I’m not kidding when I say these Sugar Butter Cookies from my Browned Butter Recipes playbook come out crackly at the edges and almost fudgy inside.

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I’m obsessed with these brown butter sugar cookies. I love how the browned unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly, tastes like caramelized toast and makes every bite sing.

Sugar Butter Cookies with that nutty depth? Yes please.

Desserts With Brown Butter get me every time because they’re simple but ruthless with flavor. I grab one straight from the tin and my day flips for the better.

And they leave a ridiculous, buttery trail on my fingers that I refuse to wipe off. Chewy center, crackled edges, pure sugar joy.

I can’t not eat three. Worth every crumb, no regrets.

Really.

Ingredients

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Flour gives cookies their body and soft chew.
Basically, it makes them tender and slightly cakey.
Adds lift and quick spread for thin edges.
Plus gives extra lift when you want puffier cookies.
Tiny bit of salt makes flavors pop naturally.
Basically, nutty caramel notes and deep richness.
Granulated sugar brings crunch and straightforward sweetness.
Brown sugar adds chew, molasses warmth, and soft browning.
Egg plus yolk gives structure, richness, and tender crumb.
Vanilla is warm background flavor that makes it cozy.
If dough’s dry, milk or cream softens and rounds texture.
Basically, it’s sparkle and crunch for a bakery style finish.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, if dough seems dry

Coarse or sanding sugar for rolling, about 1/2 cup

How to Make this

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1. Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter in a light colored pan over medium heat, swirling off and on until foam subsides and bits turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 6 to 9 minutes; pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool until just warm, not hot.

2. Whisk dry ingredients: in a bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; set aside.

3. Cream sugars with brown butter: in a large bowl whisk the slightly cooled brown butter with 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar and 1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar until mostly smooth and glossy; it’s okay if a few brown butter solids remain.

4. Add eggs and vanilla: beat in 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, then mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined; scraping the bowl helps.

5. Combine dry and wet: fold the dry flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until no large streaks of flour remain; do not overmix or dough will get tough.

6. Adjust texture: if the dough feels too dry or crumbly, stir in up to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together and is slightly tacky but scoopable.

7. Chill the dough: cover and chill the dough at least 30 minutes to 1 hour; this helps control spread and improves flavor. If short on time chill 15 minutes, but longer is better.

8. Preheat and prepare sugar: preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour about 1/2 cup coarse or sanding sugar into a shallow bowl for rolling.

9. Shape and coat: scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon into roughly 1 to 1 1/4 inch balls, roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat, place on prepared sheets about 2 inches apart and gently flatten each ball to about 1/2 inch thick.

10. Bake and finish: bake 9 to 12 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are lightly golden but centers still soft; cool on the sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Equipment Needed

1. Light colored skillet or shallow pan for browning butter
2. Heatproof bowl to catch and cool the browned butter
3. Large mixing bowl plus 1 medium bowl for dry ingredients
4. Whisk and rubber spatula (or spoon) for mixing and scraping
5. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale if you prefer grams
6. Medium cookie scoop or tablespoon for portioning dough
7. Baking sheets and parchment paper
8. Shallow bowl for sanding or coarse sugar
9. Cooling rack for finishing cookies

FAQ

Q: Can I brown the butter ahead of time? A: Yes, totally. You can brown the butter up to 3 days ahead and keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Warm it slightly before using so it’s pourable, but don’t melt it all the way back to liquid.

Q: My dough seems crumbly. What now? A: If the dough is dry, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream until it holds together. You can also chill the dough 10 minutes and try pressing it between your palms to form balls.

Q: How do I get the best brown butter flavor without burning it? A: Watch it closely in a light pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan, remove from heat as soon as you smell nutty brown notes and see tiny brown bits. Let it cool a few minutes so it won’t cook the eggs when you mix.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies? A: Yes. Freeze dough balls on a tray then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, add 1 to 2 minutes to bake time. Baked cookies freeze well too, store in an airtight container up to 2 months.

Q: Why are my cookies spreading too much? A: Likely the butter was too warm or the dough wasn’t chilled. Make sure the brown butter is cooled but still soft, and chill shaped balls 10 to 20 minutes before baking. Also check your baking soda/powder amounts and oven temp.

Q: Can I swap the sugars or add mix ins? A: You can use all granulated or adjust brown sugar up to 1/2 cup for more chew and deeper flavor. Mix ins like 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts work great, just fold them in gently so dough doesn’t overwork.

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: substitute with 1 to 1 ratio of a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Texture will be a bit crumblier, chill dough longer so it holds shape.
Unsalted butter (browned): you can use browned salted butter, but reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Salted gives a slightly saltier, more caramel taste.
Granulated + light brown sugar: swap for 1 1/2 cups (300 g) coconut palm sugar for a deeper, caramel-y flavor. Cookies may be a touch denser and less sweet, and color will be darker.
Milk or heavy cream: replace with an equal amount of plain yogurt or buttermilk if dough seems dry. Use 1 tablespoon less if using yogurt, it adds tang and keeps cookies soft.

Pro Tips

1. Brown butter tip: use a light colored pan so you can actually see the solids turn golden, and keep the heat medium or a little less. Swirl the pan every 20 seconds, don’t walk away — it goes from perfect to burnt fast. Once it smells nutty, pour it into a cool bowl so the residual heat stops the browning.

2. Flour and texture: spoon and level your flour instead of scooping with the measuring cup, or weigh it if you can. Too much flour makes dry crumbly cookies, so if the dough looks stiff, add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it just holds together.

3. Chill and size control: don’t skip the chill. Even 30 minutes helps the cookies spread less and gets a chewier center. Use a medium scoop for consistent sizes, flatten them gently before baking so they bake evenly, and rotate the sheet halfway through if your oven has hot spots.

4. Bake and finish: pull them when the edges are set but centers still look soft, they keep baking on the sheet. Let them rest 5 minutes on the pan to firm up before moving to a rack. If you want extra sparkle, roll again in sanding sugar right after baking while tops are still slightly tacky.

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Louise Nightin

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m not kidding when I say these Sugar Butter Cookies from my Browned Butter Recipes playbook come out crackly at the edges and almost fudgy inside.

Servings

servings

Calories

189

kcal

Equipment: 1. Light colored skillet or shallow pan for browning butter
2. Heatproof bowl to catch and cool the browned butter
3. Large mixing bowl plus 1 medium bowl for dry ingredients
4. Whisk and rubber spatula (or spoon) for mixing and scraping
5. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale if you prefer grams
6. Medium cookie scoop or tablespoon for portioning dough
7. Baking sheets and parchment paper
8. Shallow bowl for sanding or coarse sugar
9. Cooling rack for finishing cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, if dough seems dry
Coarse or sanding sugar for rolling, about 1/2 cup

Directions

Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter in a light colored pan over medium heat, swirling off and on until foam subsides and bits turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 6 to 9 minutes; pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool until just warm, not hot.
Whisk dry ingredients: in a bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; set aside.
Cream sugars with brown butter: in a large bowl whisk the slightly cooled brown butter with 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar and 1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar until mostly smooth and glossy; it's okay if a few brown butter solids remain.
Add eggs and vanilla: beat in 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, then mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined; scraping the bowl helps.
Combine dry and wet: fold the dry flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until no large streaks of flour remain; do not overmix or dough will get tough.
Adjust texture: if the dough feels too dry or crumbly, stir in up to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together and is slightly tacky but scoopable.
Chill the dough: cover and chill the dough at least 30 minutes to 1 hour; this helps control spread and improves flavor. If short on time chill 15 minutes, but longer is better.
Preheat and prepare sugar: preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour about 1/2 cup coarse or sanding sugar into a shallow bowl for rolling.
Shape and coat: scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon into roughly 1 to 1 1/4 inch balls, roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat, place on prepared sheets about 2 inches apart and gently flatten each ball to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake and finish: bake 9 to 12 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are lightly golden but centers still soft; cool on the sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.