Brown Butter Snickerdoodles with White Chocolate

Toasty brown butter and coarsely chopped white chocolate give traditional snickerdoodle cookies a decadent upgrade in this wow-worthy recipe. Preparing and cooling brown butter requires a little more time--but the rich, nutty flavor is so worth it. In addition to their incredible flavor, these snickerdoodles have a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, thanks to the cream cheese in the dough. You'll definitely want to bookmark this one for the holidays, but don't be surprised if you come back to these next-level snickerdoodles all year long.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 228 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• ½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg yolk
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• 4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Melt butter for cookies in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour butter and any browned bits into a small bowl.

Step 3

Place in the refrigerator until butter resolidifies but is still soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Step 4

Remove brown butter from the refrigerator and place in a large mixing bowl. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add white and brown sugars; beat until combined and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract at medium speed until incorporated.

Step 5

Whisk flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined, and adding chocolate in with the last bit of flour.

Step 6

Whisk sugar and cinnamon for coating together in a shallow dish.

Step 7

Scoop cookie dough into 1 1/2- to 2-tablespoon portions and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the coating and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.