Brown Sugar Cookies
This recipe for brown sugar cookies are soft and chewy with a rich caramel flavor and crackly tops. With a buttery taste, they will be your new favorite sugar cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226 grams) unsalted butter , at room temperature, divided
- 1 ¾ cups (375 grams) light or dark brown sugar (I like to do a mix of both if I have them)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour , plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Make brown butter. In a small pan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium-heat. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, swirling the pan every so often, until the butter browns (when it turns an amber golden color and has a nutty aroma, it’s done). Transfer to a bowl to cool 5 minutes.
- Line baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper.
- Combine cookie dough and chill. In a large bowl, mix the melted brown butter, remaining 1/2 cup butter, and 1 3/4 cups brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Mix in 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla for an additional minute. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda and mix until well combined. If dough seems too soft, add an 1 to 2 Tablespoons flour. Chill dough at least 30 minutes.
- Bake. Scoop cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown and the center is still soft.
- Cool. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, or until the centers are set, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Brown butter: Learn how to make brown butter with these easy steps. Use a lighter colored pan to brown the butter, so that you can easily see the color change.
For a thicker cookie: This recipe will produce a thinner cookie (crisp around edges and chewy in the middle). If you prefer a thicker cookie, add an extra 1/4 cup flour and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
Holiday flare: For a little more flavor mix in a pinch of cinnamon and 1 to 3 teaspoons of molasses. You could also drizzle the tops with melted white chocolate and add some sprinkles.
Mix-in's: This recipe works best on it's own. If you'd like to add chocolate chips, I recommend this brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe also tastes great with a maple glaze drizzle on top.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 186kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 102mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 214IU, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
