Sweet and salty and oh-so-delicious, these browned butter sugar cookies are so good that no frosting is necessary! They’re such a warm, buttery way to take your classic sugar cookies up a few notches.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m a fan of sweet and salty! That’s why I gravitate towards those flavors when I bake. You’ve got to try my eternal faves: peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies with browned butter.
I decided to see what happened when I browned butter for my classic reader-fave melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies and the result was more than I could have ever hoped for.
The downside? So was my intake. Oops! This browned butter sugar cookie recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, perfect for fall.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
They are perfectly soft, perfectly chewy, and just the right amount of sweet vs salty. And of course, it’s the browned butter that sets them apart from other sugar cookies.
Head to the link above for complete instructions and a video to learn how to brown your butter! It’s become a signature in my baking and even in savory entrees like pasta, veggies and more. Such a distinctive flavor you’re going to love!
BONUS! I topped them off with brown butter frosting for good measure, and while you don’t even need a layer of frosting on these… why not? If some butter and sugar is good… more is probably better.
What is Brown Butter?
You might be wondering… “what exactly is browned butter?“
Brown butter is the result of cooking butter until the milk solids turn brown and the water evaporates, resulting in a nutty aroma and flavor.
Brown butter (or browned butter) is the magic that happens when you cook out the water in butter and the milk solids turn brown. It enhances the flavor and produces a nutty aroma that is hard to resist.
It’s the perfect way to update my melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies for fall!
Browned Butter Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Butter – softened
- vegetable oil –
- Sugar – white granulated
- Powdered sugar –
- Vanilla Extract – it’s so easy to make your own homemade vanilla!
- Eggs – I tend to have large size eggs on hand and that’s what I use here.
- Flour – all-purpose flour works beautifully for this recipe.
- Salt – You gotta have a little salt to balance out the sweet!
- cream of tartar – another leavening agent that gives a distinctive flavor to baked goods.
- baking soda – another leavening agent. I use two kinds in this recipe!
How to Make Browned Butter Sugar Cookies
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt and brown butter, swirling until it comes to a nutty aroma. Allow to cool 30 minutes.
- Combine butter, oil, sugars & vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.
- Add flour, salt, cream of tarter & baking soda until blended in.
- Refrigerate dough 1+ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into balls or use a cookie scoop.
- Bake 8-9 minutes watching carefully as to not over bake.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheet & thoroughly before icing.
Tips
- I use a cookie scoop to keep the size and shape consistent.
- Every oven is different. Check to make sure your cookies aren’t getting too brown at the eight minute mark!
- Need a substitution? Check out my printable baking substitutions chart.
- Convert measurements with my Measurement Conversions printable worksheet, too!
Variations
Mix up your frosting for fun new flavors and delicious ways to get creative with these brown butter sugar cookies!
More Recipes Using Brown Butter
- Gooey Brown Butter Cake
- Brown Butter Frosting
- Brown Butter Crinkle Cookies
- Brown Butter Muffin Recipe
- Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- Crinkle Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Butternut Squash
- Spaghetti with Mizithra and Browned Butter
- Pear Ravioli
Browned Butter Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 4 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt and brown butter, swirling until it comes to a nutty aroma. Allow to cool 30 minutes.
- Combine butter, oil, sugars & vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.
- Add flour, salt, cream of tarter & baking soda until blended in.
- Refrigerate dough 1+ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into balls or use a cookie scoop.
- Bake 8-9 minutes watching carefully as to not over bake.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheet & thoroughly before icing.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- I use a cookie scoop to keep the size and shape consistent.
- Every oven is different. Check to make sure your cookies aren’t getting too brown at the eight minute mark!
- Need a substitution? Check out my printable baking substitutions chart.
- Convert measurements with my Measurement Conversions printable worksheet, too!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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