Thin Chewy Brown Butter Iced Chai Molasses Snickerdoodles
Thin, chewy chai molasses snickerdoodles with warm spices, cinnamon sugar, and creamy brown butter icing. The perfect holiday cookie!
Servings: 22 cookies
Calories: 177kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1–2 tablespoons more as needed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tiny pinch black pepper
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Brown Butter Icing
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1 1/2–2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the egg and molasses. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls, then coat each ball in cinnamon sugar. If the dough is sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons of flour. Place on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just setting but the centers are still soft. Don't overbake! Let cool on the baking sheets.
- To make the icing, brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty, 3–5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and spreadable.
- Spread the icing over the cooled cookies while they're still warm. Mix the vanilla bean powder, flaky salt, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over each cookie before the icing sets. Let the icing set, then enjoy!
Notes
For soft, chewy cookies: The key is to slightly underbake. The edges should be set, but the centers should still look soft. They'll continue to bake on the warm baking sheet, keeping the centers perfectly chewy!
Sticky dough: If the dough is too sticky to roll, add another tablespoon or two of flour. You can also chill the dough for 15–20 minutes to make rolling easier.
Brown Butter Icing: Watch the butter closely as it browns. You want it golden and nutty, not burnt. The icing should be thick but spreadable. Add a splash of milk if it's too thick or a little more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
Make Ahead: Prepare the cookie dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Storage: Store the iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These are so delicious the next day, too! The spices develop even more flavor as the cookies sit.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal
