Description
These Soft Brown Sugar Cookies are irresistibly chewy, buttery, and packed with rich caramel-like flavor from generous amounts of brown sugar. Made with melted butter, a touch of vanilla, and cornstarch for an exceptionally tender crumb, each cookie features delicately crisp, sugar-coated edges and a wonderfully soft, melt-in-your-mouth center. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, afternoon treats, or enjoying with a cold glass of milk, these homemade brown sugar cookies are a deliciously comforting classic.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cookie Dough Base:
- 1 cup (226 g / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 350 g (~2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- For the Outer Coating:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Combine Melted Butter and Brown Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, stir the cooled melted unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together until completely smooth, glossy, and free of lumps.
- Mix in Egg, Egg Yolk, and Vanilla: Add the egg, egg yolk, and pure vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture, whisking vigorously for 1 minute until thoroughly emulsified.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients Separately: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to ensure uniform leavening distribution.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix the dry flour mixture into the wet brown sugar base on low speed just until combined without dry streaks.
- Cover and Chill for 45 Minutes: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes until the dough is firm enough to scoop and roll.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl for rolling.
- Portion and Coat Dough Balls: Portion the chilled dough into balls (~40g each). Roll each ball generously in granulated sugar until completely coated, then arrange them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake Until Centers Are Soft: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–11 minutes. The edges will be set, but the centers will still look very soft and underbaked—this is the secret to a soft cookie!
- Cool Completely on Pan: Leave the cookies to cool completely directly on the baking sheet without moving them. They will firm up to a perfect soft texture as they cool.
Notes
- Let Melted Butter Cool: Always ensure your melted butter has cooled to room temperature before mixing in the sugars and eggs. Hot butter will cook the eggs and liquefy the dough, causing flat, greasy cookies.
- Do Not Overbake: Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look soft and unset. They finish baking from residual pan heat during the resting period.
- Use Packed Brown Sugar: Measure brown sugar by firmly packing it into your measuring cup (or weighing 350g on a kitchen scale) to ensure the correct moisture and molasses ratio.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 29mg