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These chewy brown butter oatmeal cookies are so simple and packed with flavor. The The brown butter and oatmeal together create a rich, nutty flavor and the chewy edges and soft centers are the perfect texture.
Looking for another cookie recipe? Try brown butter chocolate chip cookies, brown butter toffee cookies, or brown butter salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.
If you’ve never browned butter, you’re in for a real treat (literally)! It’s a secret ingredient I love for baking because it creates a rich, almost caramelized flavor like in this brown butter blueberry coffee cake.
When you brown the butter for cookies you turn the base of the recipe into a star ingredient. You caramelize the milk fat in the butter and it turns brown and creates a sweet, nutty flavor. It adds so much depth to recipes like this and brown butter banana bread.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for these browned butter oatmeal cookies. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Butter: use an unsalted quality butter because it’s the star of this cookie recipe. I like Kerrygold butter.
- Roll oats: old fashioned oats, not quick oats. Use certified gluten-free if needed.
- Flour: swap for 1:1 gluten-free flour if needed (I like Bob’s Red Mill)
- Baking soda: to help them rise.
- Brown sugar: I used light brown sugar, but dark brown works. I’ve also made these successfully with coconut sugar.
- White sugar: a touch of granulated sugar for texture.
- Eggs: use room temperature eggs when making cookies!
- Milk: helps add moisture to the dough.
- Vanilla and almond extract: for flavor
- Chocolate: optional if you want brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
Love oatmeal cookies? Try flourless oatmeal cookies or white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies next.
How to Make Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make these brown butter oatmeal cookies. Jump to the recipe card for full instructions.
Step 1. Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes, until it turns amber and has a nutty flavor.
Step 2. Dry Ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Step 3. Wet ingredients. Whisk the brown butter, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl.
Step 4. Finish the Batter. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 5. Chill the Dough. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
Step 6. Bake. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Recipes FAQs
Browned butter adds a rich and nutty flavor to the cookies. Brown butter is melted butter where the milk fats caramelize, so it adds that deep caramel flavor to the cookie. It also removes the water content from the butter, so it’s important to add more moisture to the dough so they don’t dry out.
Too much flour in cookie dough, or not enough moisture, results in hard cookies. Browning butter removes the water content from the dough as it cooks and evaporates, so the cookie dough needs some extra milk! Be sure to measure your flour correctly for best results.
Dark brown sugar has more molasses, which gives it a richer flavor and more chew. These cookies are made to be rich and chewy, so I love dark brown sugar in oatmeal cookies. But I’ve made them with both with great results.
Add a slice of bread to the container when you’re storing oatmeal cookies.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use a light pan. Brown the butter in a light saucepan so you can see the milk solids turning brown.
- Measure correctly. Weigh your ingredients for best results or spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup. It’s my top tip for these famous pudding cookies.
- Don’t skip the milk. Browning the butter evaporates the water content from the butter so you have to add more moisture or the cookies will be dry.
- Chill the dough: This ensures they don’t spread in the oven and helps develop the flavor.
How to Store
Room temperature: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up 1 week. Add a piece of bread in it to help they stay moist.
Freeze baked cookies: Store them in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Freeze cookie dough: Skip chilling in the fridge and scoop them out into dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Freeze until solid then transfer the dough to a resealable freezer bag. Bake from frozen. Add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
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Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats certified gluten-free if needed
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 dark chocolate chunks optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow. Cook, stirring constantly for 5-8 minutes. It will start to bubble and foam then the milk solids will start to smell nutty and turn a brown/amber color. Remove it immediately from the heat and transfer to a separate large bowl.3/4 cup unsalted butter
- Mix the oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla to the large bowl with the butter and whisk to combine.3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 Tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Cover and chill the dough fro at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a large cookie scoop or scant 1/4 cup to scoop out the cookies and roll into a ball.
- Place the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges and top are set. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Kate Poskochil
