Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
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These bakery-style Brown Butter Sugar Cookies are perfect for the holidays or any time of year. They’re thick with soft, chewy centers, crisp edges, and a swirl of classic vanilla buttercream. The browned butter takes them to the next level with a warm, nutty, caramel-like flavor everyone will go crazy for!
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the best ever, brown butter sugar cookies
If there’s one cookie that disappears first at my house, it’s these Brown Butter Sugar Cookies! Browning the butter is key and takes a little extra time and adds a cozy, toasty, caramel-like flavor you can’t get any other way.
They have crisp edges, super soft middles, and that classic sugar cookie flavor. Topped with a vanilla bean buttercream and festive Christmas sprinkles. Perfect for Christmas cookie platters or any time of the year, just swap or leave out the sprinkles ;).
Other brown butter cookies to try are these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter Pecan Cookies, Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies and Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
Why You’ll Love brown butter sugar cookies
key ingredients
- Brown butter: The brown butter creates a rich nutty flavor and a soft and extra chewy texture. I use salted butter but if you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Used as a leavening agent.
- Sugar: We use both granulated white sugar and light or dark brown sugar to add the perfect amount of sweetness. Brown sugar will make chewier cookies which is what we want for this recipe.
- Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla bean paste: The key and star ingredient! You can find this at just about any grocery store in the baking aisle. Vanilla bean pastes adds so much warm and rich vanilla flavor that makes these cookies extra delicious. If you aren’t able to find the paste, use pure vanilla extract instead.
- Sprinkles: Add your favorite Christmas sprinkles for fun and to make them festive.
how to make brown butter sugar cookies
Melt 2 sticks of butter over medium heat in a pot or medium saucepan, then bring to a boil. Once butter melts and starts boiling, swirl the pan constantly until the butter becomes somewhat foamy and becomes amber brown color. You should see little golden brown bits on the bottom of the pan and have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a separate small bowl allowing the butter to cool and stop cooking. Add to large mixing bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes.
to make the sugar cookie dough
Whisk wet ingredients together: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter and whisk. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until combined.
Add dry mixture to brown butter mixture: Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixture until cookie dough forms.
Scoop into cookie dough balls and chill dough: With a regular ice cream scooper (or scoop 4 tablespoon portions of dough) and place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Bake cookies and cool: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust cookies on baking sheet so they are at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Gently press the back of a tablespoon or regular spoon on top of the dough ball to flatten it slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Top cookies with frosting: In the meantime, in a medium bowl beat together the butter until creamy. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and milk. Add milk to thin and thin (start with 2 tablespoons), then beat again until smooth. Add more milk if the frosting seems too thick. Frost the tops of each cooled cookie and add Christmas sprinkles (optional). Enjoy!
tips & variations
- Regular size: Use a mini cookie scoop equivalent to 2 tablespoons of cookie dough to make these into regular sized cookies. Bake for 9-10 minutes.
- Room temperature ingredients: It’s important that your eggs are at room temperature. They incorporate with the other ingredients so much better and will help your cookies stay tender and soft.
- Don’t skip the chilling step: It is crucial with this recipe as it helps the ingredients marry together to develop a rich caramel-like flavor, making these the best Butter Pecan Cookies.
- Perfect cookie shape: These cookies form the perfect round shape everytime when you use an ice cream scoop.
- Make all year round: Make these for any holiday season by adding themed sprinkles. Use rainbow sprinkles for birthdays, black and orange halloween sprinkles for Halloween and red and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day. You could also leave them plain or unfrosted!
FAQs
Can I Make These Into into Cookie Bars?
Yes. Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper. Prepare cookie dough batter according to the directions. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is very lightly browned and set. Cool fully before lighting parchment paper out of pan. Once cooled, frost, cut into bars and enjoy!
Can I Use Regular Butter Instead?
If you want to skip the brown butter step you totally can. Just use regular melted butter instead.
Do I Have To Frost The Cookies?
No! These Brown Butter Sugar Cookies are delicious without the frosting. You could also roll the cookie dough balls in sparkling sugar or sanding sugar to create sparkly, crackly tops.
Why Did My Cookies Come Out Flat?
You didn’t cool the butter long enough or your didn’t measure the flour properly. You can put the browned butter in the refrigerator to speed up the cool time.
leftovers & storage
Store Brown Butter Sugar Cookies in an airtight container on the counter of a cool area for up to 1 week.
Freeze Dough Ahead of Time: This cookie dough freezes well so this is a great recipe to make ahead. To freeze unbaked dough, wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and then place the large ball of dough in a freezer bag. Or you can place the dough in an airtight container to freeze. Thaw completely before scooping into cookie dough balls.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough Balls: Freeze cookie dough balls by placing the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large ziplock bag or airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark or light brow sugar
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Make Brown Butter
- Melt 2 sticks of butter over medium heat in a pot or medium saucepan, then bring to a boil. Once butter melts and starts boiling, swirl the pan constantly until the butter becomes somewhat foamy and becomes amber brown color. You should see little golden brown bits on the bottom of the pan and have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a separate small bowl allowing the butter to cool and stop cooking. Add to large bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes.
Make Cookie Dough
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter and whisk.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixture until cookie dough forms.
- With a regular ice cream scooper (or scoop 4 tablespoon portions of dough) and place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust cookies on baking sheet so they are at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Gently press the back of a tablespoon or regular spoon on top of the dough ball to flatten it slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- In the meantime, in a medium bowl beat together the butter until creamy. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and milk. Add milk to thin and thin (start with 2 tablespoons), then beat again until smooth. Add more milk if the frosting seems too thick. Frost the tops of each cooled cookie and add Christmas sprinkles (optional). Enjoy!
These look AMAZING! I just put the dough in the fridge rather than the dough balls because my shape isn’t keeping. Did I just ruin these beauties or is there a way to fix them? I spoon measured the flour, let the butter cool 10 minutes and followed the recipe exactly. Not sure where I must’ve went wrong? Please help, they smell delicious!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Samantha, I’m so sorry I’m just now seeing your question. You definitely wouldn’t have ruined them. Brown butter dough can feel a little “loose” at first, and chilling the dough (even as one big batch) will still work. I hope you loved them as much as we do!
Delicious! Made them for Christmas! Thank you
Thank you so much, Kim! Merry Christmas! 🙂