Brown butter sugar cookies are an elevated version of classic cut out sugar cookies. They have the best nutty flavor from the brown butter, are easy to make and can be dunked or drizzled with icing.
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As a lifetime baker, I've got decades of sugar cookie making under my belt. I've made mistakes and and run into many problems along the way! But with over two dozen sugar cookie recipes on two sugar bugs, I am an open book and share all my tips and secrets for making the best soft and chewy sugar cookies.
These cut out brown butter sugar cookies are soft and chewy, much like my chocolate sugar cookies, chocolate chip sugar cookies and brown butter oatmeal cookies.
It took me a few attempts to achieve a chewy brown butter cookie that keeps it's shape when rolled out and baked that also kept a soft texture. I started with my buttercream sugar cookie recipe. Browning the butter removes some of the moisture from the dough, so a mixture of regular and brown butter as well as an extra egg were the magic combination.
💗 why you will love these roll out brown butter cookies
- Brown butter adds an extra nutty flavor to the classic cut out sugar cookie.
- The undecorated cookies actually taste good. Perfect for those who don't like frosting {I'm looking at you Dad}!
- The recipe has no brown sugar, so you get a true sugar cookie taste that is complimented by the browned butter.
- A simple brown butter frosting gets made in a saucepan and is perfect if you want to top the cookies with icing.
🧈 what does brown butter do to cookies?
Brown butter adds a wonderful depth, richness and nutty flavor to cookies. It's also amazing in cupcakes, blondie cookie bars and other foods; sweet and savory.
🛒 ingredients needed
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- All-purpose flour ~ use your favorite brand. If you don't use a scale for measuring {this is the one I use and love}, make sure to use the spoon and level method to ensure you don't have too much flour. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife}.
- Baking powder ~ this recipe calls for aluminum free baking powder. For sugar cookies that taste good, I highly recommend making sure your baking powder is aluminum free. I use Trader Joe's or Rumford.
- Cornstarch ~ just a little bit, which helps the brown butter sugar cookies keep their shape and adds to the softness of the baked cookie. You can leave the cornstarch out if you don't have it, no other changes are necessary.
- Unsalted butter ~ this is the time to splurge on a high quality butter such as Plugrá or Kerrygold. You will brown half of the butter and let it solidify before using it. You will brown more butter for the easy brown butter frosting.
- Sugar ~ brings the classic sugar cookie taste and provides structure to the cookie. This brown butter sugar cookie recipe uses both granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar {also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar}.
- Eggs ~ two large eggs are needed to bind the ingredients together. I have not tested this recipe with any egg substitutes.
- Vanilla ~ pure vanilla extract for flavor.
Pro tip ~ to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5-10 minutes.
🤎 how to brown butter
Place the cut cubes of unsalted butter in a light colored sauce pan and place over medium heat {medium-low if your burners run hot} and let it cook until small brown flakes form. If you want or need step-by-step photos, see this cookie bars post.
You will want to stir or swirl the pan frequently after the butter has fully melted to keep it from burning. The butter will foam and bubble up along the process, just keep stirring/swirling and move the foam aside from time to time to check the color.
The butter will turn an amber golden brown color and will smell nutty and toasted when it's ready; it should take about 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a bowl to cool and solidify before continuing with the recipe. Be sure to scrape all the brown bits into the bowl too!
If you want to speed the solidifying process, once the butter is at room temperature you can place the brown butter in the refrigerator for 5-10 minute increments, stirring it when you check on it. You do want the butter room temperature for starting this recipe. I usually let it sit in a bowl on the counter for 45 minutes, then refrigerate for 10 minutes, stir and refrigerate another 5-10 minutes.
🍪 how to make cookies with brown butter
Start by browning ½ cup of the unsalted butter.
Then in a bowl combine flour, aluminum free baking powder and cornstarch with a whisk. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the solidified brown butter, room temperature unsalted butter and kosher salt until combined. Add in both sugars.
Beat until smooth, then scrape up and down the bowl and beat in the eggs and vanilla.
The brown butter sugar cookie dough is light and fluffy in appearance after the addition of the eggs and vanilla.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl. Mix until combined and the dough starts to ball up on the paddle. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Gently press the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and press into a 1 inch thick disk.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes {and up to three days} before rolling out and baking.
how to make brown butter icing
Place the unsalted butter in a light colored sauce pan and melt over medium-low or medium heat and let it cook until small brown flakes form. The butter will turn an amber/brown color and will smell nutty and toasted when it’s ready {about 5-10 minutes}.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the confectioners' sugar. Stir until the butter has accepted all the sugar and you have a thick icing. You can either drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies or dunk the top of each cookie in the glaze. Allow the glaze to set up before serving.
💬 frequently asked questions
why do I have to chill the dough?
Letting the brown butter cookie dough chill in the refrigerator lets the butter firm back up and also helps to hydrate the flour so you get a soft and chewy baked cookie.
why did my cookies spread?
The cookie dough likely got too warm when you rolled it out. You can always pop the cut out dough in the freezer or refrigerator for a 10 minute chill before baking them.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best rolled out brown butter cookies
- Start with room temperature butter, browned butter and room temperature eggs. This usually takes 1-2 hours of sitting on the counter {depending on the temperature of your kitchen}. To test, your finger should make an indent without sinking or sliding down into the butter. The butter should not be warm to the touch or shiny or greasy.
- Chill the dough. This recipe requires a minimum of 30 minutes; I typically go somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes of chill time. The dough can chill for up to three days. If it is chilled longer than 1-2 hours, allow it to sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes to warm up before rolling out.
- Roll the cookies ¼ inch thick. If you roll them too thin, they will not be as soft and chewy. When rolling the cookie dough, I like to treat it like pie crust and gently roll it, turning the dough after every pass of the rolling pin. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter.
- Try not to overwork the dough. Overworked dough = tough cookies.
troubleshooting for sugar cookies
Help, my dough is crumbly! The dough should be soft, but not sticky when it goes in for a chill. If the dough seems dry and crumbly when you press it into a ball, you likely added too much flour or overworked the dough. Add a little egg white {start with one tablespoon} and gently work it into the dough until it is soft, but not sticky.
Help, my dough is super hard after chilling! If the dough chills for more than an hour it will need time to warm up on the counter before rolling. Let it sit out for 10-20 minutes before rolling it out.
Help, my dough is crumbly when I try to roll it! If the cookie dough is too cold, it will crumble when you go to roll it out. Let it warm slightly on the counter for 10-20 minutes and try again.
Help, my sugar cookies spread when they baked! Your dough likely got too warm when you rolled it out. You can always pop the cut out dough in the freezer or refrigerator for a 10 minute chill before baking them. {I have never had to do this, but my kitchen doesn't get overly warm most of the year}.
Help, my cookies aren't soft after they cooled! Most likely they were over baked. This brown butter sugar cookie recipe only needs about 8-9 minutes in the oven. The edges should not be browned, but the cookies will be slightly puffy and soft in the middle when they are done.
🫙how to store
Sugar cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
They also freeze well for up to 3 months. My favorite way to store sugar cookies is in the freezer. It tends to keep them the freshest. The cookies will defrost at room temperature in about 20 - 30 minutes.
If freezing brown butter sugar cookies with icing, chill the cookies in a single layer first. The cookies can then be stacked and frozen in an airtight container. When you take the frozen cookies out of the freezer, be sure to unstack them before they thaw or the brown butter icing will stick the cookies together.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Brown Butter Sugar Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more chewy sugar cookie recipes
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Strawberry Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
- Cinnamon Cut Out Sugar Cookies
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Chewy Cut Out Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Brown butter sugar cookies are an elevated version of classic cut out sugar cookies. They have the best nutty flavor from the brown butter, are easy to make and can be dunked or drizzled with icing.
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
brown butter cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (113g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar (60g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
brown butter icing
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed (56g)
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar (90g)
Instructions
- To brown the butter: place the cut cubes of unsalted butter (½ cup/113g) in a light colored sauce pan and place over medium to medium-low heat and let it cook until small brown flakes form. You will want to stir or swirl the pan frequently after the butter has fully melted to keep it from burning. The butter will foam and bubble up along the process, just keep stirring/swirling and move the foam aside from time to time to check the color. The butter will turn an amber/brown color and will smell nutty and toasted when it's ready; it should take about 5-10 minutes. Pour melted butter and all the browned bits into a bowl. Allow the butter to cool and solidify* before proceeding.
- In a bowl combine flour (3 cups/375g), aluminum free baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons) and cornstarch (1 ½ teaspoons) with a whisk. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the solidified brown butter (½ cup/226g), room temperature unsalted butter (½ cup/113g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) on medium speed (speed 6 on KitchenAid) until combined, about 1 minute. Add in both sugars (¾ cup granulated sugar/150g and ½ cup confectioners' sugar/60g) and beat until smooth, about 1-½ minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl, then beat in the eggs (2 large) and vanilla (1 ½ teaspoons) and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl. Mix until combined and the dough starts to ball up on the paddle. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
- Gently press the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and press into a 1 inch thick disk. Chill for 30 minutes (and up to three days) before rolling. If the dough has chilled for more than 30 minutes, let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes or so until you can roll it out without it cracking.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about a ¼ inch thickness, use additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Arrange cookies on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. If the dough has gotten warm while rolling and cutting, pop it in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking to help prevent them from spreading.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven, about 8-9 minutes, until the tops are puffy and the centers no longer look wet. They should not be browned on the edges, if you want a soft and chewy cookie. Allow the cookies to rest for 2 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the brown butter icing: Place the unsalted butter (4 tablespoons/56g) in a light colored sauce pan and melt over medium-low or medium heat and let it cook until small brown flakes form. You will want to stir or swirl the pan frequently to keep it from burning. The butter will foam and bubble up along the process, just keep stirring/swirling and move the foam aside from time to time to check the color. The butter will turn an amber/brown color and will smell nutty and toasted when it’s ready {about 5-10 minutes}.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the confectioners' sugar (¾ cup/90g). Stir until the butter has accepted all the sugar and you have a thick icing. You can either drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies or dunk the top of each cookie in the glaze. Allow the glaze to set up before serving.
Notes
*If you want to speed the solidifying process, once the butter is at room temperature you can place the brown butter in the refrigerator for 5-10 minute increments, stirring it when you check on it. You do want the butter room temperature for starting this recipe. I usually let it sit in a bowl on the counter for 45 minutes, then refrigerate for 10 minutes, stir and refrigerate another 5-10 minutes.
Aluminum free baking powder makes the best tasting cookies, but baking powder with aluminum will also work.
The cornstarch can be left out with no changes to the recipe.
If you only have table salt, use ¼ teaspoon.
If you want to use only granulated (white sugar), use one full cup (200g) and eliminate the confectioners' sugar.
Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
