These brown butter sugar cookies have a crispy edge, and soft chewy center, with the best brown butter flavor. They're a small batch, simple to make, and no chilling required.
Brown butter sugar cookies are the elevated sugar cookie that everyone needs. The brown butter flavor adds so much depth to these chewy cookies.
Some other brown butter cookie recipes that people love are my brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies, my butterscotch chocolate chip cookies or my coffee toffee cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- CRISPY EDGE & CHEWY CENTER: My favorite cookies tend to have crispy edges without being a complete crispy cookie. The chew in the middle is a must. These cookies are the perfect combo of both!
- SMALL BATCH: This recipe makes 8 cookies so you don't have to over indulge if you don't want to.
- NO CHILLING: These cookies don't require the dough to be chilled, so they can be made much quicker.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: You will start with browning the butter, and then allowing it to completely cool before starting to make the cookies.
- Egg: Pull your egg out of the fridge when you start to brown the butter so it is room temperature when you make the cookies.
- Vanilla: I love using vanilla paste in these cookies, but vanilla extract is great too.
- Flour: Use a scale to measure flour if you have one, if not, lightly spoon it into your measuring cup so you don't over pack it.
- Nutmeg: It's just a little amount, but it adds a little extra flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Start by browning the butter. You'll take ½ cup of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely.
Step 2: Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla.
Step 3: Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, being careful not to over mix.
Step 4: Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop for these. Roll in granulated sugar.
Step 5: Place 8 cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes. You're looking for a light golden brown around the edges. Be careful not to over bake, or you will lose the chewy factor we are going for.
Expert Baking Tips
If you prefer to have a thicker cookie that doesn't spread as much I would suggest chilling the dough for a few hours before baking. Roll in sugar after it's chilled.
I like to sprinkle a little extra sugar on my cookies after they're done baking as well.
FAQ
Yes, I like to brown my butter the night before I am going to make cookies and just leave it sitting at room temperature in a bowl until I'm ready to make the cookies.
Yes, but if you want to use regular butter, do not melt it before.
Yes, just click the 2x button on the recipe card and it will double all the ingredients for you.
Storing and Freezing
Brown butter sugar cookies will remain fresh in an air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Storing in the fridge is not suggested, it will dry them out.
You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls if you would like to bake them one at a time. Just allow them to sit out and thaw a bit while the oven is preheating.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment below if you make them and love them as much as I do.
Make sure to leave a star review below!
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter
- ¾ cups (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) vanilla this is a good time to use vanilla paste
- 1¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Start by browning the butter. You'll take ½ cup of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely.
- Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla.
- Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, being careful not to over mix.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop for these. Roll in granulated sugar.
- Place 8 cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes. You're looking for a light golden brown around the edges. Be careful not to over bake, or you will lose the chewy factor we are going for.
Lori
I'd like to make these for a crowd. Do you see any reason I should not quadruple or even 6x the recipe? Thanks!
brooke
Quadrupling would be fine! But when you go much more than that the variables can change and the texture isn't always the same, so I probably wouldn't go much bigger than that per batch. You can always make the cookies slightly smaller if you need to serve more as well.☺️
Lori
Okay, I quadrupled the recipe and made smaller dough balls (maybe 1.5 T?). It made 4-5 doz just-right sized cookies. Love the chewy cookie and the sugary crunch on the outside. Really tasty. Thanks for a fun new recipe and for responding to my earlier question.
Cindy
These looked so good when Brooke was showing in stories. They are so easy to make and I love the small batch. They were delicious and my family loved them.
Summer Reall
I have made tons of recipes and I’ve loved every single one
Danielle
This is my third Salted Sweets recipe to try and they just somehow keep getting better. I'm a self proclaimed chocolate chip cookie LOVER. Usually a sugar cookie just feels like something is missing for me. I made these because they're my husband's favorite and boy has my opinion changed. These are the best sugar cookies I've ever had-- the depth of the flavor goes far beyond any other sugar cookie I've had which makes them super delicious even without the addition of chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc. The cookies themselves are the showstoppers and they don't need anything else! Amazing. Thank you so much!
Kim
I typically would pick a sugar cookie last if given an option but oh my goodness. These are so good! I have dough in my freezer of several different cookies, and I keep reaching for these.
Paula
Hi there! I made the cookies and they had great flavour, but I didn’t squish the dough ball down because it wasn’t noted to, and as a result they didn’t look at all like the photos. My cookies are tall rondes domes. Did I do something wrong?
Thanks!
Brooke Homec
My guess would be that you added too much flour. Usually that is the issue of they don't spread. If you have a scale, weighing your flour is ideal, if not make sure you lightly scoop each cup and are careful not to compact it. Hope that helps!
Bailey
The brown butter make these next level good. Such a simple cookie but such amazing flavor! Make these!!
Genevieve
The perfect texture and flavor for a cookie. I never review recipes but these are that good.
Dayna Mattsson
I was so nervous to try one of your brown butter recipes, but it was no big deal at all! I made these for my father-in-law. He can’t have chocolate. He loved them. We all did. Now I need to try some more of the brown butter recipes. Thanks for another winner!
chelsea
Does this recipe call for salted or unsalted butter?
Brooke Homec
I always use salted butter, but either is fine!
NorCalDebbie
Loved these cookies! They will be even better when I follow the directions. ☺️