These moist and chewy brown sugar cookies are flavored with brown sugar for a soft texture and molasses-forward flavor. Made with pantry staples and ready in under an hour, these cookies are the perfect quick treat for when weeknight sugar cravings hit.
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What Are Brown Sugar Cookies?
Brown sugar cookies are a twist on traditional white sugar cookies, made with brown sugar for a deeply sweet molasses flavor. The high level of moisture in brown sugar results in a super-soft, chewy cookie with slightly crispy edges. These cookies can be formed into balls and baked as-is, or rolled out flat and cut into fun, festive shapes perfect for holiday celebrations.
5 Tips for Making Brown Sugar Cookies
This simple sugar cookie recipe is easy enough for even the most novice of bakers. Here are a few tips for baking the best brown sugar cookies at home.
- 1. Use high-quality ingredients. This basic cookie recipe ensures that the flavor of each ingredient will shine through. Use fresh brown sugar—not the bag that’s been hardening in your pantry for months—high-quality butter, and pure vanilla extract for the best possible taste.
- 2. Play around with ingredients. These versatile cookies can be modified based on your taste preferences. Swap light brown sugar for dark brown sugar for a richer brown sugar flavor. Incorporate warm spices, like nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for a more fall-friendly taste. Or add chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans; chocolate or butterscotch chips; or a dollop of peanut butter to your cookie dough.
- 3. Add flour as needed. If your dough feels too sticky or moist to hold its shape, add an additional one to two tablespoons of flour at a time until the dough has reached a workable texture.
- 4. Don’t overbake the cookies. To ensure a soft, supple final product, remove the cookies from the oven when the center has just set but is still slightly wet. The cookies will continue to firm up on the tray while cooling, resulting in a perfectly chewy texture.
- 5. Make ahead, and bake later. The additional moisture in this dough means that the raw dough will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four days. Once baked, these cookies will stay soft and fresh when stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a week or longer.
Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe
makes
24 cookiesprep time
35 mintotal time
45 mincook time
10 minIngredients
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter, and stir until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- 2
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and stir to incorporate.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- 4
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and stir until the flour mixture is fully incorporated and the dough has just come together.
- 5
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Form a cookie by pulling off 2 tablespoons of dough and rolling it into a ball.
- 8
Roll the cookie in cinnamon sugar to coat, and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process with all of the dough, leaving about 2 inches of space between each of the dough balls on the baking sheet. Use two pans to bake all of the cookies at once, or bake in batches, keeping the raw dough in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake the second batch.
- 9
Lightly press down on the top of each cookie ball to flatten the dough slightly.
- 10
Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes until the center of each cookie has just set, but is still soft.
- 11
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
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