These Gluten-Free Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are a must-make for your holiday cookie platter! Simple to make, egg-free, and the dough is edible!
Christmas (holiday season in general) is the most wonderful time of the year, especially when one of your favorite holiday activities is baking gluten-free Christmas cookies!
I think almost everyone has a favorite holiday cookie. These Vegan Christmas Cookies used to be my favorites, but then I had my first taste of brown butter snickerdoodles cookies, and the rest was history.
3 Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
Use Quality Flour: Choose a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for chewy, non-crumbly cookies.
Brown Butter Upgrade: Add nutty, caramelized flavor with browned butter in place of regular butter — it’s a game-changer!
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: Roll dough generously in cinnamon and brown sugar or cane sugar before baking for that classic sweet-spice balance.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. I have some suggestions below for making it vegan friendly as well.
Note: This is just a partial list of ingredients and ingredient notes for the purposes of notes and substitutions. For a list of all ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
- Oat Flour – if you make your homemade oat flour, be sure to use gluten-free rolled oats. Do not substitute with a gluten-free all-purpose flour!
- Blanched Almond Flour – Don’t use almond meal; you want to use fine ground almond flour
- Raw Sugar – You could also use coconut sugar, regular granulated sugar, or any cup-for-cup sugar substitute of your choice.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted on hand, just omit the salt listed in the recipe. Otherwise, your cookies will be overly salty.
Note: If needed, you can substitute vegan butter, but it is difficult to brown.
- Non-Dairy Milk – The type you use really doesn’t matter. However, I do think the flavor of almond milk or vanilla almond milk will give you the best-tasting Snickerdoodle cookies.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This acid will activate the baking soda. Other options are to use white vinegar or another acid, like lemon juice or cream of tartar.
How to Brown Butter
If you don’t know how to make brown butter, don’t worry; it’s really easy. It’s just a simple cooking technique that is similar to making clarified butter. I use the same method that The Kitchn uses.
As the butter cooks over medium heat, the milk solids (lactose) will cook out. A minute or so later, as it continues to cook, the yellow color of the melted butter will turn brown. It smells and tastes nutty and delicious, adding a molasses-like flavor!
PRO-TIP: Watch your butter! Brown butter can become burnt (unusable) butter if you allow it to cook too long. One of the best ways to prevent this is to use a light-colored pan, like anodized aluminum, stainless steel, or white enamel.
- Melt butter over medium heat. Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can see the color of the butter change.
- Swirl the pan while the butter is cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Watch the pot. The butter will begin to foam as it melts, then the color will change to a nutty-brown. When you smell the nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and pour the browned butter into a glass bowl.
Note – There will be some dark brown bits in the bottom of the pan. If you’d like, you can use those, too!
How to Make Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
If you want to watch the process from start to finish, check out this quick video!
After you brown the butter, it’s time to create the gluten-free Snickerdoodles brown butter cookie dough. Luckily, the dough comes together with minimal prep time and a total time of just an hour, with no stand mixer or hand mixer required!
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients (minus the brown butter) in a second large bowl.
- Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until smooth.
NOTE: At this point, depending on what type of gluten-free flour you use, you may find that the dough is too dry. If this is the case, just add a tiny bit of additional milk to thin it out.
- Add brown butter to the cookie dough, then gently mix to combine.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT! For softer cookies, chill the batter for 1 hour or less, and use a cookie scoop to drop the dough balls onto the baking sheet.
TIP: Refrigerating the dough helps prevent cookies from spreading too much and becoming too puffy or cakey. The chilled dough allows the fat to solidify, leading to a more controlled spread during baking, resulting in crispier edges and a flatter shape.
- Roll the cookie dough in cinnamon sugar, then place them onto a baking sheet and bake until they’re golden brown!
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Storage Questions
How long do leftover brown butter Snickerdoodle cookies last?
Once cool, you can transfer leftover cookies to an airtight container, and store them at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. Or, freeze leftover cookies for up to 3 months! I recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them from clumping together. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature when you’re ready to serve.
Yes! Feel free to combine the dough ingredients, and store it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for 1-2 days. Bake according to the instructions, adding a few minutes as needed when you’re ready to serve.
Yes! You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. To do so, shape the dough into balls. Then, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the cookies to a sealable bag, and store them in the freezer for later.
To bake, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight. Or, bake from frozen at 325°F, adding a minute or two of baking time as needed for the cookies to set.
Brown Butter Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12–15 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Brown butter gluten-free snickerdoodles are a must-make recipe for holiday cookies! Simple to make, egg free, and the dough is edible!
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (will reduce 20-25% when making the brown butter)
- 1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon gluten-free oat flour (188g)
- ¼ cup blanched fine almond flour (28g)
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup raw sugar or fine coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy milk, room temperature
- ½ Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Sugar Mixture – 2-3 Tablespoons sugar and ½-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the brown butter (I used the technique from The Kitchn)
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Tip – Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can see the color of the butter change.
- Swirl the pan while the butter is cooking so it cooks evenly.
- The butter will begin to foam as it melts and the color will change to a light brown. Once you smell the nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and pour the browned butter into a glass bowl. Set aside.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients; oat flour, almond flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, raw sugar, and salt. Mix until combined and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients (minus the butter); milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Add the brown butter to the batter and gently mix again until well incorporated.
- Place the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (see notes).
- While the batter is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the batter from the fridge. Using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop the batter into your hands and roll into a ball. Roll each dough ball into the cinnamon-sugar mixture then place on the baking sheet. With a spoon, sprinkle each dough ball with additional cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 11 to 14 minutes. Check at 10 minutes for doneness. Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 8-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Ingredient Tips – Each oat flour brand processes its flour differently, which can lead to varying weights per cup. For best results, weigh your oat flour. Vegan option – Vegan butter can’t be browned. However, you can substitute the butter with melted vegan butter and ¼ teaspoon almond extract for a nutty, buttery flavor.
Prep Tip – This dough can be prepared in advance and frozen for later use.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 6.7g
- Sodium: 131mg
- Fat: 2.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 16.5g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 6.1mg
May I use whole milk? I don’t have any milk substitutes. These are just calling out to me! Thank you.
Absolutely! The cookies may bake a little faster so keep an eye on them. Keep us posted! Happy baking 🙂
These are such a delicious staple for my friends who are gluten free! The mix of oat and almond flour give just the right texture.
So glad they worked out Katie!
Brown butter turns delicious cookies into AMAZING cookies! These are fabulous!
Thank you! Glad you loved them!
My kids couldn’t get enough of it! They really enjoyed! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Toni…I’m so happy to hear this!
I can’t even explain how incredible these cookies are. The brown butter makes them even better!
Yes, total game changer! Thanks, Lauren!
I cannot find the recipe anywhere here on the post. Can you send me a link please?
Hmm, Yummy i really like snickerdoodle cookies. Thanks for sharing on this info with us.
You had me at butter. Also, you’re way better than Martha any day of the week and twice on Tuesday.
I LOVE snickerdoodles and these just look amazing. I am so ready for you to run a big business that ships all this stuff out. I’ll be a constant buyer!
Wow the texture of these cookies looks AMAZING. I so wish they were vegan!! :O
Actually, I heard it works with certain vegan butter! I gotta try it
i love love love brown butter too..it works really well with chocolate chip also. i cant wait to try this snickerdoodle version.
That was the first kind I had the brown butter in baking. with chocolate chip. TOTALLY hooked!
I’m loving this recipe; I definitely have to give this recipe a try this weekend. Lovely photos 🙂
thanks Quin! Let me know if you do!
These look increeedible and the fact that you used brown butter means they probably taste like a little slice of heaven.
I’ve GOT to try these!
totally agree Kristy!! Brown butter is just magical
So So good! Thank you <3
No thank YOU!!!
You know I want these!!!!!!!
saving you some! a giant one!
🙂
YES. Brown butter everything. COOKIES GALORE!!
amen to that sista!
U bring the cookies and I will serve the warm drink and we r good to go for a hang out/eating date. Waiting for ya girl?
On my way!
Snickerdoodles are so good, but I’ve never baked with brown butter or made egg-free cookies. These sound like the perfect flavorful (and allergy friendly) holiday treat!
I have a feeling you will LOOOOOOVE brown butter. Like really love.
I, too, am a scrappy home chef. My life is a episode of semi homemade meets chopped.
why we get along! 😉
These look amazing. I haven’t made snickerdoodles in so long! And I’ve never used brown butter in a cookie. I love spritz cookies covered in sprinkles (sugar + butter + sugar). I make a gingerbread cookie every year that’s my favorite. And I made this lemon shortbread cookie with cranberries and pistachios one year that was amazing! …clearly I need to get started making christmas cookies 🙂
OMG i need to try all yours!
Anything brown butter has my heart. Can’t go wrong! These look perfect 🙂
mine too! brown butter is just pure gold!
I have some healthy snickerdoodles coming next week. They’re my favorite! And don’t even get me started on not having enough eggs!
haha story of my life. Where did the eggs go? cant wait for your cookie!