Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe – Rich nutty brown sugar cookies with an intense depth of flavor. These cookies are utterly addictive!
Homemade Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe
You guys… These cookies.
There are no words for just how intensely buttery and decadent they are.
Over the holidays I was talking with a friend about our shared love of Christmas cookie exchange parties. She told me she was part of an annual cookie exchange with a group of pastry chefs and restaurant owners. Out of all the elaborate cookies these women bring to the party each year, the favorite was a simple brown sugar cookie recipe.
The brown sugar cookies were so sought-after in fact, that each year the person who makes them is asked to bring the same cookie recipe again and again.
Well of course I had to know what makes brown sugar cookies so great. After all, I’m pretty darn proud of my classic “white” sugar cookies. Hearing this story felt like a challenge.
So I set off to see if I could replicate them, based on her description.
It’s been a couple of months, but I finally have a recipe I consider a contender. These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies are just about the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth!
When testing recipes, I found that using my favorite sugar cookie recipe with brown sugar, instead of granulated sugar, created a similar style cookie with a slightly caramelized flavor. However, using brown sugar and brown butter created a richness and depth of flavor that is not usually found in a simple cookie recipe.
So What Is Brown Butter Exactly?
Brown butter is plain butter that has been simmered on the stovetop until brown. As the butter simmers, the milk protein particles separate and sink to the bottom of the pan. These particles are what are actually turning brown.
Allow the butter to simmer until the particles at the bottom are a deep teddy bear brown, then turn off the heat. The butter should smell rich and nutty, but not burnt.
Some people remove the protein particles for “clarified” brown butter, but I think leaving them in adds so much more flavor to any recipe.
Brown Butter Cookies Ingredients Checklist
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks)
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Brown Butter Cookies Baking Tips
For these cookies to turn out perfectly, you must take the time to cool the brown butter so it solidifies again. This gives you the opportunity to then cream the butter and brown sugar together so the cookies have a light airy texture.
PS – If you don’t cream the butter and sugar together until the sugar granules are broken down into the butter, the cookies lose their fluffiness, and will have a dense texture. This goes for all baked goods recipes that ask you to cream the butter and sugar. That just means you need to beat them together in a stand mixer on high power for about 5 minutes.
Don’t ever skip this step in a recipe!
My last tip is to not over-bake the cookies. If you want them to be soft and chewy, they should look like they are slightly under-baked in the center when you take them out of the oven.
Cookies continue to cook as they cool. If they look completely done when you take them out, they are likely to be dry once they cool.
If you brown your butter, then cream the brown butter and brown sugar properly, you will end up with some of the most tantalizing cookies you’ve ever tasted.
How To Make These Cookies
Instructions…
- Place the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Watch the butter as it melts and simmers, stirring occasionally. Once the butter particles in the bottom of the pot have turned a dark teddy bear brown, and the butter is light brown, turn off the heat. It should smell nutty, not burnt. Place the butter in the refrigerator until it has solidified again.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scrape the firm brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Make sure to scrape in all the dark particles… They add a lot of flavor! Add the brown sugar and beat the mixture on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. It’s okay if there are a few brown sugar chunks left.
- Scrape the bowl and set the mixer to low. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Once well combined, slowly add in the flour. Turn the mixer off when the mixture looks smooth.
- Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough. Roll the scoops into balls, then roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the cookies two inches apart on the baking sheets. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press to dough balls into flat 1/2-inch disks.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look golden around the edges, but a little under-baked in the center. Cool on the baking sheets.
This Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Recipe is utterly divine. Soft, tender, ultra-rich, undeniably addictive, and most definitely on the list for my cookie exchange next year.
They are so fabulous, in fact, I think they should grace my Easter and Mother’s Day table this year as well!
Find the Full Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe Below
Frequently Asked Questions
Light or Dark Brown Sugar?
The cookies in the photos were made with light brown sugar. However, we’ve made them with dark brown sugar for an even richer flavor. Your call!
How Long Do These Cookies Keep?
Keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
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Check out the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin, and calcium percentages.
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks)
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Place the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Watch the butter as it melts and simmers, stirring occasionally. Once the butter particles in the bottom of the pot have turned a dark teddy bear brown, and the butter is light brown, turn off the heat. It should smell nutty, not burnt. Place the butter in the refrigerator until in has solidified again.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Scrape the firm brown butter into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Make sure to scrape in all the dark particles… They add a lot of flavor! Add the brown sugar and beat the mixture on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. It's okay if there are a few brown sugar chunks left.
- Scrape the bowl and set the mixer of low. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Once well-combined, slowly add in the flour. Turn the mixer off when the mixture looks smooth.
- Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough. Roll the scoops into balls, then roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the cookies two inches apart on the baking sheets. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press to dough balls into flat 1/2-inch disks.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look golden around the edges, but a little under-baked in the center. Cool on the baking sheets.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Added chopped pecans and toffee chips – The BEST!
So good! I will be making these again.
I didn’t roll them in the white sugar, I felt they would be sweet enough and they were perfect!
Excellent!! This is my whole family’s favorite now .. thank you ❤️
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Absolutely delicious cookies! A true favorite. Recipe and tips are awesome. Thanks.
They were good. I love rolling cookies in sugar and the extra crunch it gives them! I think with the next batch I will top each cookie with a pecan half, for some extra flavor.
I made the brown butter brown sugar cookies! They came out just like the picture. I must say the step to place in fridge to firm up was a joke. I used real butter and after browning the butter it does not firm up. Also it doesn’t turn fluffy when mixing on high with the brown sugar. Nevertheless the cookies came out great.
Hi, I followed the recipe exactly and mine came out dense and cakey, then left them in a little longer (because they weren’t really browned ant the edges ant 10 min) and then came out crispy. Are these cookies meant to be dry or moist and chewy? Any idea why mine weren’t moist?
Hi Natalie,
It sounds like you may have left them in the oven a little too long. Most cookies look a little underbaked in the center when it’s time to take them out of the oven. Then as the cool on the baking sheets they firm up.
I’ve made this recipe about six times now. My absolute favorite cookie now. Than you!
Thank you for this recipe, I tried making these cookies and they were so delicious! Will definitely be making them again for the holidays!
these have become one of my favorite winter time cookie recipes! thank you so much for sharing these Amaing cookies!
Brown butter is one of my favorite so this recipe was calling my name! Thank you so much for all of the instructions and tips on how to freeze!
The cookie was so easy to make, this is going in my Christmas cookie exchange!
HOLY SMOKES EVERYONE!! JUST.. YES! YES! YES! YES!! ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ THEE, BEST RECIPE! WOW! I followed this recipe to-a-T! They came out perfect!! I made them a SMIDGE too big and it made 27 regular sized cookies and they were literally MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH! If you’re looking for an EASY-TO-FOLLOW, WORTH-THE-EFFORT RECIPE… LOOK NO FURTHER! I took 2 cookies to everyone I know, to share the love. It was a family effort and we all enjoyed these! How fun! Butter was amazing! I used the brand ‘Challenge Butter’ from Safeway and it left SO SO MANY BROWN TOASTED CRUMBS! YUMMY! To us, it smelled and looked like movie theater melted butter, with a touch of sweet. Oh-so good! Thank you!!
Can this dough be rolled out and cookie cut??? Can’t wait to try! Love browned butter!
Hi Michelle,
Technically, yes it could. However, it will not hold the cookie cutter shape well, like a dough specifically made for cutting. The cookies will be more rounded along the edges due to spreading. If that’s ok with you, go for it!
Cookies were wonderful. I want the cookies to be more crispy. Do you have any suggestions?
Amazing flavor with the magic of browned butter! I like my butter very well browned to maximize the flavor. I was concerned that if I left it in the hot saucepan to cool it might cross over to burnt. So when the butter was just right I poured it into a Pyrex bowl which then went into the fridge. Thanks so much!
I think this is my favorite cookie. I prefer chocolate chip cookies sans chips, so this is a better, more sophisticated version. I made a double batch this time and froze half… They came out perfectly.
I’m wondering if you can freeze the cookie dough if I don’t want to cook them right away? Thanks.
Hi Christy!
Yes, you can roll, wrap, and freeze the dough into logs. Then slice and bake when you are ready to use.
I made these yesterday. Followed the recipe but used a smaller scoop (1 Tbsp) and sprinkled a small amount of flaky sea salt on the cookies before baking. Six minutes of baking time was perfect for the smaller-sized cookies. Delicious!
Delicious as written. Added toasted pecans to second batch. Heavenly!
These are, frankly, perfect. I am not an accomplished baker at all but I really enjoyed making them and they turned out beautifully. Everyone who has eaten one is in love. They are fluffy and a bit chewy and while they are rich in a way they are also quite delicate. Thank you for the great recipe. It’s a keeper.
So delicious!! The browned butter adds a caramel-like flavour to the cookies and makes such a huge difference. The cookies were fluffy and spread nicely without flattening completely. Definitely an upgrade from the typical sugar cookie!
Delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, I haven’t made these yet and I have three questions for you before I do:
1. How long does it typically take for the butter to resolidify in the fridge?
2. After solidifying, willl the butter be very cold again as it normally is when you pull butter straight from the fridge or will it be closer to room temperature? I have only ever creamed room temperature butter. The reason for that question is I am wondering if the butter can be browned and poured into the mixing bowl the night before so that it is solid and ready to go at the “right” temperature the morning of mixing or if the butter needs to be cold.
3. Eggs ~ I am used to ingredients such as butter and eggs being combined at similar temperatures. Given the above process with the butter, should the eggs be cold or at room temperature?
Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
1) About 15 minutes
2) It will not have the same consistency as it does before, it’s more like solidified bacon grease.
3) So because brown butter is not as hard as regular butter, you can use it right away. No need to bring it up to room temperature. You can use the butter and eggs straight out of the fridge. :)
I baked the first batch with white sugar on top and they were good but brown surges on top was SO much better! Then I tried a little coconut on top, better and then pecans and coconut—outstanding. But for just a sugar cookies then brown sugar on top- perfect!
SO easy to make and they taste INCREDIBLE! I forgot to add the salt and they were still amazing! Perfect flavor and texture. 10/10 sugar cookies. Thank you!!
Does the dough not need to hydrate and rest at all?
Hi Mike,
No, you can mix, roll, and bake right away. Happy Baking!
So great! The brown butter adds such great flavor to these cookies! I made them for neighbors and everyone loved them! Only helpful tip would be I had noooo idea how long it would take the brown butter to resolidify in the fridge and I was a little tight on time so I put it in the freezer and it was ready to go in a couple hours! It’s just helpful to have that to factor in the time needed to make them. They were definitely a hit and I will 100% be making them again! I used light brown sugar with mine but next time will try dark brown! I think the flavor will be even better!
These cookies are so delicious! The browned butter is definitely the secret weapon here, giving off such a rich flavor and aroma. Be forewarned, however … they are addictive! I’ve already eaten 4 and eyeing my 5th. DOH!
So yummy!!! I used dark brown sugar this time and agree that the taste is even better! This is one of my cookie recipe staples!
My kids finished a whole batch in one sitting! Really delish!
Omg!! Amazing how much flavor the brown butter adds! I also rolled a batch in cinnamon sugar and didn’t press them (baked dough balls) and they are delicious!! Definitely a recipe to add to my book! Worthy of giving as presents 😁
Hello!
Loved these cookies! but I have a question, my butter weight dropped from 340 grams to 280 grams when browned. is it ok? should I add more?
Thank you very much!
hugs from Spain
Hi Alex,
No, just use the browned butter as-is. Happy Baking! :)
I made these with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten free flour and they turned out soooo good! Perfect for the wedding dessert table!
These are delicious! I will be making again. I did keep them in the oven a little more then 10 minutes, but didn’t matter…this is definitely going on Mrs Claus’ baking list to spread cheer as we close out 2020!
These have become my almos 4 year old sons favorite cookie! He is asking me to make them for his daycare party, but due to allergies they need to be egg free. Would apple sauce work as a substitute.
These cookies are awesome. The brown butter gave them a depth of flavor that was so worth the extra time simmering the butter. Definitely will make again.
Love the recipe and the results. Only one question… when we put a 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough on the sheet it was already more 1” wide. After flattening it was about a 2” disk. The recipe says flatten to a 1/2 “ disk. Is this a typo?
1/2 inch in thickness.
The best sugar cookies bar none🙌🏼
I was a little daunted when it came to browning the butter, but OMGosh!!! It was easy and gave incredible flavour to these cookies!!! I rarely bake but this was worth the minimal effort, hands down!!! My whole family LOVES them!! ❤️
I made these tonight for the first time and they were DELICIOUS. The instructions were clear and well written and the resulting cookie is one that I think is similar to the ones from the Brown Butter Cookie Company. I will definitely make these again!
In order to cut down on a glycemic spike, I used brown coconut sugar inside and monkfruit sweetener on the outside. It was DELICIOUS and is a great alternative for people needing to reduce sugar.
everything turned out fine other than when time to remove cookies they are falling apart. I didn’t use parchment paper bc I didnt have it. didnt realize it would make such a difference! Is there something tht can be used in place of parchment paper? also, I wasnt crazy about the browned butter flavor. its definitely an acquired taste
Could this dough work to be rolled out and cut into shapes?
Hi David,
These cookies to spread while baking. So you could cut them out but they will not hold a tight shape. I hope this helps!
Awesome cookies! They are delicious and your recipes are so easy to follow. Thank you again for your another great bake!
Dis is now my FAV cookie EVER!!! And believe me, I know cookies!
Just finished mixing these up and the dough is so light and fluffy that I cannot make “balls”. I put it into the fridge to firm up for a while, hopefully that helps because the dough tastes amazing!
Can you comment on the consistency of your dough after all elements have been combined?
Hi Megan,
I’m wondering if you chilled the brown butter before moving on. That would be the only reason (other than mismeasuring) that could account for super loose dough. If should be soft, but still hold its shape. Hope this helps!
Mine came out so flat! Followed the recipe exactly…
Hi Elle,
Sorry about that! It sounds like you either didn’t use parchment paper, or your oven runs hot. Is that a possibility?
I plan to make these this weekend however how many grams of unsalted butter do I use? Our unsalted butter is In a massive block (we don’t measure by sticks in Australia,we do measure by cups but it will be impossible to measure by cups in this instance as our unsalted butter isn’t in a tub) ?
I see you never got a reply, and I know I’m here almost 3 weeks Later so maybe you got an answer but.. In the US 2 sticks of butter is a cup :)
Whoops.. and that’s 225g
Hi Ashley and Paige,
We have a metric converter in the card form above (right under the title “ingredients”). It says the conversion is about 340 grams of butter. Hope this helps! :)
Jusr baked three dozen. What a Great cookie!! Thank you so much!!! I did make a little change, added some cream of tartar, baking soda and rolled them in cinnamon sugar.
A Brown Butter-Brown Sugar Snickerdoodle!!! 🤣 🤣
Thanks, again!!!
These things taste ahhmazing!! However, I’m slightly disappointed that my cookies turned out thin and flat (and by that I mean that my mounded 1 tbsp cookie scoop yielded cookies about the size of an adult woman’s palm). I’m not entirely sure why; I followed your recipe exactly. My brown butter was definitely re-solidified, I beat the butter and brown sugar thoroughly, and was careful not to overbeat once I added the flour. (While I’m definitely not a professional, I’m far from a novice baker, so I know the fundamentals.)
The two things I noticed were: first, that my dough was quite fluffy and soft, and second, that they leaked a little butter while baking, but seemed to soak it back up without ending up overly greasy.
After the first tray where I followed your directions exactly, I then tried just not flattening them for the second tray. That yielded identical results. I then tried sticking the already scooped and flattened balls into the fridge for 20 minutes or so then immediately baking them, but that also yielded almost identical results (they might have been the teensiest bit thicker).
I know my baking powder is good. For one, it’s not that old and I’ve also been baking like crazy this week and have had no other problems. I did weigh my flour, which has gotten me into trouble before with recipes that list in imperial measurements, so I’ll probably try to up the flour just a little in my next batch. Any other ideas?
In any case, the flavor is incredible, and thank you for the recipe!
Would these work rolled out for a cookie cutter you think?
Hi Alice,
They hold their shape a little better than our delicate classic sugar cookies, but they still won’t create tight shapes. If you don’t mind that the edges are a little rounded, go for it!
I sprinkled a tiny bit of sea salt on each cookie before baking so they would hopefully taste nearly identical to the brown butter cookie company recipe!! Thanks for breaking the recipe down..
How long does it take for the butter to resolidify? It’s already been over an hour. I thought I could make these cookies right away. Can I put the butter in the freezer?
Got them made! It took one and a half to two hours for the butter. But they were worth the wait! Yum!
Hi Angela!
Wow, I’ve never had it take longer than 20 minutes to chill and resolidify. Maybe my fridge is on a lower setting than yours?
Hi, Can I make the butter and store it ahead of time?
Hi Tamm,
Absolutely! Just use it within 3-4 days. :)
Thank you so much for sharing this, these are ah -maaaahzing. Totally worth the extra time cooking the butter!
Hi,
So when you say the cookies are more “dense” when you don’t re-solidify the butter, do you mean they will become a little cakier/gooey (almost like an underbaked cookie or a brownie) or do you mean they’ll turn into a brick? Because I do tend to like somewhat cakey cookies (such as those from Levain bakery) so if that’s what I could end up with, I would intentionally skip the re-solidification step due to preference.
Hi Sarah,
Good question! They shouldn’t turn into hockey pucks if you don’t solidify the butter, but they are definitely more on the heavy fudgy end of the cookie scale. Some cookie recipe call for melted butter… I just prefer sugar cookie to have a pillowy texture. PS, most copycat Levain cookie recipes online actually call for cold cubed butter, because they want the interior to be left under-baked. You definitely won’t end up with that texture if you leave the butter melted.
Hope this helps! Happy Baking!!
Amazing! I get so many compliments on these!
Hi Kelly,
YAY! Thanks so much for reporting back. :)
Did you use dark brown or light brown? I used dark and they’re much darker than yours, but also lovely.
I make them both ways! For the photos, I used light brown sugar.
These are the BEST cookies. Plus, they are so easy. Thanks for the recipe.
I added chopped walnuts to the dough and they were amazi g!!! Our favourite!
OMGosh! I made these for the first time last night and they have disappeared. They are seriously yummy! Thanks for the recipe and the tips!
Fantastic! I couldn’t help it, I added chocolate chips
To half the batch. Perfection. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! The cookies look so yum!
Hi Gloria,
It’s working for me. Do you mind trying again and reporting back? Thanks!!
This will be my first time making Brown Butter. Once the bottom of the pan has turned a dark teddy bear brown & the butter has turned a light brown color & it solidifies, do you use what is in the bottom of the pan?
Hi Susan,
Yes, use it all! The crumbs add flavor. :)
Would it make a big difference if I used salted butter instead of the unsalted?
Hi Connie,
Not really. Maybe just reduce the salt in the recipe a tad. :)
Browned butter is my favorite!!
This is truly the best sugar cookies of all times. I will never make a cookie with regular sugar again. Brown sugar is a winner.
My kids finished a whole batch in one sitting! Really delish!
We love these cookies so much!
Definitely a must make cookie.
These have such an amazing texture!
The flavor from the brown butter is fabulous!
I can see why these are sought after—so delicious!!!
Browned butter is pretty much the best thing ever!
These are worth the extra step of browning the butter, amazing flavor!
Oh my god!! These cookies are incredible and incredibly easy! Thank you for the really thorough directions for making brown butter. I had always been intimated to make it, but it was so simple, and the flavor adds so much. Maybe my favorite cookies ever.
Hi Jess,
Thanks so much for reporting back! We are crazy over them as well! :)
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