Brown Butter Sugar Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1/4 cup demerara sugar, for rolling

Brown the Butter and Mix Dry Ingredients

First, brown the butter.

Melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Keep swirling the pan as it melts, then foams. Once the foam subsides, you’ll see browned milk solids at the bottom and the butter will smell intensely nutty. Immediately pour it into a large, heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the AP flour, bread flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Make the Cookie Dough

To the bowl with the browned butter, add the packed dark brown sugar and whisk until fully combined. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and dark rum, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Using a spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Chill the Dough

This step is not optional.

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling solidifies the fat, which prevents the cookies from spreading into thin discs, and it allows the flavors to deepen significantly.

Shape and Bake

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the demerara sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the chilled dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Roll each ball in the demerara sugar to coat it completely, then place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between each one.

Bake for ~11-13 minutes. The edges will be set, but the centers will look soft and slightly puffy. They will have crackly tops.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. They need this time to set up properly.

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

These cookies get their deep, complex flavor from two main sources: a high ratio of dark brown sugar and butter that has been browned. Browning the butter is not an optional step here; it’s what gives the cookies their signature nutty, caramel-like foundation. The dough requires a significant chill time, which is critical for preventing spread and developing flavor.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 33 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1/4 cup demerara sugar for rolling

Instructions

• Brown butter in light-colored skillet over medium heat until nutty and golden; transfer to large bowl.
• Whisk together flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl.
• Add brown sugar to browned butter; whisk until combined.
• Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and rum until smooth and glossy.
• Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined.
• Cover and chill dough at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350F; line baking sheet with parchment.
• Roll 1.5 tablespoon dough balls in demerara sugar.
• Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart.
• Bake 11-13 minutes until edges set but centers soft.
• Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to wire rack.

Notes

Chilling is mandatory to prevent spreading and develop flavor.