Our lives were forever changed when we visited Brown Butter Cookie Company along the central coast of California in a town called Cayucos. This Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe makes thick, buttery cookies with a nutty flavor and the perfect amount of sea salt on top. This copycat recipe is a huge crowd-pleaser!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
These cookies are little bits of heaven! The first time me and my family bit into a cookie, we were in love with the unique and wonderful flavor profile of these cookies. The intensity of the nutty flavor of the brown butter mixed with the sea salt on top is unmatched. These cookies are super thick and dense with a crumbly, but definitely not dry, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Here are just a few of the many reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- This is a very simple cookie recipe that produces incredible cookies
- Browned butter, need I say more? The nutty aroma is reason enough to make this recipe. The depth of flavor this magical ingredient adds to these cookies is simply incredible
- There are very few ingredients in this amazing recipe, it comes together quickly, no chill time required and no stand mixer or handheld electric mixer required
Ingredients & substitutions for brown butter cookies
This recipe requires only simple ingredients. The ingredients are listed on the back of each package of cookies purchased from the Brown Butter Cookie Company.
So to make this copycat recipe, it was just a matter of figuring out the proper proportions and method. Through lots of trial and error, this recipe emerged as the closest match to the cookies you can purchase.
Here's what you'll need:
- Brown butter: browning butter adds the most delicious nuttiness to this recipe! It takes just a few minutes to prepare, too.
- Brown sugar: I recommend using light brown sugar in this recipe. Dark brown sugar adds a layer of caramel flavor that competes with the brown butter in this recipe. Do not substitute with white sugar (granulated sugar). White sugar and brown sugar act very differently in cooke recipes. Brown sugar maintains moisture and softness while granulated sugar creates a crispy cookie. Additionally, white sugar is not used in the original recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour: be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning the flour into the measuring cup without packing it down at all. Sweep the top of the measuring cup with a butter knife to level it off. This cookie will not hold together if there's too much flour in the cookie dough.
- Baking soda
- Flaky salt: this is sprinkled on top just before baking. Flaky salt is different than coarse salt. Try looking for Fleur De Sel or Flaky sea salt such as Maldon.
How to make Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the brown butter. I recommend using a light colored skillet for this. It will be much easier to tell when the butter has browned (aka, the milk solids have dropped to the bottom of the pan and browned).
Step 3
Add the brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl with the brown butter, mixing to combine
Step 4
Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking soda) to the butter mixture and stir just until combined. The mixture will resemble wet sand.
Note: If your cookie dough is not coming together and seems very dry, try adding a drop more vanilla to the dough, adding more until it comes together.
Step 5
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough and roll between your palms to form a smooth ball. Place dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the top of cookies with flaky salt
Step 6
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown, rotating the tray halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Optional: use the flat bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press down gently on the top of the hot cookies. Sometimes the cookies retain their ball shape while baking, so this helps create more of a cookies shape.
Pro tips
- As much as it may be tempting to take a shortcut and skip browning the butter, I would not recommend substituting melted butter for the brown butter in this recipe. It'll change the flavor profile of the cookies completely. Also, when butter is browned, a bit of the moisture evaporates, decreasing the volume of the butter. Melted butter has up to 25% more volume than browned butter, which can change the proportion of ingredients in the cookie dough. This changes the outcome of the baked cookie
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days
- Freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet then place in a freezer-safe bag and store up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature
Love brown butter? Use it in my Brown Butter Blondies and my Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.
FAQs
How do you brown butter without burning?
Have you ever wondered can you overcook brown butter? The answer is yes! Butter can go from perfectly browned with a pleasant, nutty aroma to black and burnt in the blink of an eye. Learn more about how to properly make Brown Butter for all your baking recipes.
How do you know when brown butter is done?
When butter is browning, it goes through a few stages. First it melts, then it sizzles and pops then it foams. Once it settles down and stops making noise, you should see amber-colored, golden brown bits at the bottom. You can also smell a delightful nutty aroma. This is how you know the butter is done browning. Learn more here!
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Ingredients
- brown butter made from ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- flaky salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Brown the butter. Remove the pan from the heat. Scrape the browned butter including all those brown bits at the bottom of the pan into a heatproof bowlbrown butter
- Add the brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl with the brown butter, mixing to combine½ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour and baking soda to the butter mixture and stir just until combined. The mixture will resemble wet sand. Note: If your cookie dough is not coming together and seems very dry, try adding a drop more vanilla to the dough, adding more until it comes together. You should be able to squish it together in your hand and it stays together.1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out cookie and roll between your palms to form a smooth ball. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of cookies with sea saltflaky salt
- Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown, rotating the tray halfway through. Optional: use the flat bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press down gently on the top of the hot cookies. Sometimes the cookies retain their ball shape while baking, so this helps create more of a cookies shape. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack
Notes
- Note: If your cookie dough is not staying together and crumbles like wet sand, try adding a bit more vanilla extract just until it comes together. It should stay together when you squish it in your hand
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days
- Freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet then place in a freezer-safe bag and store up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature
- Adapted from Brown Butter Cookie Company, A Spoonful of Thyme, and Yummy Mummy recipes
Nutrition
Comments
Robin Lewis
I just made these for the first time and they are delicious! I used dark brown sugar because that is what I had--it does have a more caramelized taste than the original cookie. Next time I will use light brown sugar.
Kimberlee Ho
That's great! The dark brown sugar does make the cookie darker in color and it gives it a more caramelized flavor. Glad you baked this recipe and loved it!
Diana
I live in Brown Butter Cookie country on the California central coast. I'm looking forward to trying your recipe.
Kimberlee Ho
Can't wait for you to try them!
Jacqui Groseth
I just made these and so wanted them to turn out. Unless something magical happens as the cool beyond the first 10 min, they crumble into a little pile the second you touch them. The crumbs taste fantastic but not the result I hope for.
Kimberlee Ho
I'm sorry to hear that Jacqui... Next time I'd recommend squeezing the dough together in your hand to be sure it stays together. And you could try adding a touch more liquid to help it stay together, too.
Julia
Very good copycat recipe. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to experimenting with other flavors.
Christine H
These turned out AWESOME! Have eaten the cookies you mention like they were never going to be made again, the taste was imbedded in my memory. So grateful you figured it out, I will brown my butter a little more next time as that was the first time I did that and I was petrified I was over-cooking or burning it. I think it’s about 7-10 mins, right?! They turned out the perfect consistency and tasted nearly as good as the originals. Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to make them again.
Kimberlee Ho
So glad you loved them Christine!! Brown Butter Cookie Company Cookies are amazing.
Jeanne Haddad
I needed a shortbread to crumble for the top of my Pineapple Delight, which I make every every Easter. My recipe calls for a Lorna Doone (shortbread) crumbled crust and crumbles on top of the dessert as well. So I didn't want to go to the grocery store & decided to make my own, searching kickassbaker.com for the 'best' shortbread recipe. Well, I think I found it! I love the nuttiness if the browned butter! And the simplicity of the recipe was certainly appreciated. The family loved the cookies and asked for more. I only made a half batch since short on time, only needing for crumbs, and experimenting as well. But the experiment was 5-star. I will make these again! Thank you!
Kimberlee Ho
How fantastic!! We love these cookies in my house, too. The brown butter is so damn good!! Thanks for baking and commenting, Jeanne!!
Sara
I had the distinct pleasure eating the original brown butter salted cookies last fall while visiting California. I made these cookies last night. They are just wonderful! They have a great flavor - nutty, salty, buttery, rich, and texture. Mine did not get flat as they baked, but this did not detract from their completely addictive properties. Five stars for sure.
Now if I can only quit eating them….
Kimberlee Ho
You're so lucky to have tasted these cookies from the Brown Butter Company! That was such a joy for me and my family. These cookies definitely do not get flat and that is how they're intended to be, so yours sound perfect! Enjoy!
DEVON
Do you have to let the brown butter solidify at all or cool a bit before you add other ingredients?
Kimberlee Ho
No need to let it cool down or solidify after it's been browned!
Judy Yeargin Taylor
Very interesting cookie. I remember eating these in Brazil. I think my mom made them too. Tasty stuff really tasty stuff. Thank you for sharing.
Kimberlee Ho
You're very welcome! Happy baking 👩🍳
Celeste borelli
Pretty good copycat recipe! Mine needed to bake much longer to brown.
Kimberlee Ho
Thanks for sharing!
Mary White
I am looking forward to baking these. I've had the original and they are the best cookie ever! How do I add espresso flavor? That is my favorite flavor from that company.
Kimberlee Ho
They really are the best cookie ever! I haven't tried adding espresso, but I recommend adding 1 teaspoon espresso powder directly into the cookie dough. You may need to add a touch more extract to prevent the dough from being too dry and crumbly. Add just enough so the dough comes together when squeezed in your hand. Good luck!
Kim
Absolutely love this recipe - I have one question. I have made them twice, and both times, the cookie maintains its ball shape. I have followed the recipe as written, so how do the cookies flatten while baking?
Kimberlee Ho
They don't flatten much during baking. So, you can gently press down the hot out of the oven cookies with something flat and smooth like the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass. You can flatten the cookie dough balls a bit too in this same way before baking if you prefer a flatter cookie.
Denise L Chambers
I've tried several recipes over the years and none of them were quite right ... this one hit the mark, so grateful to share with friends and family these cookies this holiday season. Brought a batch to work and a coworker offered to pay me to make a batch to surprise his wife with her favorite cookie.... thank you so much for sharing!
Kimberlee Ho
So glad everyone loved it!!
Jim Pasternak
I only had salted butter at home, so I deleted the salt sprinkle. I was just in Cayucos last week, and purchased some cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company. I gave them a run for the money (and your recipe was a lot cheaper too.) I will add this recipe to my holiday cookie extravaganza.
Awesome recipe!
Thanks
Jim
Kimberlee Ho
So thrilled you got to taste the Brown Butter Cookie Company cookies directly AND that you loved this copycat recipe! Thanks for sharing, Jim 😊.
Jim Pasternak
I just read the comment about taking longer to bake. I recently calibrated my ovens (yes, I am a geek) and that has made a huge difference. I did bake them 12 minutes to get a nice light browning.
Kimberlee Ho
Good to know!
Jan Pokk
Good job with copying the recipe, they tasted just like the ones l had at the store in Kyuocus California!
Kimberlee Ho
This is the highest compliment! Thank you so much.
Suzanne
There is one item that I think is different in the original Brown Butter Cookies. I believe they used “Cake Flour”. I am looking forward to making your cookies. Thank you
Kimberlee Ho
When I read the ingredients it didn't specify which kind of flour, so I went with all-purpose. I'll have to try them with cake flour!
Margaret
Just wondering…have you tried using cake flour? Or making their cocoa cookies (my personal favorite)? I’ve made your cookies and they definitely are delicious!
Kimberlee Ho
I haven't tried either! I definitely want to. So many cookies to bake and so little time... 😂 . Thank you so much!!
River Malcolm
This recipe is amazing! Unbelievably simple and quick and delicious. Just came back to it after a year or two of not making it and realized again how special it is and that I need to say THANK YOU!!!
Kimberlee Ho
Wonderful!!
Ryan B
These will be in the “cookie rotation” for us!
I had never made brown butter before but this recipe is one of the easiest I’ve made.
I made two batches and for the second one I added 2 handfuls of toasted and chopped pecans to the dough - highly recommend!
I think I am still getting a feel for the right dough consistency. My first batch spread a lot and the second batch spread too little, but both tasted great 🙂
Kimberlee Ho
Yes!! So thrilled to hear this, Ryan!
Suzanne
I think and I’m pretty sure that the brown butter cookie company uses cake flour. You can buy it in a box at the grocery store.
Kimberlee Ho
Ah that's good to know! On the packaging it just says flour. I'll have to try them with cake flour. Thanks!