Okay, I have an important recipe to share with you. It’s dangerously delicious, decadent, AND easy to make. It only uses one-bowl, involves browned butter, a bit of bourbon, and a sugar & spice topping that is the trademark of a snickerdoodle. But here’s the twist… we’re ditching the cookies and going all in on chewy, gooey, ridiculously delicious Browned Butter Bourbon Snickerdoodle Bars.
Yes, you heard me right. It’s your favorite snickerdoodles a hint of boozy sophistication and a whole lot of warm, comforting flavor. Let’s just say, if I could bottle this smell and make a candle, I would. Not into bourbon or browned butter, but everything else is speaking your language? Read more below about how to make a version without alcohol and other swaps you can make.
What You’ll Need:
Unsalted Butter- See below for more information on how to make browned butter.
TIP: If you don’t feel like making browned butter, these are still FANTASTIC. Just use melted and cooled butter. Directions will be provided in the recipe card below.
Dark Brown Sugar- See how I make mine here.
White Sugar– You will need 1/2 a cup for the bars and an additional small amount for the topping.
Ground Cinnamon
Large Eggs- Room temperature. One whole egg and one yolk.
Bourbon- Bourbon. Just 2 tablespoons (roughly 3/4 ounce), but it makes ALL the difference. If bourbon isn’t your thing, you could swap it out for Spiced Rum. If you are skipping the alcohol completely then make the switch for whole milk.
Vanilla Extract or Paste
All Purpose Flour
Cream of Tartar- Gives these that signature snickerdoodle tang. Don’t skip it!
Baking Powder- It gives them a tiny bit of “lift” while staying soft and chewy.
Note: If there are any lumps in your cream of tartar or baking powder, measure into the palm of your hand and break them up before adding it to the bowl since we are not sifting, if you prefer sifting, that works too.
Salt
8 x 8″ Baking Pan- If doubling, you will need a 9 x 9″. Preferably metal. Glass could take longer to cook and keep in mind that dark coated pans can “brown” quicker on the bottom and sides. If you want to go all out and triple this recipe, go for it, just use a 9 x 13″ pan. These are PERFECT for a party!
Parchment Paper- optional
Medium Bowl & Spatula- You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and sometimes I do, but either one works for this one-bowl recipe.
Digital Scale- optional. This recipe and many others of mine are tested using a scale for ease and accuracy. If not using a scale, I recommend carefully measuring your flour. Metric measurements are provided in the recipe card below.
How to make Browned Butter:
The secret to these little slices of heaven is browned butter. The key ingredient that turns in to beautiful golden color with a nutty, toasty aroma that’ll make your kitchen instantly irresistible. This treat is off the charts good. We’re talking about grown-up snickerdoodles here, so we’re going all out!
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
- Unsalted Butter: Choose a good quality unsalted butter for the best results. The amount will depend on your recipe.
- Light-Colored Skillet or Pan: This lets you see the color change, so a saucepan or skillet is ideal.
- Heatproof Spatula or Whisk: For stirring to make sure it browns evenly.
Step 2: Melt the Butter
Place the butter in your pan and turn your stovetop to medium heat. Let the butter melt completely, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Step 3: Watch and Whisk
Once melted, the butter will start to foam and then subside. Keep stirring with a silicone spatula to scrape the pan, you’ll notice small golden brown bits start to appear at the bottom of the pan. This is it is almost done. Things move quick!
Step 4: Color and Aroma
This is your cue to immediately remove it from the heat. To prevent further cooking, you can pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl. If desired, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the browned bits for a smoother texture. Though not necessary.
Tips & Tricks
- For even browning keep the heat around medium and stir consistently.
- Remove the pan from heat as soon as you see those golden bits and that delicious nutty aroma develops, browned butter can quickly become burnt butter!
- Use your browned butter immediately OR store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It would need to be melted again to make these bars.
- Be careful with splattering, you can use splatter guard to prevent it a little bit BUT the process goes quick and it could also be hard to see the browning.
Bars vs. Cookies
Honestly, these might just be one of the easiest things I’ve ever baked. We’re not chilling dough or rolling out individual cookies. No stand mixers needed. This is a stir it up, and bake kind of treat. Perfect for those days when you want a homemade treat with zero fuss. Especially if you are short on time, skip the browned butter part and go for a simple melt. Still amazing.
They’re soft, they’re chewy, they’ve got just the right amount of crispy edges, and the cinnamon sugar topping? Well, it’s what makes it a snickerdoodle…
Bake a batch of these Browned Butter Bourbon Snickerdoodle Bars and spread some joy to your family, neighbors, friends. They’re all going to thank you for whipping up this new dessert obsession. Just try not to eat them all yourself, okay? Sharing is caring, after all (even if it’s tempting).
More than one reason to make them…
- Treat Yourself: Sometimes, you just need to treat yourself, and these bars are the perfect way to do it. Cut yourself a generous square, grab a glass of cold milk or a steaming cup of coffee, and take a bite.
- Dessert à la Mode: Take your dessert to the next level by serving these bars warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The contrast of warm, gooey bars and cold, creamy ice cream is heavenly.
- Party Pleaser: Hosting a gathering or potluck? These bars are sure to be a hit with guests. Cut them into bite-sized squares for easy serving, and watch as they disappear in no time.
- Gifting: Need a thoughtful homemade gift for a friend or loved one? Wrap up a batch of these bars in pretty packaging.
- Midnight Snack Attack: Who says dessert is just for after dinner? These bars are perfect for satisfying late-night cravings. Keep a stash in the freezer for up to 3 months for emergency snacking situations – trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.
Looking for more DESSERT recipes? Check these out!
Midnight Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Chocolate Chip Bourbon Banana Bread
Bakery Style Vanilla Bean Scones
If you try my Browned Butter Bourbon Snickerdoodle Bars, comment & rate below.
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Browned Butter Bourbon Snickerdoodle Bars
Equipment
- 1 Baking Pan, 8 x 8 for one batch, 9 x 9 for double, or a 9 x 13 for triple.
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
- 1 Spatula if not using a stand mixer
- 1 digital scale, optional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, to make the browned butter. SEE NOTES BELOW.
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed. SEE NOTES BELOW
- 1 large egg plus one yolk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Bourbon, SEE NOTES BELOW for swaps.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
- 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For Topping:
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, to taste.
Instructions
- Prepare your browned butter or melted butter and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the browned butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup white for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the whole egg, yolk, bourbon (or substitutions) and vanilla, mix for another 30 seconds until well incorporated.
- In the same bowl as the wet ingredients, measure in the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt. Note: If there are any lumps in your cream of tartar or baking powder, measure into the palm of your hand and break them up before adding it to the bowl since we are not sifting, if you prefer sifting, that works too. Mix in the dry ingredients with the wet only until combined. Place into prepared baking pan. Gently spread it out, taking your time if you have used parchment paper. Sometimes the back of a large spoon is helpful to spread it out.
- Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle it on top of the batter and bake on the middle rack for 32-35 minutes.
- Let cool completely for about 20-30 minutes before lifting out or cutting into. Hard to do, I know but well worth it because they are soft & chewy. You will get 16 smaller bars but feel free to cut them larger.
- Serve as is or warm with ice-cream. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or wrap individually and pop into a freezer bag to freeze up for up to 3 months.
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