Extra-Toasted Brown Butter Sugar Cookies with Milk Powder

I’ve eaten my share of uninspiring sugar cookies. Too often they feel like the consolation prize of a cookie assortment. After perfecting brown butter chocolate chunk cookies, I experimented with the same milk-powder technique on a simple sugar cookie. The result is an extra-toasty brown butter sugar cookie that’s unexpectedly complex and deeply satisfying.

Brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth on its own. When you whisk milk powder into the melted butter before it browns, you increase the amount of milk solids present during the browning process. More milk solids promotes more browning and yields a pronounced toasty, caramel-like flavor. From there the dough comes together like a classic sugar cookie, but that initial step transforms the whole cookie into something memorable.

Close up of freshly baked extra-toasty brown butter sugar cookies (with milk powder).

Be warned: once you try these, plain sugar cookies may never satisfy you the same way again. They have a nutty, slightly caramelized bite that surprises people. If you like showing up to gatherings with something people talk about, these are worth making again and again.

If you want other sugar cookie variations, there are great options in chocolate, vanilla, funfetti, and lemon — but this brown butter version is a standout if you’re after depth and toasty flavor.

How to Make Extra-Toasty Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

A stick of butter being melted down in a saucepan. — Toss the butter into a light-colored skillet (it’s easier to see the browning) and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Dry milk powder being stirred into melted butter. — Once the butter melts, sprinkle in the milk powder and stir to combine. It may clump a bit at first — that’s fine. Keep stirring until the butter begins to brown and smell nutty.

Brown butter being stirred inside of a glass mixing bowl. — As soon as the butter reaches the perfect brown stage, pour it into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.

Sugar being whisked into the brown butter mixture. — Whisk granulated sugar into the brown butter — the mixture should resemble dark, wet sand — then whisk until smooth and combined.

Egg and vanilla being whisked into the butter and sugar mixture. — Add the egg and vanilla, whisking until everything is well blended.

Dry ingredients being folded into the wet ingredients to form the brown butter sugar cookie dough. — Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing for the best texture.

Brown butter sugar cookie dough balls spaced out on a baking sheet. — Portion the dough with a 1½-tablespoon scoop and arrange the balls on a lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Freshly baked extra-toasty brown butter sugar cookies (with milk powder) sitting on a baking tray on top of a kitchen counter. — If desired, roll each ball in sugar before baking. Bake 5–6 cookies at a time for 10–12 minutes at 350°F (180°C), until the edges are lightly golden. The centers will remain soft — let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Close up of hand holding an extra-toasty brown butter sugar cookie (with milk powder) with a bite missing from it.

Brown butter sugar cookies on top of a baking sheet with a bite missing out of one showing off chewy texture.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Extra-Toasty Brown Butter Sugar Cookies (with Milk Powder)

If plain sugar cookies leave you cold, these brown butter sugar cookies with milk powder offer a lively upgrade. The milk powder intensifies the browning, producing a toasty, almost butterscotch-like aroma and flavor while maintaining the classic sugar cookie texture. Familiar, but much more interesting.

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Chill Time30 minutes

Total Time1 hour

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Brown Butter, Sugar Cookies

Servings: 14 cookies

Calories: 160kcal

Author: Mike Johnson

Ingredients

113 g unsalted butter
30 g nonfat dry milk powder
200 g granulated sugar plus more for rolling
1 large egg (≈ 50g)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
125 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Cube the butter and place it in a light-colored skillet. Melt over medium heat, stirring constantly so the solids brown evenly.
After the butter melts, stir in the milk powder until incorporated (some small clumps are normal). Continue stirring; after 5–8 minutes you’ll see browned specks and smell a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl.
To the brown butter, add the granulated sugar and whisk until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Use a 1½-tablespoon scoop to portion the dough into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
If using, roll each dough ball in sugar. Bake 5–6 cookies at a time for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the centers still look soft. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Nutrition

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