Love brown butter cookies? Try brown butter chocolate chip cookies, brown butter salted caramel cookies, or Christmas Crack cookies next.
Ingredients You Need
Most of these are baking staples. The pistachio cream is the one special ingredient. Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter: Browning the butter adds a nutty, caramelized flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spooned and leveled for accuracy.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise and spread just the right amount.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a slight molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar adds more rich molasses flavor if desired.
- Granulated sugar: Creates a crisp edge.
- Eggs: At room temperature for even mixing.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: Chop a bar instead of using chips for big pools of melty chocolate.
- Pistachio cream: The gooey center! It’s a sweet, spreadable pistachio spread, kind of like Nutella. I used Pisti cream of pistachio. Look for it near the Nutella, at specialty grocery stores, or online.
- Chopped pistachios (optional): Add them to the dough or sprinkle them on top for extra crunch and color.
How to Make Brown Butter Pistachio Cookies
Here are the steps, with photos, to make these brown butter pistachio cookies.
Step 1. Brown the butter: Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring often. It will foam, then little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan and it will smell nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t walk away, because it can burn fast! Pour it into a bowl to cool slightly.
Step 2. Prepare the dough: Mix browned butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Combine with dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chunks.
Step 3. Chill the dough and freeze the filling: Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. While it chills, scoop heaping teaspoons of pistachio cream onto a parchment-lined sheet and freeze them.
Step 4. Stuff the cookies: Scoop 1/4-cup dough balls and break each one in half. Press an ident into one half, add a frozen pistachio cream dollop, top with the other half, and pinch the seams to seal.
Step 5. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Bake until the edges are set and the tops are just barely set. Top with flaky sea salt and additional chocolate chunks, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Cool the Brown Butter: Adding hot butter to the dough can melt the chocolate prematurely. Let it cool slightly before mixing.
- Chill the Dough: This step is crucial for better texture and flavor. It prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Portion Carefully: Make sure the pistachio cream is fully enclosed in the dough to avoid leakage.
- Rest cold dough: If the dough has chilled for more than 12 hours, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so it’s easier to scoop and shape.
- Freeze the filling: Don’t skip freezing the pistachio cream dollops. Soft cream is messy to wrap and more likely to leak.
- Salted pistachios? If you add chopped pistachios, unsalted is best since the cookies are already topped with flaky salt.
Recipe Variations
- White chocolate pistachio: use white chocolate instead of semi-sweet.
- Dark chocolate hazelnut: Use dark chocolate chunks and substitute Nutella.
- Gluten-free: use a 1:1 gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill.
- Espresso: Add 1 tsp of espresso powder to the dry ingredients.
- Chopped pistachios: add 2/3 cup chopped unsalted pistachios to the cookie dough with the chocolate chips.
- Vegan: use plant based butter and flax eggs or an egg substitute.
Recipe FAQs
Look near the Nutella or nut butters, at specialty stores like Trader Joe’s or Italian markets, or online. I use Pisti cream of pistachio.
Not if you freeze the dollops first and pinch the dough seams closed. Freezing hepls the filling hold its shape while the cookies bake.
Yes! Stir 2/3 cup chopped unsalted pistachios into the dough with the chocolate, or press some on top before baking.
Yes. Brown butter is melted better, so unchilled dough spreads too much and is too soft to wrap around the filling.
How to Store Pistachio Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze dough balls (stuffed or unstuffed) for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
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How to Make Brown Butter Pistachio Cookies
Brown Butter Pistachio Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup pistachio cream ( I used Pisti cream of pistachio)
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter froths then you see little brown bits form on the bottom of the pan, 4-5 minutes. Immediately transfer the brown butter to a separate bowl to cool slightly.1 cup unsalted butter
- While it’s cooling, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- When the browned butter is slightly cooled, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl of brown butter and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until no yellow streaks remain.1 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. It will be dry at first then start to come together.
- Add the chopped chocolate and stir to combine. If the butter is too warm and you try to add the chocolate some of the chocolate can melt. Cover the dough and refrigerate to chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a heaping teaspoon, scoop the pistachio cream out onto the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer to chill until the dough is done chilling.1/2 cup pistachio cream
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If the dough has been chilling for longer than 12 hours, let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes before scooping because it’s easier to handle.
- Use a large (1/4 cup) cookie scoop to scoop out the dough. Break the dough ball in half and press an indent into the center of one half. Place the chilled pistachio cream in the center then close the dough ball with the other half, pinching the seams to seal it.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are just barely set. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and press additional chocolate chunks in the tops if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Why no comments or ratings yet?
I will try these soon. They look great!
-New Visitor