly heated in a toaster oven (maybe in foil?) to make the caramel gooey again.
I might add that I used light brown sugar and sour cream, a 1.5” scoop for each cookie, half a caramel each, and of the three batches found that the longer the dough chilled the better formed the cookies. I also baked closer to 10 minutes for the best texture. One batch had caramel leaking out the bottom through the cooling rack. It was chilled less, so I adjusted for that and also left them on the sheet a bit longer afterwards before moving to the rack – didn’t happen again.
I’m not great at baking, and have about a 50% success rate with new recipes (I’m better at seeing things done, and manage to mess up some part of directions!). I still try often, and my four sons and husband always appreciate my efforts! I wanted to make something special to fill up the cookie jar when all my boys will be home and also give something special to missionary friends for Christmas. I invested all the time and ingredients I had on this recipe – and held my breath until the first batch came out of the oven. They look exactly like what you’ve pictured, your directions were clear and easy to follow, and the cookies – oh my!! Sooo much better than I even imagined. Thank for for sharing, this is wonderful gift for our family and will be a new tradition and beloved recipe in our home.
I won my work’s cookie contest with these cookies! I am not the biggest snickerdoodle fan, but the brown butter salted caramel title really stood out to me. These cookies tasted AMAZING and were by far the best snickerdoodle I’ve ever had 🙂
I was just wondering if you have ever made these with Rolo’s in the middle instead of caramel to bring in a chocolate element to this already fabulous cookie (one of my very favorites!) Thanks!
very yummy…will definitely make again.
These are unequivocally the best cookies I have ever made. Huge hit! It got easier (and the look was smoother too) when I started using Kraft Caramel bits instead of caramel squares. (Much less unwrapping and cutting!) I put 5 bits into each cookie and it was perfect. Microwaving room temp cookies for 8 seconds returns them to gooey caramely deliciousness too 🙂 Here are the caramel bits: http://www.target.com/p/kraft-premium-caramel-bits-12-oz/-/A-13302189
Thanks so much for posting, this is definitely a keeper!
I’m stealing this recipe for my cousin’s annual Christmas Cookie Swap, but I’m going to rename them “The Most Fabulous Creation I’ve Ever Put In My Mouth.” !!! These are amazing! I didn’t have greek yogurt, so I used sour cream, and they turned out heavenly. I found I had to cook mine for closer to 12 mins, and it made more than 24, which was a nice surprise 🙂 Maybe I made them a bit small. The salt on the top really makes it for me. I’m SO glad I found this recipe! (I used Werther’s soft caramels – I already had them in the cupboard).
I can’t wait to try these but the perfectionist in me noticed a small typo. In the directions, when it says to add cinnamon, I assume this is just the initial half teaspoon and that the remainder is for rolling?
I made the dough and my husband did the job of unwrapping and cutting up the caramel squares. I made the dough and when my husband’s family came over for desert that night I enlisted some help to assemble, and served them hot out of the oven. Everyone loved them. Thank you!
I made these for out faculty Christmas baking contest at school, and won first prize! Thanks for a great recipe. I definitely recommend them!
How do you know if you burnt the butter?I watched it really closely.It frothed but no brown specks rose up just stayed on the bottom of the pan.I am continuing making them,but want to make sure that I didn’t burn the butter.
I am making them for some one so I hope they will still taste good.
As soon as it changes to the brown color and gets the froth it is done.
Do you have to use DARK brown sugar?
I am sure light would still work great.
Do I add salt to the flour?
Yes you do.