This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure page.
Look, I've eaten enough mediocre sugar cookies in my lifetime to know they're typically the consolation prize of the cookie world. "Oh, all the good cookies are gone? Guess I'll settle for sugar." But after perfecting my brown butter chocolate chunk cookies, I wondered what would happen if I applied the same milk powder intensification technique to the humble sugar cookie. The result? These magical extra-toasty brown butter sugar cookies.
Here's the deal: brown butter already elevates baked goods with its nutty complexity, but when you add milk powder to the melting butter, you're essentially throwing extra milk solids into the browning process. More milk solids = more browning = more intense toasty, caramelized flavor. The rest of the recipe proceeds like any standard sugar cookie, but that initial step transforms them from "I guess I'll eat one" to "who took the last cookie?!"
Fair warning: once you try these, you'll be ruined for regular sugar cookies forever. You'll be that annoying person bringing these to every gathering and smugly watching people's eyes widen at the first bite. If that sounds like your kind of power trip, preheat your oven and get browning. Your cookie reputation is about to get a serious upgrade.
And if you're suddenly craving more sugar cookie options (but maybe not quite ready to brown butter everything), check out my chocolate sugar cookies, vanilla sugar cookies, funfetti sugar cookies, and lemon sugar cookies. Sometimes variety is the spice of life - even if brown butter is clearly the superior choice.
How to Make Extra-Toasty Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Extra-Toasty Brown Butter Sugar Cookies (with Milk Powder)
Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 30 g nonfat dry milk powder
- 200 g granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg (≈ 50g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Cube the butter and place in a light-colored skillet. (Light-colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Once melted, add the milk powder and stir until evenly incorporated (don't worry if some of the milk powder clumps together). Keep stirring. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning; you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and you'll begin to smell a nutty aroma. Once browned, immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl.
- To the brown butter (which should look like dark, wet sand), add the granulated sugar and whisk until evenly combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined; be sure not to overmix!
- Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place dough balls on a lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll each dough ball in sugar, if using, and then bake the cookies, 5-6 at a time, for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides; the centers will look soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Natalie S.
These are so simple to make and delicious! That toasty flavor is so amazing!
Mike Johnson
Ahhh I'm glad you enjoyed them, Natalie!