Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My butterscotchy Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies are a deeply flavorful twist on a classic favorite! This simple recipe uses a trick that gives you everything you love about an oatmeal cookie, but elevated!

• Browned butter magic: If you already love soft, comforting oatmeal cookies, you’ll be amazed at how rich, nutty brown butter takes them to another level.
• Ready in about an hour. Most of the time is hands-off while the dough chills.
• Thick, soft, chewy texture: Crisp edges, and soft, almost fudgy middles.
• No mixer needed: Making these oatmeal cookies couldn’t be easier—just brown the butter, mix everything together, chill the dough, and bake.
• Made from 8 kitchen basics: These gourmet-level cookies come together with just simple ingredients.

As a professional chef, one of my favorite ways to transform a simple recipe into an extra-special treat is with an easy technique that really ups the flavor. Browning butter takes just a few minutes, but it creates kitchen magic, adding rich butterscotch and caramel notes, a rich nutty aroma, and giving these Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies the kind of flavor and texture you’d expect from a fancy cookie shop, all from ingredients you probably have on hand.

My top tip for you here is to brown the butter in a stainless steel or light-colored shallow frying pan. More surface area makes the process quicker, and with a lighter surface, it’s easier to see when the milk solids have turned a rich golden brown without accidentally burning the butter. For more recipes featuring browned butter, check out Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, Lemon Blondies, and Butter Pecan Cookies.

Table of Contents

• What are Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Essential Cookie Recipes

What are Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies?

Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies are a delicious twist on a traditional oatmeal drop cookie. The French technique of browning the butter (beurre noisette) before mixing the dough gives the cookies a deeper, richer flavor. As the butter is heated, the milk solids toast and develop caramel, nutty notes that make these oatmeal cookies taste rich and extra-flavorful. Oatmeal cookies have been a beloved favorite in the U.S. since the 1800s, and this classic, easy French pastry technique gives them even better.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Light-colored, uncoated 8-inch, 20-cm frying pan
• Spoon
• Heatproof bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Cling wrap
• Two large baking trays
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Butter

• Butter is browned before it’s added to the dough, creating an intensified flavor with notes of toffee, caramel, and nuttiness.
• Importantly, butter adds moisture and richness to the cookies.
• Butter also contributes to a tender texture and helps the cookie edges crisp up.
• I don’t recommend using a substitute for butter in this recipe, because it’s the cookie’s primary flavor.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure while still creating a tender crumb.
• Using the flour along with the oats keeps the cookies from being too dense.
• Substitute: For a gluten-free cookie, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour baking blend, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix or another gluten-free flour.
  • Note that the cookies made with gluten-free flour could be more delicate.

Baking soda

• Baking soda reacts with the acid in the dark brown sugar to produce carbon dioxide gas. Tiny bubbles give the cookies some lift and a tender texture.
• Additionally, the baking soda helps the cookies spread and brown.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavor of the brown butter and balances the sweetness.

Eggs

• Eggs emulsify the ingredients, so they come together in a cohesive dough.
• Importantly, eggs give the cookies richness, moisture, and flavor.
• Substitute: You can also use a flax egg here.
  • For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar sweetens the cookies and adds a rich molasses flavor.
• Additionally, dark brown sugar, which contains more molasses than light brown sugar, adds moisture and contributes to the soft, fudgy centers more than granulated sugar would.
• You could use the same amount of light brown sugar, but the cookies won’t be as soft.
• Make your own brown sugar with my easy recipe.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract enhances the caramel notes in the brown butter.
• Additionally, vanilla rounds out all of the flavors in these oatmeal cookies.
• Substitute: You can also use the same amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.

Rolled oats

• Rolled oats give the cookies their signature hearty chew and rustic texture.
• Additionally, rolled oats provide a nutty, slightly sweet flavor.
• I recommend rolled oats here. Using quick oats won’t give the correct texture.

How to Make Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Brown the Butter

1. Heat butter. Add the butter to a light colored, uncoated, 8-inch (20 cm) frying pan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir until browned. Stir constantly until the butter turns deep golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour into heatproof bowl. Immediately pour into a large heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.
4. Cool butter. Let cool completely to room temperature (about 15 minutes).

Make the Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies

5. Combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

6. Mix wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract into the brown butter.

7. Finish dough. Fold in the flour mixture, followed by the rolled oats, until fully incorporated.

8. Chill dough. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
9. Prepare to bake. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) fan assist and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Scoop cookie dough. Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions, roll into balls, flatten slightly, and place 3 inches (7 ½ cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

11. Bake cookies. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are puffed.

12. Cool cookies. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Use an uncoated, light-colored pan for browning the butter. This makes it much easier to see the brown bits and determine when the butter is done.
• Let the brown butter cool fully. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool before mixing it with the other ingredients. This will prevent greasy dough and excess spreading.
• Want to speed up the cooling process? Place the bowl of browned butter over a larger bowl of ice and stir frequently until it reaches room temperature.
• Use old-fashioned rolled oats. Using quick oats won’t give the proper, hearty cookie texture.
• Rest the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Chilling is important to solidify the browned butter, which helps the oatmeal cookies bake up thick and not spread too much.
• Flatten the dough balls before baking. Flattening slightly ensures even spreading and consistent thickness.
• Conventional oven instructions. If your oven does not have a convection setting, increase the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake one tray at a time.
  • A convection oven circulates the air for more even baking, so using a slightly higher temperature in a conventional oven and baking one tray at a time will help the cookies crisp up correctly.
• Pull the cookies out of the oven when the centers are just barely set. They will continue to cook on the pan as they cool.
• Note that these cookies are best the day they are baked. If you wish, you can just bake what you plan to eat that day and freeze the remaining scooped balls of dough on a parchment-lined tray.
  • Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container.
  • Defrost at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead Tips

• Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Note to age the cookie dough for up to 3 days before using or freezing.
  • Freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to two months.
  • When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
• For more information on freezing cookie dough, check out my How to Freeze Cookie Dough guide.

How to Store Leftovers

• Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.

FAQs

Can I make these oatmeal cookies gluten-free?

• For a gluten-free cookie, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour baking blend, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix or another gluten-free flour.
  • Note that the cookies made with gluten-free flour could be more delicate.

How do I make brown butter oatmeal cookies without eggs?

• To make brown butter oatmeal cookies without eggs,  use a flax egg in this cookie recipe.
  • For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

What are good mix-ins for brown butter oat cookies?

• Brown butter is the star of this cookie, so keeping mix-ins subtle will preserve the original flavor. For added texture or flavor, you can add:
  • Make it brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies by stirring in 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) of bittersweet chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate.
    You can also add the same amount of butterscotch chips instead.
  • For more crunch, add 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) of toasted, chopped nuts.
  • To add chewiness, mix in 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) of raisins.
  • Lean into the homey oatmeal vibe by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with the dry ingredients.

More Essential Cookie Recipes

• Irish Shortbread
• Molasses Cookies
• Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chewy Sugar Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies

Try These Recipes!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sheet Pan Cookies (8-in-1)

Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Easy Cookie Brittle