Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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These Brown Sugar Cookies are perfect for cutting out, they’re easy to make, and always totallydelicious.

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (1)

And finally, for the last post in our week of cookie recipes here on the blog, I have a new one for you today that lots of you have been requesting — my go-to sugar cookie recipe!

Make that, my go-tobrown sugar cookie recipe.

Because years ago, I started swapping rich and molasses-y brown sugar in place of white granulated sugar in these cookies, and haven’t looked back since. It’s my favorite kind of sugar cookie! That said, I’m especially partial tothis particular recipe because it’s cut-out-friendly and will hold the shape of whatever cute cookie cutters you decide to use. Plus it’s incredibly simple to make, calls for everyday ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and tastesgreat. I’ve also included two different icing options below, for those of you who are into royal icing and those (like me!) who usually just keep things simple with a quick powdered sugar icing.

Let’s make some brown sugar cookies!

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2)

Brown Sugar Cookie Ingredients:

The credit for this recipe goes to the amazing Bridget of Bake at 350, whose basic sugar cookie recipe is the best!! For this brown sugar cookie recipe variation of the recipe, I have swapped brown sugar for granulated. And also increased the vanilla a bit, because I love a super vanilla-y cookie. And also increased the egg to make for easy rolling. I’ve also scaled the recipe to yield abouttwo dozen cookies, depending on what shape/size of cookie cutters you use. But of course, feel free to halve, double or triple this recipe according to the size of batch you would like to make.

To make these brown sugar cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Flour:The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the cookies.
  • Baking powder, egg and salt:Because…cookies.
  • Unsalted butter:Completely softened, which means it will still be a bit cool to the touch.
  • Brown sugar:Be sure to pack it firmly into the measuring cup.
  • Extracts:We will use both vanilla and almond extract in this recipe. (Although if you don’t have almond extract, you can just omit it.)
  • Icing and/or Sprinkles:See notes below.

You will also need (affiliate links included):

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (3)

How To Make Sugar Cookies:

To make sugar cookies, simply:

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Flour, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.
  2. Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl either with a stand mixer (with the blade attachment) or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-speed until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Followed by the dry ingredients, mixing them until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix this batter!
  3. Cut out the cookies. Now the fun part! Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured hard surface, and roll it out until it is about 1/4-inch thick. (You may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your surface.) Then grab your favorite cookie cutters and go to town, re-rolling the dough as needed to cut out more. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-covered baking sheet.
  4. Chill the dough. Very important — for this dough to hold its shape, it needs a quick chill in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Bake. Then once the dough is nice and firm, transfer it to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just barely begin to turn golden. Let the cookies cool for a bit. Then decorate if you’d like, and
  6. Enjoy!I highly recommend enjoying some of the cookies immediately. But if you have extras, you canstore them in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (4)

Different Icing Options:

To ice these sugar cookies, you can either use:

  • Royal Icing:Which is firm and best for intricate cookie decorating. I recommend checking out Bridget’s royal icing recipe here.
  • Quick Icing:Most of the time, I just stick with aquick powdered sugar icing (pictured here), which is easy to make with just powdered sugar, your choice of milk, and a hint of vanilla extract. It doesn’t harden as much as royal icing, but it’s easy and delicious.

Feel free to also use any kind of sprinkles that you love! I love using either a sprinkle of turbinado sugar or these goldsprinkles.

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (5)

More Favorite Cookie Recipes:

Looking for more cookie baking inspiration? Here are few more of my classic faves:

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Gingerbread Cookies
  • No Bake Cookies
  • Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Enjoy, everyone!

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Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (6)

Brown Sugar Cookies

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 2 dozen cookies 1x
Print Recipe

Description

These Brown Sugar Cookies are perfect for cutting out, they’re easy to make, and always totallydelicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Brown Sugar Cookie Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 1teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoonsalt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cuppacked brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Quick Icing Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 23 teaspoons milk(any kind)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make The Cookies:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, bakingpowder and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl either with a stand mixer (with the blade attachment) or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until completely combined, scraping down the sides partway through if needed. Add in the dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. (You don’t want to over-beat this dough.)
  4. Form the dough into a ball, and place it on a large, lightly-floured hard surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes, re-rolling the dough as needed to cut out more. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-covered baking sheet.
  5. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to chill the dough.
  6. Once the dough is nice and firm, transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just barely begin to turn golden. Remove from heat and let the cookie rest on the tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
  7. Enjoy the cookies immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Make The Icing:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is too thick, add a touch more milk.
  2. Use immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container. (The icing sets up as it sits, so youwill need to give it a good whisk and maybe pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it back up after being refrigerated.)

Notes

Recipe veryslightly adapted fromBake at 350.

Thispost contains affiliate links.

Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (10)

posted on December 2, 2018 by Ali

Cookies, Desserts

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Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you only use brown sugar in cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in 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.

What happens if you use brown sugar instead of white sugar in sugar cookies? ›

So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor, and the finished baked goods' color may also be darker.

Is brown sugar healthier than white sugar? ›

While they are produced differently, resulting in distinct tastes, colors, and culinary uses, brown sugar is often simply processed white sugar with molasses. Contrary to common belief, they are nutritionally similar. Brown sugar contains slightly more minerals than white sugar but will not provide any health benefits.

What ingredient makes a cookie chewy? ›

Cornstarch gives the cookies that ultra soft consistency we all love. Plus, it helps keep the cookies beautifully thick. We use the same trick when making shortbread cookies. Egg yolk: Another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk.

Are chocolate chip cookies better with light or dark brown sugar? ›

I think it's a matter of how much you love the rich, smoky flavor of molasses. I always bake with dark brown sugar. It imparts slightly more moisture to a cookie dough than light brown sugar, making the final cookies slightly softer and chewier.

What does vanilla extract do in cookies? ›

The primary purpose of vanilla extract is to add flavour to baked goods. Lacking it, baked goods tend to have a bland and boring taste. Vanilla extract can also contribute moisture to create a soft and fluffy texture.

Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda? ›

Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder. Baking soda can be substituted for baking powder by dividing the amount of baking powder needed by 4 and adding twice that amount of cream of tartar.

What happens if too much butter is in cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

What temperature do you cook cookies at? ›

Bake at 375 degrees F until golden and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. For crispy-cakey cookies: Bake the cookies at 425 degrees F until golden and crunchy on the outside, 8 to 10 minutes. For chewy cookies: Use 1 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 cup corn syrup and omit the granulated sugar.

What happens if you accidentally use baking powder instead of baking soda in cookies? ›

Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it's important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.

What happens if you only use brown sugar? ›

When we use only brown sugar in a cookie recipe, the resulting cookies will be chewier, since they contain more moisture from the molasses. Also, we'll have a puffier and softer cookies, because molasses is acidic and reacts with baking soda to make them puff up in the oven more.

What happens if you don't put enough sugar in cookies? ›

Flavor flat-out: Cookies won't be sweet, obviously! Sugar adds sweetness and balances other flavors. Texture troubles: They might be drier and crumblier, as sugar helps hold moisture and creates a chewier texture. Browning bummer: Expect a paler color, as sugar helps with browning during baking.

Does brown sugar change the taste of cookies? ›

The most obvious difference is the color of the finished cookies: there's no way you'd miss which ones were made with dark brown sugar. The dark brown sugar cookies also tasted more of molasses, but that's because brown sugar is the main flavoring agent and it's not competing with other ingredients.

Do you need granulated sugar for cookies? ›

The most common white sugar for cookie baking is regular sugar, which is classified by the food industry as “fine” or “extra fine.” Superfine sugar (or ultrafine sugar), the finest of all granulated white sugar textures, is called for occasionally in recipes because it dissolves easily.

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