“Mom, these are very brown buttery!”
Direct quote from my daughter when she bit into these Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
That’s right my girl. Exactly what I was going for. On top of having perfectly crisp edges and irresistibly chewy centers, these cookies are truly, very brown buttery.
I actually find that browned butter can get lost in baked goods and so I wanted the irresistible brown butter flavour to really shine in these cookies. It’s not just a flavour enhancer here friends, I’m really going to hit you over the head with it and you’re going to love it.
You may know by now that brown butter is like, my favourite culinary flavour ever… my Arugula Pear Salad with Hazelnuts and Brown Butter Vinaigrette is my mother-in-law’s favourite salad and my Miso Fried Rice with Brown Butter, Crispy Kale and Mushrooms is umami heaven and a must try. Oh, and I just made this Banana Bread with Brown Butter, Chocolate Chunks and Pecans and it is soooo good.
As good as all these dishes are I’d still probably eat a bowl of brown butter like soup if you put it in front of me.
So… these cookies. They are a true ode to brown butter and I can’t stop eating making them.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup butter browned and cooled
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 Tbsp dry milk powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup toffee bits optional
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup butter browned
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk to thin, if needed
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Combine the oats, flour, milk powder, salt and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
- In an electric mixer combine the butter with the sugar and the brown sugar. Mix well, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla and mix well for several minutes, until very light and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the toffee bits, if using.
- Drop scoops of dough onto a baking sheet (I use a 2 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop).
- Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool before drizzling on the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- Combine the browned butter, vanilla and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix. Add milk to thin, if needed.
- Drizzle on the cooled cookies.
brown butter oatmeal cookies Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Butter – I use salted butter. Pretty much exclusively. If you use unsalted you’ll want to add an extra pinch. You’d think with the sheer number of brown butter recipes I have on this site that I’d have a tutorial on how to make the stuff but I do not. Here’s a good one if you need it.
Oats – old fashioned rolled oats are what give these cookies their chew, so no subs here. Quick oats will not produce the same results.
Flour – regular all purpose flour.
Brown Sugar – I’m normally a dark sugar fan, but I like light brown sugar in these cookies.
Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Variations:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Version – add in about a cup of chocolate chips or chunks instead of the toffee bits. I prefer dark chocolate, but you can use milk too.
Oatmeal Raisin Version – add in about a cup of raisins (I like the golden ones) when you add the toffee bits. Bonus points if you soak the raisins in a little bourbon ahead of time. 😉
Iced Oatmeal Cookies Version – instead of the glaze make an easy brown butter icing by combining 1/2 cup browned butter (cooled) with 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla in and electric mixer. Mix well, adding 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream to thin, as needed. Frost the cookies once cooled.
brown butter oatmeal cookies recipe, how to make it…
I hope you’re as excited about this as I am…
First up, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl—simple enough! Mix well and set aside.
Now, grab your mixer and whip up the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Let them mix together for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Then, toss in the egg and vanilla, and give it a good mix until everything’s really light and fluffy—like buttery, sugary clouds.
Next, gently fold your dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until they’re combined. If you’re using the toffee bits, fold them in now.
Time to scoop ’em. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet (I’m a fan of a 2 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop) and bake them at 350°F for 9-11 minutes until they look golden and irresistible. Let them cool down before the final touch – the crowning glory – the insanely good brown butter glaze.
To make the glaze, whisk together browned butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, splash in a little milk until it’s just right. Now, drizzle that sweet goodness all over your cooled cookies. Done and done! Welcome to brown butter heaven.
looking for some recipes to serve with these cookies? try these…
- They’d make the perfect dessert after this Lemon Orzo with Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Brown Butter
- Or lunch dessert after this Warm Pearl Couscous Salad with Brown Butter and Sumac Dressing
- Maybe with this on the side Asparagus with Smoked Gouda, Brown Butter & Walnuts
- Or have a brown butter dessert party with this Brown Butter & Bourbon Impossible Pie
- and these Apple Blondies with Walnuts and Cinnamon Brown Butter Glaze
- and ok, these too Baked Mochi Donuts… with Browned Butter Maple Glaze
If you like this Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
