Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Bakery-style brown butter oatmeal cookies with warm spices and flaky sea salt stacked together, featuring chewy centers, crisp edges, and old-fashioned rolled oats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg *freshly grated if possible
- pinch ground clove
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom optional
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups rolled oats
Optional Add-In's
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup raisins
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup toffee bits
- flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown specks appear and the butter smells nutty. Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool for about 10–15 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom (if using).
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the rolled oats and any optional mix-ins until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 2½ tablespoons), portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden while the centers still look slightly underbaked.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the hot baking sheet for 3–5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Browning the butter is the key to the rich caramel flavor.
- Chilling the dough creates thicker cookies with better flavor.
- Don't overbake! Slightly underbaked centers become perfectly chewy after resting.
- Bake one sheet at a time for the most even results.
- Finish with flaky sea salt while the cookies are still warm for the best flavor and presentation.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 cookieYield: 24 cookies
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 198 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Total Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | <1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 33 mg |
| Sodium | 140 mg |
| Potassium | 85 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Calcium | 18 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Vitamin A | 300 IU |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Vitamin D | 8 IU |
| Vitamin E | 0.3 mg |
| Vitamin K | 2 mcg |
| Magnesium | 20 mg |
| Phosphorus | 55 mg |
| Zinc | 0.6 mg |