Rich, nutty brown butter cookies with crisp edges and a light sugar coating. They hold their shape beautifully and bake into perfectly even slices.
Step by step photos
These visual instructions help you see the process. You can also find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions at the end of the post.
Brown the butter
- Place ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (130 g) butter in a saucepan over medium heat and let it melt completely. Continue cooking, stirring as it foams, until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty.
- Immediately remove from heat and pour ½ cup (113 g) of the browned butter into a bowl, scraping in all the browned bits. Cover and refrigerate for about 40 minutes.
- Once cooled, the butter will be thickened.
- Whisk until smooth and glossy, like soft peanut butter.d smooth, like soft peanut butter
Make the dough
- Add the whisked browned butter, powdered sugar and salt to a large bowl.
- Stir until combined
- Add the flour and mix it in.
- Use your hands to bring it together into a soft dough.
Shape, chill, coat
- Divide the dough and roll into logs each about 4 inches (10cm) long and 1 inch (3cm) thick.
- Wrap each log firmly. They don’t need to be perfectly smooth yet. Chill in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to firm up. When you turn them over, you may notice they’ve flattened slightly on one side, that’s normal. We’ll fix the shape in the next step.
- Refine the shape: Roll the logs gently on the counter while still wrapped for 10–15 seconds to smooth and round them evenly. Stand the logs upright (like a candle) in a tall glass and refrigerate until firm to help them keep their round shape.
- Coat in sugar: Roll the chilled logs in sugar for a crisp outer coating.
Slice and bake
- Cut into even 1 cm (about ½ inch) slices using a sharp knife
- Place on a lined baking tray, leaving a little space between each cookie.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp. Do not overbake. Leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes to firm up as they cool.
Tips
- Watch the butter closely: Butter can go from browned to burnt quickly. Stay nearby and stir as it foams. Once it turns deep golden and smells nutty, remove it from the heat right away.
- Why start with more butter? You begin with ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (130 g) because some moisture cooks off during browning. This leaves you with ½ cup (113 g) of browned butter for the recipe.
- Don’t leave the browned bits behind: Be sure to scrape all the browned bits into the bowl, that’s where the flavor is.
- If the dough feels too soft: At any stage, if the dough becomes too soft to handle, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies will be soft when you take them out of the oven. Leave them on the tray for 5 minutes, they will firm up and become crisp as they cool.
Make Ahead tips (optional)
- Brown butter ahead: You can brown the butter a day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it soften slightly before whisking.
- Dough logs: Shape and wrap the logs, then refrigerate for up to 3 days before slicing and baking.
- Freeze: The logs can be frozen for up to 2 months. Slice and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
How to keep cookie dough logs perfectly round (no flat sides)
A quick step-by-step guide for smooth, even logs and neat slices.
How to Keep Cookie Dough Logs Round (No Flat Sides)
view the guideWatch how to make the cookies
Recipe
Brown Butter Slice and Bake Cookies
servings20 cookies
A simple slice-and-bake cookie made with browned butter for rich flavor. Shape, chill, slice, and bake until crisp at the edges.
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (130 g) salted butter
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use ½ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (140 g) all purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar (for coating)
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and let it melt. Continue cooking, stirring as it foams, until it turns deep golden and smells nutty.
- Measure and cool: Remove immediately from the heat to stop browning and pour ½ cup (113 g) of the browned butter into a bowl, scraping in all the browned bits. Cover and refrigerate for about 40 minutes.
- Whisk: Once cooled, the butter will be thickened. Whisk until smooth and glossy, like soft peanut butter.
- Mix: Add the whisked browned butter, powdered sugar, and salt to a large bowl.
- Add flour: Add the flour and mix, then use your hands to bring it together into a soft dough.
- Shape: Divide the dough and roll into logs about 4 inches (10 cm) long and 1 inch (3cm) thick.
- Chill: Wrap each log and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes. The logs may flatten slightly, that’s normal and will be fixed in the next step.
- Refine shape: Roll the logs gently on the counter while still wrapped to smooth and round them. Stand upright in a glass and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).
- Coat in sugar: Roll the chilled logs in granulated sugar.
- Slice: Cut straight down into ½ inch (1 cm) rounds using a sharp knife. Do not saw back and forth.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place on a lined baking tray, leaving space between each cookie. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15–18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Remove from the oven, but leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes. They will firm up and become crisp as they cool.
Storage
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Fridge (dough): Wrapped logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking
- Freezer: Freeze the logs for up to 2 months. Slice and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time
Recipe Notes
-
- See post above for step by step photos and tips
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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scottygrrl says
Followed the recipe carefully, but after mixing the whipped butter with the dry ingredients, the cookie dough is dry and crumbly, and no amount of working it with my hands is making any difference. I can't get anywhere near to shaping it into logs. Watched the video and it doesn't show how the dough is supposed to come together. Would adding some water or other liquid help, or would sticking it all back in the fridge to chill help?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi, the dough is meant to look quite dry and crumbly after the flour is mixed in. At that stage, use your hands to gently press and gather it together into a soft dough rather than continuing to mix it.
If it still seems too dry to come together, add 1 teaspoon of warm milk at a time just until the dough holds together when pressed. I wouldn't put it back in the fridge, as chilling won't help if the dough is too dry.
I hope that helps!