Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

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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• Why you'll love these cookies
• Ingredients you need
• How to make browned butter sugar cookies
• Tips for this recipe
• Storage and freezing
• Recipe variations
• More Cookie Recipes
• Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

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.

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.

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.

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!

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