Brown Sugar Cookies

Ridiculously soft and chewy Brown Sugar Cookies have a crisp sugar coating and a hint of cinnamon flavor.

Why We Love These Brown Sugar Cookies

1. The Best Texture: Soft, chewy from dark brown sugar and cornstarch.
2. Delicious Taste: Rich caramel flavor with cinnamon.
3. Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
4. Customizable: Options for add-ins and flavor tweaks.
5. Crowd-Pleaser: They’re universally appealing and a hit at gatherings and special occasions

Ingredients

• Butter: Adds moisture and flavor.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Main sweetener, adds caramel flavor, contributing to chewiness.
• Egg + Egg Yolk: Provides structure and richness. Use leftover egg whites in these Meringue Cookies.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a delicious flavor.
• Flour: Forms the dough’s base and structure.
• Cornstarch: Softens the Brown Sugar Cookies.
• Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cinnamon: Flavor enhancer and leavening agents.
• Demerara Sugar: My favorite part, adds a delicious sugary crunch to the cookies.

How To Make Brown Sugar Cookies

1. Melt butter; cool.
2. Stir in brown sugar, egg, yolk, (optional) molasses, vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients (cornstarch, salt, leaveners, cinnamon), then flour. Optional: toffee bits.
4. Chill dough 30 mins.
5. Form balls, roll in sugar, chill 45-60 mins.
6. Bake 325°F, 9-14 mins.
7. Cool on sheet, then rack.

QUICK TIP

Roll dough taller and skinnier for thick, chewy centers and crisp edges; the bottom expands first, creating crispness, while the top stays thick and chewy.

Dark Brown Vs. Light Brown Sugar

• Dark Brown Sugar: Richer in molasses, offers a darker color, stronger flavor, and more moisture for pronounced caramel sweetness and chewiness like in these brown sugar cookies.
• Light Brown Sugar: Lower molasses content, lighter color, and milder flavor, suitable for baking with a softer caramel sweetness like in these DoubleTree Cookies.

More Dessert Recipes

• Cornmeal Cookies
• Dessert Cheese Ball
• Edible Cake Batter
• Carrot Cake
• Avalanche Cookies

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

Brown Sugar Cookies

5 from 6 votes

- Review this recipe

Ridiculously soft and chewy Brown Sugar Cookies have a crisp sugar coating and a hint of cinnamon flavor.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Brown Sugar Cookies

5 from 6 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Ridiculously soft and chewy Brown Sugar Cookies have a crisp sugar coating and a hint of cinnamon flavor.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Brown Sugar Cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 42 minutes minutes

Servings 26 cookies

Chelsea Lords

Calories 228kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $4.15

Ingredients

• ▢ 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 and 1/3 cups dark brown sugar, tightly packed
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ Optional: 2 teaspoons molasses, (Note 1)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose white flour (Note 2)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 cup Demerara sugar (Note 3)
• ▢ Optional: 1 cup Milk Chocolate Heath Toffee Bits

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• WET INGREDIENTS: Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then cool to room temperature by refrigerating for 3-5 minutes. Transfer cooled butter to a large bowl. (Avoid hot butter as it can make cookies greasy.) Mix brown sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add one whole egg, one egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla, stirring until smooth and combined.
• DRY INGREDIENTS: Add cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon directly to wet ingredients and stir. Then, incorporate the flour (Note 2), mixing until just combined; mixture may appear dry initially but will integrate. Avoid over-mixing. If adding toffee bits, fold in gently. Cover dough securely and chill for 30 minutes.
• CHILL: Take the dough out of the fridge and shape into tall, 40-gram balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll each ball in Demerara sugar placed in a small bowl. Arrange the sugared dough balls on a plate, cover, and refrigerate again for 45-60 minutes.
• BAKE: Preheat oven to 325°F. Space dough balls on a lined sheet pan (6 per batch to prevent overcrowding) and bake for 9-14 minutes. Watch carefully, being sure to not over-bake. (We love these best at 12 minutes.) Let cookies cool on the sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Molasses deepens the brown sugar flavor, but the cookies are still delicious without it.

Note 2: Avoid overpacking the flour by spooning and leveling the flour.

Note 3: Alternatively, roll the cookies in turbinado sugar or in sparkling sugar. As a last-resort option, the cookies can be rolled in plain white sugar.

Nutritional information does not include the optional toffee chips.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.