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You are here: Home / Desserts / Cookies / Browned Butter & Bourbon Cookies

Browned Butter & Bourbon Cookies

June 3, 2015 Updated April 30, 2020 BySam 82 Comments

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Thick, buttery-soft, and generously portioned, these bakery style cookies are infused with a faint hint of warm bourbon.  These browned butter and bourbon cookies are a deliciously unique twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.

Browned Butter and Bourbon Cookies

Finally, after many days and nights of threatening to do so, the summer storms have begun to break and they’re doing so with a vengeance.  The grounds are soggy, the winds borderline blustery and the skies perpetually muddied with dismally-shaded clouds.

I don’t believe I’m alone in thinking that there’s something wickedly beautiful about these storms and their abrupt, dark arrivals, their capacity for uprooting trees and snuffing out electricity.  Thunderstorms are intoxicating in a most villainous way — is there anything more entrancing than lightning lash down from the sky with sinister elegance, or the rumbling percussion of thunder roiling in the distance?

Cookies stacked on green plate

To me, these sights and sounds are the perfect soundtrack and inspiration for a baking spree, and as the most recent storms rolled in I sought refuge in the kitchen, tucked away comfortably and cozily between my KitchenAid and the stove.  These cookies then came to life out of a desire for a paradoxical treat: a complexity of flavors veiled by a shell of simplicity (and what could appear more simple and domestic than a chocolate chip cookie?).

Despite their appearance, these gigantic cookies are much, much, more than your standard chocolate chip cookie.  They are made with perfectly browned butter, an un-apologetically high proportion of brown to white sugars, and a hearty swig of bourbon.

Brown Butter and Bourbon Cookies -- close up

Browning butter is one of the best baking tricks to have up your sleeve (learn exactly how to brown butter, step-by-step), and using it in your cooking can bring your desserts to an entirely new level of decadence.  The very act simply must be good for the soul: there is possibly nothing more cozy and wholesome than warming butter over a gas flame and listening to it sizzle and pop, permeating the kitchen with a toasty, nutty aroma while a cacophony of raindrops pelts the windowpanes.

The bourbon, though integral to this recipe, is definitely not an overwhelming feature.  While the addition is important and worthwhile, it serves more to accent the flavors of the butter and the cookie as a whole, a subtle contributor to the final product.  They do not taste alcoholic (and they’re really not as the alcohol cooks out while baking) but the bourbon is important for a truly exquisite cookie.

Browned Butter and Bourbon Cookies in stacksstack of Browned Butter and Bourbon Cookies

Though not very difficult to make, these cookies require patience.  The browned butter must cool for at least an hour and a half before you can mix it in with the sugars, and once the dough is made it should chill overnight for the absolutely best flavor.  As if the wait isn’t enough, the dough is also challenging: large spoonfuls need to be wrested out of the solidified dough, and I usually resort to carving thick chunks out with a knife and pressing them into an ice cream scoop to form the desired, round shape.

Also, while I usually strongly argue that cookies are best enjoyed immediately out of the oven, gooey and as fresh as possible, that is not the case here.  The longer these cookies sit and cool, the better their flavor (I actually prefer eating them the next day rather than the same day that they are made, but then again that requires more patience, which I am in short-supply of).

cookies on cake stand

Browned Butter & Bourbon Cookies

Thick, buttery-soft, and generously portioned, these bakery style cookies are infused with a faint hint of warm bourbon.  
4.93 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best cookies, brown butter cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks unsalted sweet cream butter 345 g
  • 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed, 350 g
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
  • 3 Tbsp bourbon 45 ml
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 10 ml
  • 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour 500 g
  • 2 tsp cornstarch 8.5 g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 6 g
  • 3/4 tsp salt 3 g
  • 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips/chunks 425 g, I used a combination of half mini chips and half chopped premium dark chocolate

Instructions

  • Place the butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Increase heat to medium (do not leave your butter or it will burn) and swirl occasionally as the butter snaps and crackles.
  • Let the butter snap and pop (while stirring occasionally) and once this begins to slow, begin to stir and don't stop. The butte will be foamy so it will be difficult to tell once it has begun to brown, but once you begin to smell the unmistakably nutty aroma of browned butter, remove from heat (still stirring continuously) and pour into a heat-proof container (If you accidentally burn the butter, which you will know if you did, it will
  • smell
  • burnt, then do not use it or you will have burnt-tasting cookies.).
  • Allow butter to cool for at least an hour and a half before proceeding.
  • Once butter has cooled, combine in KitchenAid (or with hand-mixer) with sugars, beating on medium-speed until well combined
  • Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides and then beating well after each addition.
  • Add bourbon and vanilla. Stir.
  • In separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
  • Gradually (with mixer on low-medium speed) add flour mixture to butter mixture, pausing periodically to scrape down sides of bowl.
  • Stir in chocolate chips/chunks, transfer to container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
  • Once dough has refrigerated, preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Scoop dough either into ice cream scoop or into 1/4 sized measuring cup and drop onto prepared cookie sheets (the dough is difficult to work with, I have to scoop out smaller pieces of dough at a time and press them into my ice cream scoop into a cohesive ball and
  • then
  • drop them onto the cookie sheet). Press down gently on balls to flatten slightly.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove and allow to cool completely at least 10 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Overhead of Browned Butter and Bourbon Cookies

Big, bakery style browned butter and bourbon chocolate chip cookies || SugarSpunRun

Filed Under: Cookies

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Comments

  1. Rachel Smalley says

    August 14, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    I just made these for my annual family beach trip . They were a huge hit, especially among a group of bourbon lovers. Browning the butter really made a difference to add unique and premium flavor.

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 14, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Rachel! 🙂

      Reply
  2. AShleigh says

    June 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

    4 stars
    These were very easy to make and taste good. Do you have a bourbon recommendation? I used Maker’s Mark and while I smelled it during making the dough after being in the fridge over night and baking I didn’t really smell or taste any. Or would adding a bit more make a difference? I don’t want an overpowering taste but I do want to be able to taste it.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      June 8, 2020 at 3:32 pm

      Hi Ashleigh! I used Jim Beam when I made these. The flavor isn’t going to be strong and overpowering. It is simply going to add an extra depth of flavor here. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    April 28, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    Hi, I’m wondering if I can freeze this dough for a few days before cooking?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 29, 2020 at 8:40 am

      Hi, Jennifer! If you wish to freeze the dough, I would reccomend rolling the dough into balls prior to freezing. To avoid sticking, I usually will layer the cookie dough balls in between layers of wax paper before storing it in the freezer. I hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply
  4. David says

    April 26, 2020 at 2:00 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe! I did the 3x tablespoons of bourbon per the recipe and added 2 more shots of 86 proof Old Barton. I didn’t read part two of the instructions and needed the dough for a solid 20 minutes and then used my gelato scoon. Baked for 11 and 11.45 minutes @ 350 and perfect. Made 14 big cookies. Party of 1 that loves bourbon and experimented perfectly for a new adventure! Pure heaven….

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 26, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, David! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Allison says

    April 19, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    I keep forgetting to rate these, but I have made this recipe dozens of times. They are incredible each time I have made them – I don’t know if I can return to chocolate chip cookies without browned butter and bourbon again. Letting the dough chill overnight has yielded the tastiest results for me, and like you said they are even better the next day. Thanks for sharing my ultimate favorite cookie recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 19, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      I appreciate any comments, Allison! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kimberly Newman says

    January 13, 2020 at 9:06 pm

    Love your recipes! I have a quick question does using cornstarch stoped the cookies from spreading?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:21 am

      Hi, Kimberly! Thank you for being a fan of my recipes. I am so glad that you enjoy them! Cornstarch, when combined with flour, softens the flour leading to a more tender cookie. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jackie says

    December 12, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    How many cookie does this make?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      December 12, 2019 at 8:57 pm

      Hi, Jackie! I used an ice cream scoop and ended up with about 46 cookies, give or take a few. I did eat some dough (I couldn’t resist). 🙂

      Reply
  8. AKJ says

    December 10, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    5 stars
    I have eaten these cookies and they are AWESOME!!!! I am going to make some for a Christmas party. Can’t go wrong with this one.

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      December 10, 2019 at 10:58 pm

      Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies. I hope everyone enjoys them at your Christmas party as well. Happy Holidays. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Nikita says

    November 24, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    Made these quite a few times, and they get better every time. I used Knobb Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskeyand that gave it an amazing flavor: 3 times I chilled the dough over night, but last night I sent the cookies from the mixer straight to the oven and I highly recommend. They are far easier to scoop, and you get to enjoy a lot sooner. Other than that, expect to get a ton of compliments when giving to others to enjoy. My friends and family request I make these cookies all the time.

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      November 24, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      I am so glad that you enjoy the cookies, Nikita! I am glad they are a crowd-pleaser. Thanks for commenting. 🙂

      Reply
      • Nikita says

        November 25, 2019 at 8:22 am

        Thanks for sharing the recipe, absolutely brilliant!

      • Sugar Spun Run says

        November 25, 2019 at 8:40 am

        Thank you so much, Nikita! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂

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The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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