Sugar cookies aren’t really my thing but I’ll never say no to brown butter.
In this brown butter sugar cookie recipe, the the browned butter helps to add a little more depth to these otherwise very sweet cookies. Soft, chewy, with just a bit of crunch from the sugar coating, I’d highly recommend enjoying these alongside an afternoon coffee. Chocolate chip cookies are still my favorite but I think this is a very good upgrade to this classic cookie.
A few notes:
- Browning the butter: My recent motto has been “If you need melted butter, might as well brown it too”. It’s super easy to do and helps add more depth of flavor to otherwise very sweet desserts. However, make sure you keep and eye on the butter as it browns as it can go from just right to burnt in a matter of seconds.
- Cookie baking equipment: If I can, I prefer to bake cookies on an oven safe baking mat. I happen to have one Silpat but I think the ones I also got off of Amazon are just as good. Furthermore, if you find yourself baking cookies fairly often, invest in a few cookie scoops like these.
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
These brown butter sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and rounded out perfectly by the rich browned butter. A thoughtful upgrade to a classic cookie recipe, they pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or are great on their own as a sweet afternoon snack!
Equipment
- Large sauce pan
- Hand or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted butter
- 2½ Cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1¾ Cups Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- ¼ Cup Sugar for coating
Instructions
- Place the butter in large sauce pan to melt over medium heat. Once melted, stir often with a rubber spatula to prevent the milk solids from sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture foams and then turns amber in color. Pour into a small bowl and place in the fridge to cool and set, about 30-45 minutes.1 Cup Unsalted butter
- Once the butter starts to set, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or oven safe baking mats.
- To a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisking to combine. Set aside.2½ Cups Flour, 1 tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the set brown butter and beat on medium for a few minutes until slightly whipped. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.1¾ Cups Sugar
- Next add the eggs and vanilla, beating again until the mixture resembled cake batter.2 Eggs, 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- Add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined and the cookie dough has formed.
- Form the dough into balls, about a tablespoon per cookie, and then roll each ball in a bowl full of the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until well coated.¼ Cup Sugar
- Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops have cracked.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Browning the butter: My recent motto has been “If you need melted butter, might as well brown it too”. It’s super easy to do and helps add more depth of flavor to otherwise very sweet desserts. However, make sure you keep and eye on the butter as it browns as it can go from just right to burnt in a matter of seconds.
- Cookie baking equipment: If I can, I prefer to bake cookies on an oven safe baking mat. I happen to have one Silpat but I think the ones I also got off of Amazon are just as good. Furthermore, if you find yourself baking cookies fairly often, invest in a few cookie scoops like these.
