These Eggless Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft, chewy, and coated in a sweet cinnamon-sugar layer that adds just the right amount of crunch. They’re egg-free, so they’re great for anyone with egg allergies or when you’re out of eggs but still want to bake something amazing. Best of all, they’re super easy to make with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. These cookies are guaranteed to be a hit and fly off the plate. So, why not try them? You’ll thank yourself later!
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
I can’t get enough of these cookies, and I’m betting you won’t, either! The browned butter adds such a depth of flavor that elevates these cookies to a whole new level. You’ll taste the nuttiness and richness in every bite, balanced perfectly by the cinnamon-sugar coating. Oh, and a little tip from experience: make a double batch. They disappear fast—almost too fast—and your cookie tray will thank you!
What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
For the Cookies:
- Butter: Browned butter is the star here, giving these cookies a nutty, caramelized flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie, providing structure.
- Baking Soda & Cream of Tartar: These create the iconic tangy flavor and tender texture of snickerdoodles. Note: Cream of tartar gives these cookies their signature tangy flavor, setting them apart from classic sugar cookies and making them true snickerdoodles. It’s an essential ingredient in this recipe, and I haven’t tested any substitutes that yield the same results.
- Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Add warm, cozy spice notes.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a slight molasses note, while granulated sugar sweetens and helps with spreading.
- Evaporated Milk: Adds richness and moisture in place of eggs. Note: If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can use regular milk, but the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavors.
- Greek Yogurt: Helps with moisture and binding.
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
- Granulated Sugar & Ground Cinnamon: These create the iconic coating for that classic snickerdoodle look and taste.
Food Allergy Swaps
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
- Butter: Substitute butter with dairy-free butter substitutes. Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are my favorite butter substitutes for baking. Read my tips below on how to make brown butter with non-dairy butter.
- Evaporated Milk: Use evaporated coconut milk or evaporated oat milk, or make your own dairy-free evaporated milk with your favorite plant-based milk. Evaporated milk is just milk that has been reduced to eliminate the water content, so it’s super easy to make at home with any milk of your choice. Check out my How to Make Evaporated Milk post.
- Greek Yogurt: Yogurt: Use you favorite brand of plain, unsweetened non-dairy Greek-style yogurt.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend
Potential Recipe Challenges & Pro Tips
- Getting the Perfect Brown Butter: Browning butter can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. If overheated, it can burn quickly. Pro Tip: Watch it closely as it turns golden and develops a nutty aroma. Remove it from heat immediately once the solids turn amber.
- Avoiding Flat Cookies: Without eggs, the dough can sometimes spread too much. Pro Tip: Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to help it hold its shape while baking.
- Even Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: It can be tempting to skip the rolling step, but this coating is what makes a snickerdoodle shine! Pro Tip: Roll the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture for that classic flavor and texture.
How To Make Bronw Butter With Vegan, Dairy-Free, or Plant-Based Butter
Making brown butter with plant-based butter is similar to the process with regular butter, but there are a few important differences to keep in mind, mainly due to the different composition of plant-based butter, which typically includes oils, emulsifiers, and other ingredients instead of the milk solids found in dairy butter. Keep in mind the following:
1—Best Plant-Based Butter: For best results, choose one with a higher fat content that comes in sticks or blocks (no spreadable version). Some plant-based butters are more suitable for browning than others. Look for one with a higher fat content, as this will more closely mimic the browning process of dairy butter. Brands marketed as “baking sticks” tend to work better than spreads.
2 – Emulsifiers and Water Content: Plant-based butters often have more water and emulsifiers than dairy butter. This can lead to more steam and sputtering, so be cautious.
3 – No Milk Solids: Since plant-based butter doesn’t have milk solids, the browning process is slightly different. The color comes from the caramelization of the plant-based fats and oils rather than the Maillard reaction of milk proteins.
4 – Add the Nutty Flavor: Once the butter has melted, immediately add 1 teaspoon of natural cashew butter or almond butter. Use sunflower or pumpkin seed butter for a nut-free alternative. Continue cooking until the color of the butter gradually changes from pale yellow to golden brown. Keep a close eye on it, as plant-based butter can brown more quickly than dairy butter. Once the butter has reached a golden-brown color, immediately remove the pan from the heat. The butter can go from browned to burned very quickly.
Process Overview: Step-by-Step Photos
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Brown The Butter
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Pour butter into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 2 -Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Set aside
Step 3 – Beat Butter And Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cooled brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended. Beat in the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 4 – Form Into Ball And Coat
For larger cookies, use a 1.5 oz cookie scoop to portion the dough, scooping up just less than the scoop’s capacity (so, that’s about 1.2 oz), and roll them into smooth balls. For smaller cookies, use a 1-oz cookie scoop.
Make The Coating: Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or plate. Roll the cookie balls in cinnamon sugar, applying some pressure to make sure it sticks evenly. Then, roll them in cinnamon sugar again to get a nice heavy coating. Place them onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight or for up to 2 days.
Step 5 – Bake
Bake the cookies for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, cool them in the pan for 2 minutes, and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Extra Recipe Tips For Success
- Make sure your browned butter is cool before mixing; hot butter can affect the dough’s texture.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the dough.
- For evenly sized cookies (better for baking) use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
- Don’t skip the chill time—it makes a big difference in how the cookies bake!
- Know your oven! Every oven is different, so baking times must always be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, affecting baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just a few minutes, around 2. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking, and they will be hard
Variations & Additions
- Add White Chocolate Chips: For an extra indulgent twist!
- Sprinkle Sea Salt: A light sprinkle on top before baking enhances the flavor contrast.
- Pumpkin Spice Blend: Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for a cozy pumpkin spice version.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing Dough: Roll the dough into balls, coat them in cinnamon-sugar, and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage.
You can substitute it with 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar for a similar tangy effect
Yes! These cookies are so popular you’ll probably want to make extra. Just double all the ingredients and bake in batches.
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Recipe Card
Eggless Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter cut into tablespoon pieces
- 2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) evaporated milk (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) plain Greek yogurt
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling on top of cookies
For the Cinnamon Sugar:
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Pour butter into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Mix flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cooled brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended. Beat in the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- For big cookies, use a 2-tablespon cookie scoop to portion dough, and roll them into smooth balls. For smaller cookies, use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop.
- Make the Coating: Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or plate.
- Roll the cookie balls in cinnamon sugar, applying some pressure to make sure it sticks evenly. Then, roll them in cinnamon sugar again to get a nice heavy coating. Place them onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight or for up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line with parchment two baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, cool them in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
- Butter: Substitute butter with dairy-free butter substitutes. Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are my favorite butter substitutes for baking. Read my tips below on how to make brown butter with non-dairy butter.
- Evaporated Milk: Use evaporated coconut milk or evaporated oat milk, or make your own dairy-free evaporated milk with your favorite plant-based milk. Evaporated milk is just milk that has been reduced to eliminate the water content, so it’s super easy to make at home with any milk of your choice. Check out my How to Make Evaporated Milk post.
- Greek Yogurt:Use your favorite brand of plain, unsweetened, non-dairy, Greek-style yogurt.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend
- Make sure your browned butter is cool before mixing; hot butter can affect the dough’s texture.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the dough.
- For evenly sized cookies (better for baking), use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
- Don’t skip the chill time—it makes a big difference in how the cookies bake!
- Know your oven! Every oven is different, so baking times must always be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, affecting baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just a few minutes, around 2. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking, and they will be hard
- Add White Chocolate Chips: For an extra indulgent twist!
- Sprinkle Sea Salt: A light sprinkle on top before baking enhances the flavor contrast.
- Pumpkin Spice Blend: Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for a cozy pumpkin spice version.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
