These Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies combine the slightly nutty flavor of brown butter with cinnamon and sugar, making them a delicious addition to my Fall Cookies collection. I love how the powdered sugar coating cracks as they bake, creating a crisp outside with a soft cookie inside.
If you love watching that powdered sugar coating crack as the cookies bake, try my Soft Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies or Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies. Each brings a different combination of spices to that pretty crinkle finish.
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A Quick Look: Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies
Recipe Name: Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies
Ready In: About 2 hours, including chilling
Yield: 24 cookies
Texture: Crisp outside with a soft center
Flavor Profile: Brown butter, cinnamon, and vanilla
Difficulty: Medium
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- 🧈 Brown butter flavor: Browning the butter gives these cookies their slightly nutty taste.
- ✨ A pretty crinkle finish: The powdered sugar coating cracks as the cookies bake.
- 🍪 A little crispness: The outside has a light crust while the center stays soft.
Ingredients
- Ground cinnamon: With so few ingredients, the cinnamon really stands out. Use a good quality cinnamon with a flavor you enjoy.
- Light brown sugar: The light brown sugar in my ingredient photo looks almost like dark brown sugar! I have noticed the colors varying over the past few years, so go by the package label rather than the color.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Brown Butter
Brown butter is such a delicious ingredient. It does not take a lot of time. But you need to keep a watchful eye, though the process because you absolutely don't want it to burn.
Step 1: Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Bring it to a low boil. A frothy white layer will form on top.
Step 2: Continue cooking, stirring to keep the butter from burning. The frothy white layer will begin to disappear.
Step 3: As you stir, the butter and bubbles will become clearer. Watch closely from this point on because the butter can brown quickly.
Step 4: The butter will turn amber and develop a nutty aroma. Look for medium brown specks at the bottom of the saucepan. Once you reach this stage, take the pan off the heat.
Step 5: Let the brown butter cool before you start mixing the cookie dough.
How to Make Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies
Step 6: While the butter is cooling, weigh or measure the granulated sugar and light brown sugar into a bowl and set aside.
Step 7: In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to blend, then set the bowl aside.
Mix the Cookie Dough
Step 8: Mix the cooled brown butter with both sugars until combined. Add the vanilla extract and one egg. Mix until the egg is incorporated before adding the second egg.
Step 9: The mixture will look runny at this stage, but it will firm up. Add the flour mixture about a third at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Avoid overmixing.
Chill
Step 10: Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This gives the flavors time to blend and the butter time to firm up. Let the dough sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before scooping.
Scoop, Coat, and Bake
Step 11: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. I use a medium cookie scoop to keep the dough balls about the same size so they bake evenly.
Step 12: Scoop the dough and roll it into balls. I like to scoop all the dough first so it is ready to go. You should have about 24 dough balls.
Step 13: Roll each dough ball in powdered sugar, coating all sides, and place 12 on the prepared sheet pan. I coat the dough balls for the second pan just before they go into the oven.
Step 14: Bake 1 pan at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, watching for the cracks to form on top of the cookies.
Step 15: Let the cookies rest on the sheet pan for about 1 minute before moving them to a cooling rack. Once they have cooled completely, I sprinkle a little more powdered sugar on top.
Storage & Freezing
🫙🍪 Storage
Let the cookies cool completely, then store them at room temperature in a container with a tight-fitting lid for 5 to 7 days.
❄️ Freezing
For baking later, freeze the dough balls without the powdered sugar coating. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then roll in powdered sugar just before baking as directed.
A note about freezing: I don't freeze my cookies or cookie dough myself. This guidance was summarized with AI assistance and has not been tested in my kitchen.
Looking for substitutions or freezing tips? Choose an option below for additional guidance.
FAQs
I used unsalted butter for these cookies, but salted butter can also be browned. Salted butter may create more foam, so watch carefully for the medium brown specks at the bottom of the pan and the nutty aroma.
Coat every side of each dough ball generously with powdered sugar just before baking. Avoid shaking off the excess. Once the cookies have cooled completely, I like to sprinkle a little more powdered sugar on top.
You can roll the dough balls in granulated sugar for a crusty coating on the outside, or use cinnamon sugar for extra cinnamon flavor. Powdered sugar gives these cookies their traditional white crinkle finish.
Other Cookies with Cinnamon
If you tried this Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons (140 g) Butter
- 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs large
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar for coating dough balls
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a low boil. Stir as the white froth begins to disappear and the butter and bubbles become clearer. Watch closely for an amber color, medium brown specks at the bottom of the pan, and a nutty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat and let the butter cool before mixing the dough.
- While the butter cools, weigh or measure the granulated sugar and light brown sugar into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to blend, then set the bowl aside.
- In your mixer, combine both sugars and the cooled brown butter on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and one egg, mixing until incorporated before adding the second egg. Mix until smooth. On low speed, add the flour mixture about a third at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before scooping.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll it into about 24 evenly sized balls.
- Generously coat 12 dough balls in powdered sugar and place them on a prepared pan. Bake 1 pan at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, watching for cracks to form on top. Coat the remaining dough balls just before baking the second pan.
- Let the cookies rest on the pan for about 1 minute before moving them to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar if desired.
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Recipe Notes
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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