Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

This is the ultimate, chewy sugar cookie—and you don’t even need a mixer! The browned butter and brown sugar gives them a rich, toffee taste, and a delightful chew that kids and grown ups alike will LOVE. And they’re super easy and fun to make.

What you will need.

Weighing ingredients is more accurate and makes for easy cleanup.

Melting the butter makes for a chewier cookie than the usual creaming method.

The only tricky part is getting the brown butter just right. I bust out my fancy All-Clad saucier pan, but you can use a 10-inch skillet. Don’t use non-stick because the dark finish makes it hard to judge the color of the butter.

Swirl the pan constantly until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. There’s a fine line between brown enough and burned, so don’t take your eye off it for a second!

Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.

Carefully add remaining butter so it doesn’t splatter and stir until completely melted.

Mix brown sugar and salt into cooled butter with a wooden spoon, squishing any remaining sugar lumps with the back of your spoon.

Add egg and yolk and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons dough) and roll into balls.

Place on prepared sheets, spaced 2 inches apart

Kids will love to roll them in the sugars!

Bake 12 – 14 minutes until browned and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft.

They will look underdone, but will develop out of the oven; if you leave them in too long they will get crisp and hard.

After 5 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely

Cool Tools

• Salter Aquatronic Glass Electronic Kitchen Scale
• Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop
• Parchment Paper Sheets

Brown Sugar Cookies

Orna

4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus for one cookie

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups packed 14 ounces dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup 1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons 10 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Melt 10 tablespoons butter in saucier pan or 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 - 3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter, in 8 pieces, (carefully as it might splatter) and stir until completely melted; set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, set shelf to the middle and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a shallow dish, mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; stir with a wooden spoon until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; add egg and yolk and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain.
• Use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons dough) and roll into balls; place on prepared sheets, spaced 2 inches apart (14 per sheet). Remove each ball and roll in sugar mixture to coat; return to its place on sheet.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until browned and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 12 - 14 minutes, rotating sheet after 8 minutes. If you're not sure, err on the side of underdone, or they will turn out crispy, rather than chewy. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer parchment to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Use fresh, moist brown sugar or your cookies will be dry.
Separate the egg when cold, and then allow to come to room temperature.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen