Brown Butter Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies
These brown butter banana snickerdoodle cookies are a holiday cookie box must-have. They’ve got the cozy sweet cinnamon flavor of regular snickerdoodles but with the deep, nutty flavor of browned butter and the twist of sweet banana flavor making them just a little fragrant but not too overpowering thanks to the cream of tartar.
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Best of all, these banana snickerdoodle cookies, like many of my other cookie recipes, don’t require an electric mixer. Just mix (by hand), chill, and bake! No fuss required. Trust me when I say that this isn’t just another variation floating around in the sea of snickerdoodle recipes. This one is the upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
Pour yourself a cold glass of milk and watch how fast these disappear.
Key Ingredients
Bananas. Pick from a bunch of overripe bananas since these will be the most sweet and have the most intense banana flavor. The banana you chose should have some black or brown spots. The skin will also be thinner and the banana will feel much softer than a banana you usually snack on. A pureed banana incorporates smoothly into the cookie dough compared to a mashed banana that can have chunks. Avoid bananas that are completely black as these can have a fermented taste.
All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour has enough gluten to hold the cookies together which is especially important since the bananas thin the cookie batter.
Cake flour. Contrasts the all-purpose flour and gives the snickerdoodle cookies a tender texture
Sugar. A mix of granulated white sugar and brown sugar is used for this recipe. Brown sugar complements the warm flavors of these banana snickerdoodles and gives it a slightly chewy texture while the white sugar prevents too much spread during baking.
Unsalted butter. Brown the butter before using it for the cookie dough. Brown butter gives the snickerdoodle cookies a warmer flavor to complement the bananas and the cinnamon. During the browning process the water in the butter evaporates which is crucial in the dough becoming firmer when it chills.
Cream of tartar. Classic snickerdoodle cookies include cream of tartar which adds a subtle tart flavor and gives the cookies their soft, almost cake-like texture.
Cinnamon. Snickerdoodle cookies are classically cinnamon-flavored. Ground cinnamon blends in with the cookie dough perfectly and is also used in the cinnamon-sugar topping that the cookie dough is rolled in.
Tips for the Best Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies
Don’t skip browning the butter! As the butter browns the water evaporates making the butter (and cookie dough) more firm when it is cooled. This is especially important since the pureed banana thins the cookie dough quite bit. Once the dough is chilled the browned butter helps the cookie dough to firm up so that it can be formed into a ball and rolled in the cinnamon-sugar topping.
Use an oven thermometer. This recipe like most of my other cookie recipes calls for a higher baking temperature. This is so the cookies bake faster which ultimately results in less spread and a softer cookie. Ovens can run hotter or cooler than the presented reading or have hotspots. An oven thermometer takes out the guess work to guarantee perfect banana snickerdoodle cookies!
Use a kitchen scale. Weighing your ingredients will give you the best and most consistent results. Particularly when measuring flour, scooping directly from the container this causes packing and results in using more than the amount called for. On the other hand, brown sugar is the opposite. Since it’s not as fluid and granulated sugar it should be packed if you opt for a measuring cup but this measurement can vary from person to person.
Use a light-colored or stainless steel pan to brown the butter. This makes it much easier to visualize the extent to which the milk solids have browned. Using a dark pan, especially if you’re a beginner increases the risk of burning the butter since you may not notice that the butter has finished browning. Dark & heavy pans, like cast iron also retain heat more effectively so the butter could burn as it continues to cook even once removed from the heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodle cookies? Cream of tartar adds a subtle tart flavor to the cookies and makes the texture almost cake-like. In the case of these banana snickerdoodle cookies the cream of tartar also balances the flavor of the banana a bit since banana can be a overpowering at times.
I know what you’re thinking next, “Can I make snickerdoodle cookies without cream of tartar?” Not really, unfortunately without the cream of tartar snickerdoodle cookies would just be sugar cookies, or in this case, banana-flavored sugar cookies.
What flavor are snickerdoodles? Classic snickerdoodle cookies are a buttery cinnamon – flavored cookie with a subtle tart flavor and super soft texture. They are a classic cookie choice around the holidays – especially Christmas!
Can I save the browned butter if I burn it? Unfortunately, no. Burnt milk solids are beyond saving and will give an acrid flavor to the butter even if you strain the milk solids. If you burn the milk solids while browning the butter the best course of action is to start again with a fresh stick of butter and a clean pan. If you’ve never made browned butter don’t fret! Check out this step-by-step guide on how to get the perfect browned butter!
More Banana Desserts!
How to Make these Brown Butter Banana Snickerdoodle Cookies
Brown the Butter
Step 1. Melt the butter over medium heat and allow the milk solids to toast until brown. Stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan so the milk solids don’t burn. The butter will sputter at first as the water separates from the fat. Once the sputtering slows, keep a sharp eye on the butter as this means all the water has evaporated and the butter should be about ready.
If you are hearing impaired, you will need to rely completely on sight which is totally fine. First, use a light-colored or stainless steel pan and again, be sure to stir constantly. Since the butter will foam, stirring will help you visualize the color of the milk solids.
Check out this detailed step-by-step guide for more tips & tricks for perfect browned butter!
Step 2. Once the milk solids have reached a deep brown color remove the browned butter from the heat immediately and pour it into your mixing bowl. This will reduce the heat and prevent the butter from continuing to cook and burning.
Make the Cookies
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
Step 2. Mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, ground cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.
Step 3. Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of browned butter and mix with a spatula until it forms a homogenous mixture.
Step 4. Add the egg and the pureed banana and mix again until completely smooth.
Step 5. Add the mixture of dry ingredients set aside earlier and fold using a spatula until there are no more dry spots. The dough will more likely resemble a batter but this is fine. Chill for 45-60 minutes until you can scoop the dough and it holds together in a ball.
Step 6. While the dough chills make the cinnamon-sugar topping. Mix the ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in a small bowl until evenly combined.
Step 7. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, portion the cookie dough into 10 balls. Rolling each in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely covered. A standard baking sheet can hold 5-6 cookies, properly spaced. Only roll as many that you will bake at a time. They dough should be chilled if you wait until after the first batch to bake another. If the you cover the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar topping it can dissolve with condensation.
Step 8. Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches of space around each to account for spreading.
Step 9. Bake for 8-10 minutes. I find the sweet spot to be 9 minutes – the cookies are completely done in the center but still have a soft texture once cooled. If you prefer a crisper outside layer bake for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days for optimal flavor.
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Ingredients
- 100 grams very ripe banana, pureed 3½ oz or about 1 small banana
- 135 grams all-purpose flour 4¾ oz or 1¼ cups
- 90 grams cake flour 3¼ oz or ¾ cups
- 100 grams dark brown sugar 3½ oz or ½ cup, packed
- 100 grams white, granulated sugar 3½ oz or ½ cup
- 113 grams unsalted butter 4 oz or ½ cup or 1 stick
- 1 large egg
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1½ TBSP white, granulated sugar 21g or ¾ oz
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Melt the butter over medium heat and allow the milk solids to toast until brown. Stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan so the milk solids don’t burn. The butter will sputter at first. Once the sputtering slows, keep a sharp eye on the butter as this means all the water has evaporated and the butter should be about ready. Continue stirring until the milk solids reach a deep brown color.
- Once the milk solids have reached a deep brown color remove the browned butter from the heat immediately and pour it into your mixing bowl. This will reduce the heat and prevent the butter from continuing to cook and burning.
Make the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, ground cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl & set aside.
- Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of browned butter and mix with a spatula until it forms a homogenous mixture. (The butter should still be melted, you don't have to wait for it to cool)
- Add the egg and the pureed banana and mix again until completely smooth.
- Add the flour mixture set aside earlier and fold using a spatula until there are no more dry spots. Chill for 45-60 minutes until you can scoop the dough and it holds together in a ball.
- While the dough chills make the cinnamon-sugar topping. Mix the ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in a small bowl until evenly combined.
- Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, portion the cookie dough into 10 balls. Rolling each in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely covered. Only roll as many as you will bake at a time and roll in the cinnamon-sugar topping right before baking.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches of space around each to account for spreading.
- Bake for 9 minutes. If you prefer a crisper outside layer bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days for optimal flavor.
