These brown butter sugar cookies are nice and crispy on the edges and have a soft, chewy, under-baked center. I used to think sugar cookies were super boring and plain. In fact, I can't even remember eating sugar cookies growing up because I just didn't like them. Turns out, I just hadn't had a good sugar cookie. So I present to you, the best dang brown butter sugar cookies you'll ever sink your teeth into!
The brown butter adds a rich nutty flavor that's enhanced by the almond extract. And chilling the dough keeps the cookies from spreading too fast so that the centers stay super chewy and under-baked. Every time I make these cookies, Kyle eats almost all of them as soon as they come out of the oven. So I've learned I have to hide some for myself.
What Makes These Cookies So Special?
Texture – These sugar cookies are soft, chewy and have that perfect crispy edge. Best of all, they keep their texture long after they come out of the oven!
Effortless – These cookies are SO easy to make. All you do is scoop, chill, and bake.
Longevity – Most cookies are best eaten when fresh from the oven, but these brown butter sugar cookies are delicious no matter when you serve them. Because of how soft and buttery they are, they keep that perfect chewy texture for up to a week!
Everyone loves them! – I bake these cookies all the time, and I always get so many requests to make them for special events! They're one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these chewy brown butter sugar cookies!!
- Brown Butter - My favorite ingredient of all time is brown butter!! Brown butter is just unsalted butter that has been melted and gently cooked to bring out a toasty, nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, you can check out this post with all my tips for how to make brown butter!
- Almond Extract - I just love the way the flavor of almond extract compliments the brown butter!
- Lemon Juice - I know this might sound like a weird ingredient, but I just love the slight tang that lemon juice adds to the cookies! But you can leave it out if you want.
- Sparkling Sugar - This is optional but I just love adding a bit to the tops of the cookies for extra sparkle!
Browning the butter is [technically] optional but the extra time is SO worth it! The biggest problem I see people run into when using brown butter in cookies, is not letting the butter cool completely to room temperature before adding it to the dough.
How to Make Sugar Cookies
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or hand mixer, cream the room temperature brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon juice and beat until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This should take 2-4 minutes which seems like a long time, but you'll see a huge difference in the texture afterwards.
Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough should be wet and sticky and you might think you need more flour but you don't!
Scoop a generous 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. I use a size 20 cookie scoop.
Cover the dough balls and chill in the fridge overnight for best results. If you absolutely can't wait, just chill it for at least 2 hours.
Chilling the dough is super important so that the cookies don't spread!
If desired, gently roll the tops in Sparkling Sugar to give your cookies some extra pizazz.
To bake, place 2-3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Note: I only bake 5-6 cookies at a time on a half sheet pan because they're big and will spread out.
Place the rest of the cookie dough back in the fridge while the first batch bakes.
Bake at 350°F on the center rack of the oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers are still soft.
Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Why do I Have to Chill the Dough?
Chilling the dough is super important for a few reasons!
First, letting the dough rest gives the flour time to hydrate. Eggs are the only liquid in these cookies and it takes flour a long time to absorb that moisture. When the flour is hydrated it helps contain the spread of the cookie so that you get a nice set edge and soft, chewy center.
Similarly, the brown butter needs to be as cold as possible before baking so that the cookies don't spread too much.
But don't we want the cookies to spread? Yes, we do and they will. We just don't want them to spread too much because then you get a flat, crispy cookie instead of one with a soft, chewy center.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Cookies
Make sure your oven is the proper temperature!! Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is exactly 350°F. If the oven is too cold, the cookies will spread too much and if it's too hot they centers won't bake all the way through. For example, my oven is about 20 degrees off. So I have to set the oven to 370°F in order to get it to bake at 350°F.
Use a lightweight, light colored baking sheet for best results! Believe it or not, a lighter pan makes the cookies bake more slowly than a dark pan, which helps keep them from spreading too much. My favorite pans for baking cookies are:
You also want to use either parchment paper or silicone mats on your cookie sheet to help keep the cookies from spreading.
Bake brown butter sugar cookies one sheet at a time, on the center rack. This will ensure all your cookies cook evenly and the bottoms don't burn. Then let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches. This ensures the cookies cool evenly and don't spread too much by being put on a hot pan.
Recipe FAQ's
The reason cookies spread too much either has to do with the dough not being chilled long enough, or improper oven temperature. Make sure the cookie dough is cold before baking and use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven is exactly 350°F.
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to a week and bake a few cookies at a time, as desired.
Yes! Freeze the pre-rolled cookie dough on a baking sheet, once frozen transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 weeks. The frozen dough can go straight from the freezer to the oven, just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
More Brown Butter Recipes!
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Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice, optional
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon juice and beat for 3-4 minutes until the texture is light and fluffy (it should look much paler than before).
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough should be wet and sticky.
- Spoon a generous 3 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. If desired, roll the tops in sparkling sugar.
- Cover the dough and chill in the fridge overnight (minimum of 2 hours if you just can't wait).
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a light colored baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place dough balls at least 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet (they will spread, I usually only do 6 cookies on a half sheet pan). Place the rest of the cookie dough balls back in the fridge while the first batch cooks.
- Bake cookies for on the center rack of the oven for 9-11 minute or until the edges are set and the centers are still soft.
- Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
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Mourin says
How do we measure the brown butter? Brown 1 cup butter or measure 1 cup after the browing process? Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Kyleigh Sage says
It’s best to brown the butter first and then weigh 1 cup (227 grams). Typically you’ll need 1 cup + 1-2 extra tablespoons. I like to make large batches of brown butter to keep in the fridge, so this method is more accurate and easier for me.
However, I’ve also tested them by just browning 1 cup of butter and they still turn out great! So whatever is easiest for you!
Emily says
These are delicious! I chose to brown all the butter in this recipe. I popped it in the fridge for 20ish mins, then freezer for 20 before mixing. I added the eggs in cold and then didn’t end up needing to chill the dough since those elements were cold! So good!
Lisa says
Loved These!!!! I had to make them a second time with an extra half cup of flour. The first batch was a little too greasy and maybe too much butter. They spread a ton even thought I refrigerated for over an hour. I saved half of the dough and refrigerated overnight and those spread out flat as well. Adding the extra flour was the trick. Maybe we live in different elevations??? I know that can effect how much flour you need in a recipe. Other than that problem that was fixed with the extra flour, It was a fantastic recipe with a fantastic flavor! Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca says
We ate all of these pretty much immediately!
Kaitlin says
These cookies were delicious -- an absolute hit!! This was my first time cooking with brown butter and it worked out great! Made two batches for my boyfriend's birthday and his whole family raved about them.
In one batch I substituted mashed banana for the egg (because he is a banana fiend) and those turned out delicious as well! They had a pretty strong banana flavor but it complemented the brown butter really well. Either way though, this recipe is TO DIE FOR as is. 10/10 recommend!
Kyleigh Sage says
Awh that makes me so happy!! So glad they were a hit! And I love the banana tip.
Rebecca says
Ok, the brown butter I thought was a genius move, what I underestimated were the almond extract and lemon juice. Not overpowering in the least but gave it that super interesting “this is different” flavor. Oh me, oh my these were delicious! I ate about a 1/3 of the dough before it ever made it to the fridge and the final result was that glorious mixture of crunchy edges with soft interior. I will certainly be using this recipe again in the future when I get a hankering for some sugar cookies.
Kyleigh Sage says
Yay! I'm so glad you like them!! 🙂
Adjua says
I’m here for honesty. And cookies, but mostly honesty. These cookies are delicious. Truly very flavorful and memorable, I sprinkle salt on the tops of mine , they are quite sweet but like in a “I ate several cookies at once and It’s gonna take all my will power not to eat anymore” kind of sweet that we strive for. They are good a little warm, and okay after cooling a while but after like 2 hours in that air tight container, these cookies are unmatched. Amazing no joke. Will definitely make these many more times!
Kyleigh Sage says
Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you like them!!
Kyle says
I love these!