Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe - Kickass Baker (2024)

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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
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Ingredients & substitutionsfor 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.
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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

More recipes

  • How To Brown Butter (Simple Method)
  • Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Blondies
  • Soft Brown Sugar Cookies (no butter)

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Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe - Kickass Baker (13)

Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe

This Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe makes thick, buttery cookies with a nutty flavor and the perfect amount of sea salt on top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Course: All Recipes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter cookie company, brown butter cookie company recipe, brown butter cookies, cookies

Servings: 14

Calories: 161kcal

Author: Kimberlee Ho

US Customary - Metric

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

US Customary - Metric

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 bowl

    brown butter

  • Add the brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl with the brown butter, mixing to combine

    ½ 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 salt

    flaky 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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

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Filed Under

ShortbreadSmall BatchUnder 30 MinutesBeginnerBrown Butter

Brown Butter Cookie Company Recipe - Kickass Baker (2024)

FAQs

Who is the owner of Brown Butter cookies Company? ›

Co-Owner and Founder, Traci Hozie-Alderson was interviewed on the podcast Consumed with Jaime Lewis (released December 4, 2023).

Why do brown butter cookies taste better? ›

Browning the butter gives the cookies a more intensely nutty, butterscotch flavor.

Why are my brown butter cookies hard? ›

Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly. You should use unsalted butter to control the salt content, but if you only have salted on hand, reduce the amount of added salt accordingly. Sugar sweetens the cookies and makes them an enticing golden brown.

Who traded her famous cookie recipe to the Nestle Corporation? ›

It all started back in 1939. Ruth Wakefield, who ran the successful Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, was mixing a batch of cookies when she decided to add broken pieces of Nestlé Semi-Sweet chocolate into the recipe expecting the chocolate to melt.

Who makes the original butter cookies? ›

Overview. The "Royal Dansk Company" was started in 1966 in Helsingør, Denmark. In 1990 it merged with another biscuit company, Kjeldsen, whose butter cookies are particularly well known in Hong Kong and China.

Who are the owners of brown butter? ›

Brown Butter Restaurant is a collaborative effort of it's founders, Chef Dayne Womax and Simon Beck.

What is the best flour for cookies? ›

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Choice

This balanced protein level makes it versatile enough to produce both soft and chewy cookies as well as slightly crisp ones. If you're looking for a safe bet or are new to cookie baking, all-purpose flour is your go-to option.

How do you keep brown butter cookies from spreading? ›

“When chilled cookies bake, the butter stays in a solid form longer, slowing the spread,” says Dawn. “30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator does wonders, and you can bake the cookies right from the fridge.” Not only will chilling help the fats firm up and the flour hydrate, but it also helps the flavors develop.

Does browning butter dry out cookies? ›

Browning all the butter removes the water content, but the dough still needs some of that water to come together. Browning only some of the butter is enough to achieve that signature nuttiness, while the remaining unbrowned butter provides enough water content for the dough to come together.”

What does cornstarch do in cookies? ›

The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...

Should I use baking powder or baking soda for cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Are chocolate chip cookies better with melted or softened butter? ›

Melted butter is best suited for drop doughs such as chocolate chip, peanut butter, and sugar cookies, as well as most cookie bars. You can usually adapt recipes that don't originally call for melted butter to use this technique if you're looking for an even fudgier texture.

Why is it called Toll House? ›

Ruth Wakefield's Toll House: Tried and True Recipes

She and her husband bought “a lovely old Cape Cod home” on the outskirts of Whitman, Mass., in 1930. At one time, it was actually used as a toll house between Boston and New Bedford, thus the name.

What is the most famous cookie company? ›

The First Cookie Brands In The United States

These facts have remained true until today, making Oreo one of the oldest and most popular cookie brands in the country! Honestly, they're now the best-selling brand of cookies in the world. So, as we can all agree, Oreo is the #1 cookie brand in the universe!

Who was the black man who made cookies? ›

The History of Famous Amos

Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie. He used only the best ingredients from an original family recipe to create the cookie you know and love. From there, the Famous Amos story became a Hollywood success story.

Who is the owner of Brown Butter Beauty? ›

Christine Gant - Owner - Brown Butter Beauty | LinkedIn.

Who owns the cookie company? ›

Cookie Co. was founded in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic by Elise and Matt Thomas. Working behind the scenes to open the first Cookie Co.

Who is the owner of cookies company? ›

Berner, who is a billboard-charting rap artist, is CEO and co-founder of Cookies, an international cannabis lifestyle brand.

Who owns Brown Butter Brooklyn? ›

Myriam Nicolas – Brown Butter NYC.

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