Brown Butter Cookies

Prep: 25 mins | Chill: Overnight | Bake: 10-12 mins

Ever tried cookie recipes and thought ‘That’s just not it’?

I can relate to this, which is why I’ve spent years testing and trying new ways to bake cookies so your every bite is irresistible. I can finally say… these are the BEST cookies I’ve ever tasted. Honestly.

The BEST cookies recipe

You’re probably wondering… why are these the best cookies? What makes them so extra-ordinary?

Of course, it’s a big claim to make. And it’s one that thrown around by every recipe developer - but all I can say is that these are the best cookies I have personally ever baked or tasted.

This cookie recipe benefits from the nutty richness and sweet taste of brown butter. Your home will smell incredible, and your bakes will taste heavenly. They’re sure to become a favourite in your home and among your friends and family.

About brown butter cookies

Brown butter cookies are a delectable variation of your average cookie recipe, featuring browned butter the star ingredient.

Did you know? Brown butter originates in France where it’s also known as beurre noir (black butter) or beurre noisette (hazelnut butter), depending on the shade to which it is cooked.

We can add brown butter into our bakes by heating butter in a large saucepan until the milk solids in it turn golden brown. This process caramelises the milk solids, giving the butter a nutty aroma and flavour that adds a rich and complex taste to baked goods.

In this brown butter cookie recipe, brown butter is mixed with sugar before adding the other ingredients like eggs, flour and flavourings such as vanilla extract or toppings. Incorporating brown butter adds a unique caramel and nutty flavour, as well as enhancing the chewy texture and crispy edges.

Brown butter cookies are so full of flavour that they can be enjoyed on their own or personalised with additional ingredients such as chocolate chips. But the thing I love most about cookies in general is that they can be served as a dessert, an afternoon snack, or a homemade gift, making this brown butter cookies the perfect sweet treat for any recipient.

Tips for making brown butter cookies

Making brown butter cookies is such a good bake for those that are beginner bakers and want to bake something delicious. Alternatively, this cookie recipe is such a great way to expand your baking repertoire if you bake a lot.

Browning the butter

I’d recommend using a saucepan that has a larger/wider base as this will help you brown butter more quickly. Start by melting the butter on medium heat, and then crank the heat up so the butter starts bubbling - make sure it doesn’t spit too much and burn you!

Start whisking the butter when it begins to foam as you want to be able to see what’s happening underneath. Milk solids will start to sink and begin browning; this is also when the nutty aroma will become stronger. Keep heating until you have brown grains at the bottom of your saucepan.

The brown butter elevates the cookie game, bringing a luxury flavour and a unique aroma. If you are looking for a richer, more decadent cookie, this recipe is for you!

Chill the cookie dough

Allowing time to cool with cookie dough before baking is a point of contention… BUT it’s so, so worth it.

Chilling the cookie dough before baking helps prevent cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies with crispy edges. The chilling process enhances the flavour which is particularly beneficial with these brown butter cookies.

Space cookies evenly

Leave enough space between cookies on the baking sheet to allow for spreading during baking. Typically, cookies should be placed at least 2 inches apart. Often this means I use a big tray but only bake four cookies at a time, because I like them big and chunky.

Bake your cookies evenly

If it’s possible, try to bake your cookies on the same shelf in the oven. Thankfully, my oven is quite deep so I can put two baking sheets side-by-side and it means all my cookies will be baked at the same time.

Watch the baking time

Keep to the baking temperature and time suggested. You’ll most likely open the oven at 10 minutes and think they’re not ready because they look a bit gooey, but that is actually what you want. When you take them out of the oven, leave them to cool on their tray as this will give them time to finish baking as they cool. The cookie insides stay soft and chewy while the outside of the cookie hardens to give a nice crunch.

Brown Butter Mini Eggs Cookies!

Type: Cookies

Author: Thea Bakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Chill Time: overnight

Bake Time: 10-12 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter
• 100g granulated sugar
• 200g light brown sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp baking powder
• 320g plain flour sifted
• Pinch of salt
• Bag of Mini Eggs

Method

Melt the butter (200g) in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, turn the heat up so it starts bubbling. After a few minutes, the butter will start foaming so start whisking gently so you can see the browning process.

When the butter has a nutty aroma, turns an amber colour and has brown specks/grains at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat.

Add the melted brown butter to a mixing bowl with granulated sugar (100g) and light brown sugar (200g). Mix until combined.

Beat in two eggs and vanilla extract (1tsp).

Fold in the flour (320g), baking powder (1tsp) and pinch of salt. I usually add the flour in sections, beginning with 100g and then incrementally adding the flour as it can be less messy and a lot easier to combine.

If you want to add a flavouring, now is the time to work it into the dough. The classic chocolate chips, or go for something seasonal like Mini Eggs for Easter! The dough might be slightly wetter than you’re used to, but this makes it easier to manage and it all works out once they’re chilled.

Use an ice-cream scoop to evenly measure out 20 cookie dough balls and place them on a tray to chill overnight in the fridge. The cookie dough balls can be touching each other as they’re not going in the oven yet. I usually squeeze them onto one tray to save fridge space.

Once your cookies have chilled, preheat the oven to 180C and organise your cookies on a lined baking sheet. Keep enough space between each cookie the sides of the tray/sheet (around an inch or two).

Bake in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes - no more, no less. You know your oven best to know whether they’ll bake quicker or slower within the time I’ve given. I always give 11 minutes for my cookies, and they come out perfect!

Leave to cool on their tray for 30 minutes so they finish baking with the retained heat - this gives them a chewy centre and crunchy edges.

Tip: If you’re adding a flavouring like chocolate chips to the cookies, I usually add some more on top so they look extra delicious and have even more flavour

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