Crispy Brown Butter Cookies

Recipe by Molly Marzalek-Kelly
Not Yet Reviewed

These Crispy Brown Butter Cookies prove that simple ingredients can deliver extraordinary flavor if you treat them right. Brown butter infuses every bite with rich, nutty caramel notes, while cornstarch helps create the delicate, crisp texture that makes these cookies so satisfying. The dough comes together entirely by hand and requires no chilling — just 20 minutes for the browned butter to cool slightly. The cookies bake up crisp and snappy from edge to center, with deep caramelized notes in every bite. Finished with a brown butter glaze, they’re irresistible on their own and even better with a cold glass of milk. 

Prep
30 mins
Bake
14 to 18 mins
Total
2 hrs 30 mins
Yield
25 cookies
Crispy Brown Butter Cookies arranged on a plate - select to zoom
Crispy Brown Butter Cookies arranged on a plate - select to zoom
Dipping a brown butter cookie into a glass of milk - select to zoom
A Crispy Brown Butter Cookie with a bite taken out of it and crumbs scattered about - select to zoom
A plate of Crispy Brown Butter Cookies - select to zoom
Crispy Brown Butter Cookies seen from above evenly spaced on a counter - select to zoom
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Instructions

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  1. In a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, melt the butter. After several minutes, the butter will sizzle and may spatter. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan regularly, for 5 to 7 minutes, until it’s dark golden brown and brown bits start collecting at the bottom of the pan; the butter will have stopped sizzling and may also have a layer of foam on the surface. 

    Brown Butter Rye Shortbread – Step 1

  2. Remove the brown butter from the heat and pour it into a medium bowl, bits and all. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s cooler but not solid, about 90°F. Meanwhile, prepare the oven for baking. 

  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

  4. Add the sugars to the bowl with the cooled butter and whisk to combine. The mixture will not be smooth; it’ll resemble wet sand. 

  5. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue whisking until combined, smooth, and slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. 

  6. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and use a flexible spatula to stir until the flour is fully incorporated with no dry spots. The mixture will seem dry at first but will fully hydrate as you continue to stir. 

  7. Scoop the dough by the tablespoonful (about 21g) and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2" to 2" apart; a level Tablespoon Scoop works well here. 

  8. Bake the brown butter cookies, one tray at a time, for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through. The cookies are done when they’re golden brown and set from edge to center. 

  9. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the pan before glazing. 

  10. To make the brown butter glaze: Place the butter for the glaze in a small saucepan. Melt and then brown the butter, stirring frequently until it has stopped sizzling and brown bits have collected at the bottom of the pan. (This will happen in 3 to 5 minutes.)

  11. Pour the hot brown butter into a small bowl and immediately add the confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons water.  

  12. Use a flexible spatula to mix slowly to combine, then more vigorously until the mixture becomes smooth. Add more water if needed, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is drizzle-able; aim for a consistency that’s a little thinner than glue. 

  13. Once the brown butter cookies are cool, drizzle the glaze over each cookie in thin stripes, using a pastry bag, paper cornet, or fork.

    Drizzling icing onto the tops of Crispy Brown Butter Cookies

  14. Storage information: To maintain maximum crispness, store leftover, glazed cookies in an airtight container in the freezer. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, but they will become soft the day after they’re baked. 

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