Learn the art of making brown butter sugar cookies for a delightful treat that balances soft, chewy centers with crispy edges and a nutty aroma. Master the simple technique of making homemade brown butter for cookies that shine at any gathering.
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Brown butter sugar cookies are delightful treats made from a classic cookie dough infused with the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter resulting in a delightful combination of crispy edges and a chewy center.
Brown butter, or "beurre noisette" in French, is butter that's been heated until it turns brown and develops a delicious nutty scent. It's used in cookies and desserts to give them a rich, nutty flavor that takes the treats to the next level.
Why you'll love these cookies
More chewy Cookies? Give these a try, Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, S'more cookies, Biscoff butter cookies.
Ingredients you need
You need these ingredients to make these brown butter cookies:
- Brown butter: Use preferably unsalted butter rather than salted butter to make the homemade brown butter, measure the final quantity carefully with an electronic scale because during the process the butter will lose its moisture that can be filled with the addition of a bit of water.
- Sugar: A mixture of granulated sugar and flavored sugar such as light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
- Egg: use a large egg at room temperature, take it out in advance or put it in a bowl of hot water to bring it to the right temperature more quickly.
- Flour: Use preferably white wheat all-purpose flour.
- Yeast: a mixture of baking powder and baking soda to make chewy cookies.
- Vanilla and salt: Essential to flavor and bring out all the flavors, use pure vanilla extract and flaky sea salt (kosher salt) or simple table salt.
How to make browned butter sugar cookies
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Place the chopped butter in a saucepan over medium heat while stirring from time to time with a spoon, the butter will first clarify (separation of the fat and whey) to take a light brown color.
Step 2: Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to recover the burnt residue.
Step 3: Let the browned butter cool in a jar until its texture is no longer liquid but softened.
Step 4: Place the softened brown butter (or melted butter but cooled), white sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract and mix again with an electric mixer to incorporate them.
Step 6: Finish by adding the flour mixture, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt and mix this time gently with a spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate them and have a smooth mixture.
Step 7: Form dough balls with an ice cream scoop (cookie scoop) or with your hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 8: Roll each cookies dough balls in granulated sugar previously placed in a small deep bowl until completely covered with sugar. Then place the sugar cookie balls back on the baking sheet lined with baking paper, making sure to separate them by about 5 mm so they don't touch during baking.
Let chill: And let them rest for about 20 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator to have thick cookies.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C while the sugar cookie dough balls rest in the fridge and bake for about 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown but still a little soft in the center, they will firm up as they cool.
Enjoy! Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool a bit on the cookie sheet before gently moving them to a wire rack to let them cool completely.
Tips for this recipe
Storage and freezing
At room temperature: Sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container box for about 1 week to keep them fresh.
In the freezer: You can freeze them for up to 3 months after baking when they are completely cooled and placed in a storage bag or box.
Freezing raw cookies: After shaping them into cookie balls, place them in a storage bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Take them out and let them defrost for about 1 hour at room temperature on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and follow the baking instructions in the recipe card.
Recipe variations
More Cookie Recipes
I hope you love these brown butter cookies. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 25 cookies
Description
These sugar cookies are soft and crunchy and they are made with brown butter which gives them a roasted hazelnut flavor.
Ingredients
- 155 g ( ⅔ cup) Butter - unsalted
- 150 g (¾ cup) Sugar - granulated
- 50 g (¼ cup) Light brown sugar - or dark brown sugar
- 1 Egg - room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 220 g (1 ¾ cups) Flour - all purpose
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 50 g (¼ cup) Sugar - granulated
Instructions
- Place the butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns brown.
- Strain the hazelnut butter to remove any residue and measure the quantity to have at least 115 g (½ cup). Add water if necessary to replace the evaporated water then set aside to cool a bit before using in the recipe.
- In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- Place the room-temperature softened brown butter in a large bowl with the sugar and light brown sugar and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix again for 1 minute to incorporate.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate.
- Form balls with your hands or an ice cream scoop and roll in the granulated sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Let the cookies chill in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and bake the cookies for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown (they are still a little soft when they come out of the oven and will firm up as they cool)
- Let them cool for a few minutes before moving them.
Notes
Storage: 1 week at room temperature and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 65
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 20
these cookies are superb I'm a fan
I was wondering if I should use dark half sheet pans for this recipe.
Yes, dark pans are fine, but lower the oven temperature by 25°F and watch cookies closely to prevent over-baking.
Just wanted to let you know that in your instructions, you say “powdered sugar”
That was a little confusing and made me question if I had the right sugar lol
Apologies for the confusion! It was just a translation error. In France, we call granulated sugar "sucre en poudre," which is often translated as "powdered sugar." I’ve corrected the recipe sheet to clarify this. Thanks for pointing it out!