These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Cookies are the best cookies you will ever make. With crunchy edges and a chewy middle, they are the most perfect cookie. Dip the tops in a maple glaze and you will not be disappointed.
If you want to make a sugar cookie that comes out as a perfectly round, delicious little treat every time, these are it! These brown sugar cookies not only taste great, they also look amazing with their shiny, glazed tops. A perfect treat for your holiday dessert table!
You could make these cookies and skip the maple glaze, but I'm not sure I would advise that. The maple flavor adds the perfect touch of maple sweetness, making these brown sugar cookies hard to resist!
For more cookie recipes, try my: Double Chocolate Fudgy Egg White Brownie Cookies, Brown Butter Pecan Spice Cookies, or Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The brown butter. I really don't think there is anything much better than making cookies with brown butter. The caramel, nutty flavor you get from browning the butter is unmatched. It pairs perfectly with the brown sugar and maple flavors in this cookie.
- The glaze. The simple sweet maple glaze that you dip the tops of the cookies into is really one of the best parts of this cookie. It's perfectly flavored with pure maple syrup and then hardens beautifully to make a gorgeous shiny top.
- The texture. These cookies are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the center. The perfect cookie texture combination!
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make these brown butter sugar cookies. For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Butter: You will want to brown unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works for this recipe.
- Egg: You will use three egg yolks for this recipe.
- Vanilla: I prefer vanilla bean paste, especially for these cookies because the little specks of vanilla bean are so pretty. Vanilla extract will work great too.
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Sugar: You will use brown sugar in the cookie dough and then roll the cookies in granulated white sugar before baking them.
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup: You will want to be sure you are using real pure maple syrup.
- Heavy whipping cream
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make these delicious cookies. You will need a small saucepan, a stand mixer, a large baking sheet, parchment paper, a cookie scoop, a medium sized bowl, and a whisk.
Prepare the Brown Butter
STEP 1: Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium heat until melted. Once it is melted, continue to cook on medium heat for 10-15 more minutes, swirling pan occasionally. The butter will begin to get foamy and start to turn a golden brown. Be careful not to burn it!
STEP 2: Once it is a beautiful golden color and it smells like a Werther's Original candy, measure out 1 cup of the brown butter and then allow it to cool. I like to transfer it to the bowl of my mixer to cool, making sure to scrape all the roasty, toasty bits of butter from the saucepan into the bowl. I wait about an hour for the butter to cool completely and start to solidify again before I begin to make the dough.
Prepare the Oven and Pans
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
STEP 2: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set these aside until you are ready to use them.
Prepare the Dough
STEP 1: If your brown butter is cooling somewhere besides the bowl of your mixer, add the brown butter (including all the roasty, toasty bits) and brown sugar to the bowl of your mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until they are fully combined, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
STEP 3: In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.) Stir with a whisk until combined.
STEP 4: Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix just until combined.
STEP 5: Using a small cookie scoop, place cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
STEP 6: Roll each scooped dough portion in sugar and place back on cookie sheet.
STEP 7: Bake in the 350°F oven for 11-13 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Maple Glaze
STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream. Using a whisk, stir the ingredients together until fully combined. If it is too thick, add 1 more tablespoon of whipping cream (or more!) until you've reached your desired consistency. You don't want it too thick because then it won't cover as nicely, and if it's too thin, it will run down the sides.
STEP 2: Take each cooled cookie and dip the tops in the glaze. Place the cookies back on the cooling rack until the glaze is set, about two hours.
Expert Tips
- If you have a pan with a light colored bottom, it would be best to brown the butter in that so you can more easily see the color of the butter. This helps to make sure it doesn't get burned!
- I like to scoop all the dough first and then go back and roll all the scooped dough in the sugar second.
FAQ
No, you don't, but I highly recommend it! Browned butter smells good, tastes good, and is pretty much the greatest ingredient on the planet. The cookies will be equally delicious if you choose not to brown the butter, because honestly, butter is good however you choose to consume it! Browning the butter does take a little bit of extra time and involves a bit of planning because you have to let it cool. I do recommend taking the time though, because browned butter is just so good!
No. These sugar cookies are delicious without the maple glaze. Go ahead and make a naked cookie, they'll be great!
Sure! I have been known to freeze these both before they are baked and after they are baked and glazed. If you want to have some dough on hand so you can bake a cookie (or two!) whenever you get a hankering, place the dough balls rolled in sugar on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once they are good and cold, place them in a zip top bag and into the freezer. When you are ready to bake them, remove from the freezer, put them on a lined baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°. If you want to freeze baked and glazed cookies, I'd also put them on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then transfer to a zip top bag. Be sure to let them come to room temperature before serving!
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover cookies in a airtight container or zip top bag on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
These cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to three months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.
Other Recipes to Try
If you have leftover heavy whipping cream after making this fall cookie recipe, use it up with one of these recipes:
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Recipe
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar, for rolling
For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until melted. Continue to cook over medium heat until it is golden brown in color and smells like caramel, swirling pan occasionally to avoid burning; about 10 minutes. Watch the butter closely so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat, measure out 1 cup of butter and let cool, about 45 minutes to an hour.1 ¼ cup unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of your mixer, combine the cooled browned butter and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed.3 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.2 ¼ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, place scooped dough on cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Roll each scooped portion of dough in sugar and place back on cookie sheet.¼ cup sugar, for rolling
- Bake in 350° oven for 11-13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze:
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until fully combined. Add the extra tablespoon of whipping cream if it is too thick.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze. Place on cooling rack until fully set.
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
Allie says
Oh my god I ran to the cupboards yesterday and made these and can’t. Stop. Eating. Them. Like, I’m ashamed by how many cookies I’ve consumed while no one else has been home today. It makes 36 and I’ve probably eaten at least half. I’ve been told by my family that I have to make them for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Note: I didn’t have any maple syrup, so I used corn syrup and maple flavoring instead. Not the healthiest option, but it worked! Also, I might cut back on the salt juuuust a smidge. But these are seriously good.
Ashlyn Meredith says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!
Chery says
Has anyone tried these with maple extract instead of vanilla? Just wondering if it would work.
Ashlyn Meredith says
I have not recipe tested it with maple extract. I think it would work okay, but I really haven't used maple extract in much so I'm not sure how strong it is. If you try it, let me know how it is!
Sara says
Why does this call for 1 1/4 cup butter but only uses 1 cup… where did the half stick of butter disappear to. Am I missing something here.
Ashlyn Meredith says
Hi Sara. This recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of butter that you brown. When you brown the butter, you lose some of the volume because the water evaporates which is why I suggest browning MORE than you need for the cookies. The recipe than says after you brown the butter, measure out 1 cup for the actual cookie dough. I hope this makes sense!
Anna says
Admirable is the Name of God. It's important that we respect and revere God's holy Name. He will not leave us unpunished if we misuse His Name. When we pray "Admirable is the Name of God," God is pleased. I share because I care about God and you, my sister in Christ.
Your message about making the cookies and eating so many of them makes me smile. I'm glad your substitution worked out well for you. I also like to bake and will try making these , probably for Thanksgiving too. God's blessings to you and your family 💖✝️.
Chris says
These look great. Can’t wait to try them. Can you tell me if these are shell stable? I see the maple glaze has whipping cream ? Thank you
Ashlyn Meredith says
Good question! I've always left mine out on the counter in an airtight container and they have been just fine. From some quick research, I see that the small amount of whipping cream in the glaze is preserved by the sugar, allowing these safe for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. I hope that helps!
Alison says
We love the flavor of these cookies but I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as the dough comes out really crumbly. Is it too much flour? I do a scoop and level with my cup measurement. Any tips? Is that just how it is supposed to be? When I make the balls, the dough does mostly stick together.
Ashlyn Meredith says
It sounds like too much flour. I would be sure you are spooning the flour into your measuring cups and leveling with a knife instead of scooping it directly into the measuring cup. When you spoon the flour into the cup, lightly shake the spoon above the measuring cup to allow the flour to lightly fall in. Then level with a knife. Another culprit for the crumbly dough might be over mixing. Once you add in that flour mixture, only mix until you no longer see the dry ingredients. I hope this helps!
Alison says
Thank you! I figured as much with the flour but will actually measure it out by the gram next time. I really don't over-mix once I put the flour in but I also might under mix when creaming the butter and sugar - not sure. I also had the thought that when browning butter, since some of the moisture evaporates, does that need to be accounted for? Is it 1 cup of brown butter or 1 cup of butter browned?
Ashlyn Meredith says
I was thinking that could definitely be it too. I would brown 1 1/4 cups butter. Measure out 1 cup to use for the recipe and I think that should do the trick. I am realizing I need to have some more standard measurements here. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Alison says
All good! Thank you for the tips! I'm always looking to improve my baking/cooking and this recipe is a fav in my family! They love the flavors!
Suzette says
I doubled the batch. Called for 2.5 cups of butter but the the recipe only called for 1 cup. Why the extra?
Ashlyn Meredith says
The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of butter to account for the reduction in volume when you brown the butter. The recipe instructions say to measure out 1 cup of butter after it is browned. If you doubled the recipe by using the "2x" button, it would have doubled the amount of butter called for in the ingredients list, but does not account for the instructions where it says to measure out 1 cup. If doubled, you should be measuring out 2 cups. I hope that makes sense!
TammyLynn says
I have always wondered that as well.
Whitney M says
These are...beyond incredible.
I brown a lot of butter (too much? no), so I always add a bit more because some will evaporate. So I did 1 cup + 3 tbs. The dough was dreamy! And the glaze was gorgeous and just perfect flavor. I took a few to work, and they were well praised. The smell that came from the oven while they were baking was like nothing else!
I will definitely be making more after I eat all the ones in the freezer!
Ashlyn Meredith says
There is definitely no such thing as too much brown butter! I am so glad you (and your coworkers) enjoyed these cookies, Whitney! Thank you!
Brad Douglas says
These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies were so delicious. All of our neighbors wanted the recipe! Thank you Ashlyn for sharing this recipe with us! I wish I could post a photo of the finished product.🙂
Becky Atterberg says
So yummy!
Toni says
I made the cookies gluten free with organic(no corn starch) powdered sugar and almond milk instead of heavy cream
They are amazing!! Thank you!💛