Brown butter cookies are the absolute best cookies. They have such a delicious and nutty depth of flavor that can’t be compared to any other! These are made even better stuffed with fall flavors—like pecans, butterscotch chips, cinnamon, and chocolate chips!
Why Brown Butter?
The secret to these cookies’ incredible flavor is brown butter. By gently browning the butter before adding it to the dough, you create a deep, nutty, and caramel-like taste that elevates the entire cookie. Brown butter adds warmth and richness, pairing perfectly with fall flavors like pecans and cinnamon. This process only takes a few extra minutes but makes a world of difference in terms of depth and complexity.
How to Brown Butter
The first step to making these delicious brown butter cookies is to brown the butter! It’s best to get this out of the way since it takes a little time for the butter to cool down after and be ready to use.
Add a stick of butter to a heavy bottom pan or pot over medium heat. Twirl the pan or stir with a spatula to help the butter melt and heat evenly.
After the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Now the milk solids are beginning to separate from the fat. As the mixture continues to heat, the milk solids will start to cook and turn golden. Once they turn a deep amber color, remove from heat immediately!
It’s important to keep an eye on the butter the entire time because this can go from perfectly brown and nutty to burnt in a matter of seconds.
Pour the butter into a bowl, making sure to scrape in every single browned milk solid, and place in the fridge (or freezer if you’re in a hurry) to cool down quickly.
The Cookie Dough
While the butter cools down, it’s the perfect time to mix together the cookie dough.
Start by combining brown sugar, white sugar, a room temperature egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and finally, the cooled down the butter. Mix well, then add the fry ingredients: all purpose flour and cinnamon. Fold together with a spatula until just mixed through—there should still be some pockets of white flour.
The Additions
Up to this point these are brown butter and cinnamon cookies—which is delicious in its own right! But to make it more “fall flavored” add chopped pecans, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips.
The quantity of each depends on your own preferences. You can also play around with the fillings and try different options depending on what you have or like, such as nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, different nuts, and different kinds of chocolate.
These cookies are a celebration of cozy fall ingredients:
- Pecans: Toasted pecans add a satisfying crunch and earthy, buttery flavor. They’re the perfect complement to the richness of the brown butter and the sweetness of the chips.
- Butterscotch Chips: Butterscotch chips bring a caramel-like sweetness that plays beautifully with the browned butter, adding warmth and sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Chocolate Chips: You can’t go wrong with chocolate! Adding chocolate chips to the mix gives these cookies a familiar comfort and a balance between the sweetness of the butterscotch and the slight bitterness of the chocolate.
- Cinnamon: A sprinkle of cinnamon ties everything together, providing that quintessential fall spice that makes these cookies feel so cozy and comforting.
Making and Baking
Prepare a cookie sheet or baking tray by lining it with parchment paper. Use a small scooper (if you want regular sized cookies) to scoop even amounts onto the cookie sheet. Once all the dough is scooped, place the tray into a refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°.
When the oven is ready, remove the tray from the fridge, make sure each cookie dough ball has about two inches around it—I divided them into two trays. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until done—pushing against the edge of a cookie should have a slight amount of resistance.
Enjoying the Cookies
Allow the cookies to warm slightly before eating—but warm cookies straight from the oven taste the best so don’t wait too long! These cookies and soft and chewy in the center and crispy around the edges—exactly how a cookie should be in my opinion!
These Brown Butter Fall Cookies are the epitome of autumn comfort. The nutty richness of the browned butter pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the butterscotch and chocolate chips, while the pecans add a satisfying crunch. The cinnamon infuses a warm spice that perfectly complements the other flavors. Whether you’re baking for a cozy night in, a family gathering, or just because you’re craving something sweet, these cookies are sure to be a hit.
The best part? These cookies are incredibly versatile. You can easily swap out the pecans for walnuts or almonds, or use white chocolate chips in place of butterscotch if you prefer. No matter how you customize them, the combination of brown butter and warm spices will always deliver
Ingredients
Makes: 24 cookies
Time: 45 minutes
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Directions
1. Heat butter in a heavy bottom skillet on medium heat until melted. Stir frequently to prevent burning as the milk solids separate from the fat and turn brown. Remove from heat, place in a bowl, and store in the fridge to cool quickly
2. In the meantime combine brown sugar, white sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and then the cooled butter. Mix well
3. Add flour and cinnamon and fold in, until just about mixed through, then add pecans, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips. Mix until fully combined
4. Use a small scooper to measure out even cookie dough balls onto a tray. Store in the fridge for at least ten minutes
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cookie tray(s) in the oven, making sure to keep about two inch space in between each dough ball
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done. Enjoy warm!