There are a couple of different versions of sugar cookies out there and which you make generally depend upon your own personal preferences. If you’re someone who loves rolling out cookie dough, punching out cute shapes and decorating (perhaps with my simple royal icing…), then roll-out sugar cookies are what you’re after.
But if you’re like me and love a chewy cookie with deep flavour and no icing, then a chewy sugar cookie is for you – and this recipe including brown butter is really a winner.
Despite having an extra step of browning butter, these cookies are really simple to make and you can be taking out a tray of freshly baked cookies in just over half an hour.
Perfect for holiday goodie baskets or just a regular day, this recipe is super delicious.
How to Make Sugar Cookies with Brown Butter
Because it needs a little time to cool, the first step is to brown your butter. As in my shortbread cookies, browning half of the butter I call for in this recipe adds a wonderful toasty and nutty flavour while not making the cookies dry and brittle – which would happen if I browned all of the butter called for.
To brown the butter, add some unsalted butter to a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Start to stir constantly (this just stops it from scorching) once the butter has melted. You’ll notice it start to foam and then, as it gets hotter, it will bubble and sputter quite vigorously.
Let this subside a bit and not long after you will start to see some brown fleks appear at the bottom of the pan and a distinctive nutty aroma will emit.
As soon as you notice this, pour the butter into another bowl to prevent it from burning – the residual heat will brown it a bit further before it begins to cool down.
Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before mixing the rest of the dough. You can speed this along by placing the bowl in an ice bath and stirring – this is what I do when I’m feeling impatient!
In the meantime, you can also mix together some flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Go ahead and set this aside until needed.
Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl (where you’ll use a hand mixer), add the brown butter, room temperature butter, some caster or granulated sugar and a bit of light brown sugar. The brown sugar is what aids in the chewy texture of the cookies.
With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat this together on medium speed until well combined.
Scrape down the bowl and then beat on high until the butter and sugar are thoroughly creamed – 2-3 minutes if you’re using a stand mixer and 3-4 minutes if you’re using a hand mixer.
Scrape down the sides and then beat in a room-temperature egg along with a good amount of vanilla extract. Beat this until it’s emulsified, light and fluffy.
Then, add in the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until incorporated but some dry spots remain.
Then, finish mixing by hand until all of the dry bit are completely incorporated – this just ensures that the cookies don’t get tough.
Now all you need to do is roll out and bake the cookies!
I use a 2 tablespoon scoop and this makes about 20 cookies with this recipe. Arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets and then flatten them into small discs.
Bake in a 180°C/350°F oven until they’re dry and crisp around the edges but still soft in the interior – about 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. Then, cool the cookies on a wire rack, dig in and enjoy!
Chewy Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g (14 tbsp) unsalted butter room temperature
- 300 g (2½ cups) plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bi-carb/baking soda
- 3 g (½ tsp) salt (see note 1)
- 150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 50 g (¼ cup) light brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add 100g (7 tbsp) butter to a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, stirring or swirling occasionally, and cook until it begins to bubble, the bubbles subside and you notice the butter beginning to turn brown on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder & soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add the brown butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining butter, the caster sugar and the brown sugar. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat at medium speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until it's light, creamy and aerated – 2-4 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium until well combined and fluffy.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined but some dry spots still remain. Finish mixing by hand using a silicone spatula.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion the dough into 2 tbsp-sized balls and arrange on the baking trays -assuring there is ample space between. Flatten the dough balls so that they resemble discs about 4cm (1½in) wide. (See note 2)
- Bake one tray at a time until the cookies are soft in the middle and dry and lightly crisp around the edges – 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
- Because the volumetric measurement of salt can vary from type to type and brand to brand, I highly recommend using the weight measurement of salt in order ensure that the salinity is evenly balanced.
- At this point, you can freeze the portioned-out cookie dough on the sheets. Once frozen solid, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can bake directly from frozen, just add 3-5 minutes onto the baking time.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making sugar cookies with browned butter adds such a nice nutty and toasty quality to an already delicious, sweet and chewy cookie!
Are you looking for a sugar cookie recipe using brown butter? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
