Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
These brown sugar crackle cookies have no extra add-ins, so browned butter and brown sugar flavors really shine through in them!
I love sugar cookies. Old-fashioned sugar cookies. Drop sugar cookies (with lemon!). And any other type of sugar cookies, so why not brown sugar-sugar cookies?
Not only are the flavor of these cookies deepened by dark brown sugar but the entire cookie base gets a delicious start from browned butter.
And if you need further evidence that browned butter is the secret to all magical desserts look no further than here and here.
Quite simple in concept, the cookies are unadorned with any specific add-ins, which allows the browned butter and brown sugar flavors to really shine through.
Just a wonderfully delicious cookie and you can’t ask for much more than that, in my opinion.
One Year Ago: Congo Bars
Two Years Ago: Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Three Years Ago: Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons (198 g) butter
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (424 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups (284 g) unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (15 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch stainless steel (not nonstick) skillet or small uncoated saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Browned butter can burn easily and quickly so keep a close eye on it!
- Remove the skillet or pot from the heat and transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly coat them with cooking spray.
- In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between your fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to the bowl with the cooled butter and mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Divide the dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, forming balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss the balls in the reserved sugar mixture to coat and set them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)
- Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but the centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone – don’t overbake), 11-13 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
I made these cookies this weekend for the first time in a long time, and I just want to give them so love. They are so SO good! Every time I make them for people they compliment them. I think they might be my personal favorite cookie of all time. They are DIVINE! I don’t know if they’ve ever been part of the “Recipes the World Forgot” series, but if they haven’t been, they should be. They are incredible.
Forgot to give them 5 stars. I’d give them 10 stars if I could 🙂
I’m glad you liked these cookies, Tiffany! I think you’re right – they definitely need to be brought back into the limelight a bit!
I don’t know how I missed these cookies on here for so long (because I’ve been following since around when you had Cam), but Holy Smokes these are amazing!!! They are better than just a sum of the ingredients and obviously brown butter makes everything awesome! I’ll definitely make these again and again and again!
This is one of our favorite cookies and I get compliments every time I make them. Delicious as always Mel. Thanks!
I made theses accidentally! I was following your chewy molasses cookie recipe, and somehow I clicked on this recipe. By the time I realized, “hey, i didn’t know you browned butter for molasses cookies… hmmm, when am I going to add the molasses and spices?”, it was too late! This was a happy mistake! We loved these! The next morning there were none left – my husband is a late night cookie thief! Great recipe! Will definitely be making again and again 🙂
Haha. That’s pretty amazing that unknowingly you combined two recipes and the cookies worked out!
These were delicious!! So good. Such good flavor. My two year old liked rolling the cookies in the sugar. I’m scared to be at home alone with these today. 🙂 Thanks for yet another wonderful and easy recipe!
I am absolutely brand new to baking and these were the first cookies I’ve ever made from scratch!! The directions were super clear (thank you for that!) and the recipe seemed fairly easy. They were absolutely delicious, and everyone loved them! Thanks Mel! I’ll be trying the chocolate chip and triple chip pumpkin cookies next!!!!!
Ohhhhhhhh. These are good. I am trying to resist eating another one right now.
I made these the other day and they are incredible!! I think they are my new favorite cookie!!
Oh! I forgot to say that I only had light brown sugar, but Alton Brown says to add 1 TBSP molasses to every cup of light brown sugar to make dark brown. Easy peasy, so I did it.
Umm…these are great. They just came out and I maybe just sneaked one that is still hot. We are new to browned butter but I can see why it’s such a fun thing…fun, as in addictive and pounds-to-my-body-adding.
Mel!
These are wow. These are so, so delish!! I can’t get myself to share but a few with my kids so they don’t eat them all! I eat them for breakfast! I’m in love! Next time, I’m doubling the recipe and not sharing.
These are truly fabulous and are probably one of my top 3 favorite cookies behind orange cranberry cuties and crinkle tops.
I can resist many desserts, especially fancier or chocolate desserts (weird, I know), but not cookies. I’ll have to try these soon!